Zob Ahan Esfahan F.C.
Zob Ahan Esfahan Football Club (Persian: باشگاه فرهنگى ورزشى ذوبآهن اصفهان, Bâšgâhé Futbâlé Zobâhané Esfahân) is an Iranian football club based in Fuladshahr, Iran. It competes in the Persian Gulf Pro League. The team is sponsored by the Isfahan Steel Company, which also goes by the name Zob Ahan. The club's main rival is fellow Isfahani team Sepahan, which is also sponsored by the rival steel mill Mobarakeh Steel Company.
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| Full name | Zob Ahan Esfahan Football Club | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Nickname(s) | Gandos (The Marsh Crocodiles) | ||
| Founded | 6 July 1969 | ||
| Ground | Foolad Shahr Stadium | ||
| Capacity | 21,000[1][2] | ||
| Owner | Isfahan Steel Company | ||
| Chairman | Nima Nakisa[3] | ||
| Head Coach | Mohammad Rabiei | ||
| League | Persian Gulf Pro League | ||
| 2022–23 | Persian Gulf Pro League, 9th | ||
| Website | Club website | ||
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Zob Ahan club also has a basketball team, sponsored by the same Isfahan Steel Company, which is one of the teams in the Iranian Super League.
In the 2010 AFC Champions League. Zob Ahan finished as runners-up losing 3–1 to South Korean club Seongnam Ilhwa Chunma in the final.
Zob Ahan has won the Hazfi Cup on four occasions (2002–03, 2008–09, 2014–15 and 2015–16) and have finished as runners-up one time (2000–01). The club has also finished as League runners-up three times (2004–05, 2008–09 and 2009–10) and has won the Iranian Super Cup once (2016).
Club history
Early years (1969–1980)
Mohammad Ali Taghizadeh Farahmand established the club in 1969. They entered the Takht Jamshid Cup in 1973 and end season in the 10th place. They promoted to the quarterfinals of the Hazfi Cup in 1976. Their best results in Takht Jamshid Cup was earned in 1977–78 in the 8th place. Zob Ahan prepared its team by buying 14 players from their local rivals Sepahan.
Azadegan League (1980–2001)
The team has participated in the highest division of the Iranian league system since 1973, except for the 1995 season when they played in the 2nd division. After Iranian Revolution in 1979, Takht Jamshid Cup was suspended due to Iran–Iraq War. After the end of the war, league began again in the title of Azadegan League. They were once again promoted to the 1st division the year after.
PGPL (2001–present)
Zob Ahan currently play in the IPL starting from 2001. The club's first honor, remains the winning of the Hazfi Cup in 2003, after defeating the Shiraz-based team Moghavemat Sepasi in the finals.[4] This feat was repeated in the 2008–09 Hazfi Cup, when the club beat Rah Ahan to re-claim the title after 6 years.[4] The club made its first appearance in the AFC Champions League in 2004, as the winners of the 2003 Hazfi Cup, but were eliminated in the group stages.
Having missed out so narrowly on winning their first-ever domestic league title in the 2008–09 season, Zobahan were one of the title contenders once again in the 2009–10 season, never dropping out of the top-four positions throughout the season. However, at the end, they had to settle for second place once again after finishing six points behind their city rivals Sepahan. They also lost their grip on the Hazfi Cup after a shock 0–2 loss to a second-division side Gostaresh Foulad in the semi-finals.[5]
2010 AFC Champion League
In the 2010 AFC Champions League Zob Ahan finished first on the group stage that included FC Bunyodkor, Al-Wahda and Al-Ittihad. By finishing first they qualified for the first time for the Knockout stages. On the Round of 16 they draw country neighbours Mes Kerman winning 1–0. The club then qualified to the quarter-finals and were drawn with title holders Pohang Steelers, Zob Ahan won 2–1 at home and draw 1–1 on Korea, knocking-out shockingly the title holders. Zob Ahan played against Saudi powerhouse Al Hilal which they won 1–0 at home, and won 1–0 on Saudi Arabia with a goal from Igor Castro leading the club to an historical Asian Champions League final where they face Seongnam Ilhwa Chunma. On 13 November, in the final Zob Ahan lost 1–3 to Seongnam Ilhwa Chunma. At half-time the score was 0–1 with a goal from Saša Ognenovski, in the second-half Zob Ahan conceded an early goal scored by Cho Byung-Kuk making the score 0–2, Zob Ahan finally scored the goal from Mohammad Reza Khalatbari making 1–2, but on the last minutes of the game Seongnam Ilhwa Chunma scored the 1–3 and killed the game. Zob Ahan couldn't be the champions on their 2nd Asian Champions League participation always being under-dogs, but they fought like warriors and made Iran proud. The following year the club made it to the quarter-finals but lost to Korean club Suwon Samsung Bluewings.
Dark years
After the 2011 Champions League, Zob Ahan's golden age seemed all but over. A 6th place league finish in 2012 meant that the club failed to retain its spot in the Champions League. The following year, the club finished 14th in the league, narrowly avoiding relegation through a play-off. Fan attendance started to dip and Zob Ahan had another sub par year in the 2013–14 Iran Pro League season, finishing 13th, changing three managers during the course of the season and again narrowly avoiding relegation.
Resurrection under Golmohammadi and Hosseini
In summer of 2014 Zob Ahan announced Yahya Golmohammadi as the club's new manager. Golmohammadi introduced a possession based philosophy to Zob Ahan and after a poor start to the season, Golmohammadi's tactics and the addition of Kaveh Rezaei paid off and Zob Ahan when on a six match unbeaten run which placed them 6th in week 23. On 5 December 2015 Zob Ahan defeated Persepolis 2–1 in the Hazfi Cup semi-final to advance to the final for the fourth time in club history. On 15 May 2015 after a 0–0 draw against Padideh, Zob Ahan finished fourth and returned to the AFC Champions League after five years. Zob Ahan also won their third Hazfi Cup title after defeating Naft Tehran 3–1 in the final.
On 23 February 2016 Zob Ahan won its first match AFC Champions League since 2011, defeating Lekhwiya of Qatar 1–0. Zob Ahan qualified for the Round of 16 of the AFC Champions League on 20 April 2016 after defeating Saudi club Al Nassr 3–0 in match day 5. However, Zob Ahan were defeated 3–1 on aggregate by Emirati club Al Ain in the Round of 16. Zob Ahan once again qualified for the final of the 2016 Hazfi Cup to defend their crown against Esteghlal. Zob Ahan defeated Esteghlal in penalties and won the Hazfi Cup for the fourth time in the club's history. Zob Ahan won the Iranian Super Cup after beating Esteghlal Khuzestan 4–2 in extra time. This was the first trophy that Zob Ahan won in Foolad Shahr Stadium.
In the beginning of the 2016–17, after poor results, Golmohammadi was fired as manager of the team and was replaced by Assistant coach Mojtaba Hosseini. Hosseini led Zob Ahan to the semi-finals of the Hazfi Cup, where they lost to Tractor in extra time.
Colours and crest
One of Zob Ahan's nicknames is Sabzpoushan ("The Greens", Persian: سبز پوشان), stemming from their traditional kit, which is predominantly green. From the foundation of the club, the common home kit includes a green shirt, black or white shorts, and white or yellow socks. White and black colours are also seen in the kit. The away kit of the club is commonly with a white background.
Stadium and facilities
The home stadium of the club is Foolad Shahr Stadium located in Fooladshahr, Isfahan. The stadium had 20,000 capacity but was renovated to hold about 30,000 people in 2011. The stadium was built in 1998. There training stadium is located outside of Isfahan named Zob Ahan Private Stadium.
Rivalries
Zob Ahan is part of the Esfahan derby or Naghsh-e-Jahan derby, one of the biggest derby's in Iran. According to Iranian football journalist Afshin Afshar, the rivalry between Zob Ahan and Sepahan is one of the most important matches in the Iran Pro League.
The Esfahan derby goes back to the 1970s, when Zob Ahan and Sepahan faced each other in Takht Jamshid Cup seasons (1974/75, 1975/76, 1976/77, 1977/78). Their rivalry resumed in the 1990s when they faced each other in Azadegan League seasons (1993/94, 1996/97, 1997/98) and from then on the two met each other twice a year.
Players
First-team squad
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
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- U21 = Under 21 Player
- U23 = Under 23 Player
- U25 = Under 25 Player
For recent transfers, see List of Iranian football transfers summer 2022.
Retired numbers
| No. | Player | Position | Zob Ahan debut | Last match | ref |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 30 |  Mehdi Rajabzadeh |
AM | June 2003 | 15 May 2018 | [6] |
On 18 June 2018, the club decided to retire the squad number 30 in memory of Mehdi Rajabzadeh.
Notable players
This list of former players includes those who received international caps while playing for the team, made significant contributions to the team in terms of appearances or goals while playing for the team, or who made significant contributions to the sport either before they played for the team, or after they left. It is clearly not yet complete and all inclusive, and additions and refinements will continue to be made over time.
Famous Players
For notable players see List of Zob Ahan F.C. players.
For details on former players see Category:Zob Ahan Esfahan F.C. players.
Players on international cups
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Club captains
| # | Name | Nat | Career in Zob Ahan |
Captaincy | Shirt Num |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 |
Rasoul Korbekandi |  |
1969–80 | 1970–80 | 1 |
2 |
Mahmood Ebrahimzadeh | |
1976–86 | 1980–86 | 7 |
3 |
Rahman Rezaei | |
1996–01 | 1997–00 | 10 |
4 |
Ali Akbar Ostad-Asadi | |
1995–03 | 2000–03 | 15 |
5 |
Sepehr Heidari | |
2000–07 2012–14 |
2003–07 | 3 |
6 |
Mohammad Salsali | |
2004–14 | 2007–14 | 7 |
7 |
Mehdi Rajabzadeh | |
2003–07 2010–11 2012–18 |
2014–18 | 30 |
8 |
Ghasem Haddadifar | |
2003– | 2018– | 8 |
Club officials
IPL managers
Only IPL matches are counted.
Last updated 10 August 2021.
| Name | Nat | From | To | Record | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| P | W | D | L | Win % | Final Position | |||||
| Nasser Hejazi | |
Jul 2001 | Dec 2001 | 20 | 8 | 6 | 4 | 40% | 3rd (until week 20) | |
| Bahram Atef | |
Dec 2001 | Jul 2002 | 6 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 33.4% | (01-02) 6th | |
| Samvel Darbinyan |  |
Jul 2002 | May 2003 | 52 | 21 | 11 | 20 | 40% | (02-03) 8th (03-04) 4th | |
| Rasoul Korbekandi | |
May 2003 | Jun 2007 | 90 | 39 | 26 | 25 | 43.4% | (04-05) 2nd, (05-06) 6th, (06-07) 8th | |
| Zoran Đorđević |  |
Jun 2007 | Oct 2007 | 10 | 3 | 4 | 3 | 30% | 17th (until week 10) | |
| Bijan Zolfagharnasab | |
Oct 2007 | May 2008 | 24 | 8 | 11 | 5 | 33.4% | (07-08) 6th | |
| Mansour Ebrahimzadeh | |
Jul 2008 | Jun 2012 | 134 | 62 | 48 | 24 | 46.3% | (08-09) 2nd, (09-10) 2nd,(10–11) 3rd, (11-12) 6th | |
| Rasoul Korbekandi | |
Jun 2012 | Oct 2012 | 11 | 3 | 1 | 7 | 27.3% | 15th (until week 11) | |
| Farhad Kazemi | |
Oct 2012 | Jul 2013 | 23 | 6 | 10 | 7 | 26% | (12-13) 14th | |
| Mahmoud Yavari | |
Jun 2013 | Jul 2013 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 50% | Win in the Relegation play-offs | |
| Luka Bonačić |  |
Jul 2013 | Jan 2014 | 20 | 3 | 7 | 10 | 15% | 14th (until week 20) | |
| Mojtaba Taghavi | |
Jan 2014 | Feb 2014 | 7 | 1 | 4 | 2 | 14.3% | 15th (until week 27) | |
| Firouz Karimi | |
Feb 2014 | Jun 2014 | 4 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 75% | (13-14) 13th | |
| Yahya Golmohammadi | |
Jun 2014 | Sep 2016 | 67 | 26 | 26 | 15 | 38.8% | (14–15) 4th (15–16) 6th (16–17) 14th (until week 7) | |
| Mojtaba Hosseini | |
Sep 2016 | Jun 2017 | 23 | 11 | 7 | 5 | 47.8% | (16–17) 4th | |
| Amir Ghalenoei | |
Jun 2017 | Jun 2018 | 30 | 15 | 10 | 5 | 50.0% | (17-18) 2nd | |
| Omid Namazi |  |
Jun 2018 | Nov 2018 | 11 | 2 | 5 | 4 | 18.1% | (18–19) 11th (until week 11) | |
| Alireza Mansourian | |
Nov 2018 | Dec 2019 | 35 | 10 | 14 | 11 | 36.8% | (18-19) 6th (19–20) 11th (until week 16) | |
| Miodrag Radulović |  |
Jan 2020 | Jun 2020 | 5 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 40% | (19–20) 11th (until week 21) | |
| Luka Bonačić | |
Jun 2020 | Aug 2020 | 9 | 2 | 2 | 5 | 22.2% | (19–20) 12th | |
| Rahman Rezaei | |
Sep 2020 | Feb 2021 | 15 | 1 | 8 | 6 | 6.6% | (20–21) 14th (until week 15) | |
| Mojtaba Hosseini | |
Mar 2021 | Aug 2021 | 12 | 3 | 3 | 6 | 25% | (20–21) 14th | |
| Mehdi Tartar | |
Aug 2021 | Present | 30 | 10 | 7 | 13 | 30% | (21–22) 7th | |
Current coaching staff
Source:[7]
| Position | Name |
|---|---|
| Head coach | Mehdi Tartar |
| Assistant coaches | Hossein Pashaei Mohammad Salsali Mohammad Nouri |
| Goalkeeping coach | Hossein Inanlou |
| Fitness coach | Amir Jamali |
| Analyst | Kianoush Forouzesh |
| Physiotherapist | Abbas Moradi Behzad Moradi |
| Doctor | Amir Hossein Sharifianpour |
| Logistics | Mahmoud Mehruyan |
| Team Manager | Mahmoud Yazdkhasti |
| B team Head Coach | Mehdi Rajabzadeh |
| Media Officer | Ehsan Baeedi |
Chairpersons
| Chairperson | Tenure |
|---|---|
| Mohammad Mehdi Taghizadeh |
July 1969 – July 1977 |
| Mostafa Ghanei |
July 1977 – February 1979 |
| Asghar Nilchian |
May 1979 – May 1984 |
| Fazollah Omranian |
May 1984 – May 1988 |
| Heydar Taheri |
May 1988 – May 1992 |
| Nematollah Zargar |
May 1992 – June 1996 |
| Alireza Shogi |
June 1996 – June 2004 |
| Saeed Azari |
June 2004 – June 2009 |
| Asghar Dalili |
June 2009 – August 2011 |
| Khosro Ebrahimi |
August 2011 – September 2013 |
| Saeed Azari |
September 2013 – August 2019 |
| Javad Mohammadi |
August 2019 – January 2020 |
| Ahmad Jamshidi |
January 2020 – September 2020 |
| Javad Mohammadi |
September 2020 – January 2021 |
| Mojtaba Fereydouni |
January 2021 – July 2023 |
| Nima Nakisa |
July 2023 – present |
Season-by-season
For details on seasons, see List of Zob Ahan F.C. seasons
The table below chronicles the achievements of Zob Ahan since 1973.
Season League Position Hazfi Cup ACL Notes 1973–74 Takht Jamshid Cup 10th Not held did not qualify 1974–75 11th 1975–76 9th 1/8 Final 1976–77 15th 1/16 Final 1977–78 8th Not held 1978–79 N/A did not finish 1981–82 Isfahan's 2nd Division 1st Promoted 1983–84 Isfahan League 3rd 1984–85 2nd 1991–92 5th 1993–94 Azadegan League 4th 1/8 Final 1994–95 8th 1/16 Final Relegated 1995–96 2nd Division 2nd 1/8 Final Promoted 1996–97 Azadegan League 10th 1/8 Final 1997–98 3rd Not held 1998–99 12th Third Round 1999–00 5th First Round 2000–01 4th Final 2001–02 Iran Pro League 6th Quarterfinal 2002–03 8th Cup 2003–04 4th Semi-Final First Round 2004–05 2nd 1/8 Final did not qualify 2005–06 6th 1/8 Final 2006–07 8th 1/16 Final 2007–08 6th 1/8 Final 2008–09 2nd Cup 2009–10 2nd Semi-Final Runner-up 2010–11 3rd 1/16 Final 1/4 Final 2011–12 6th 1/8 Final Play-off 2012–13 14th 1/4 Final did not qualify 2013–14 13th 1/4 Final 2014–15 4th Cup 2015–16 6th Cup 1/8 Final Super Cup 2016–17 4th Semi-Final First Round 2017–18 2nd 1/16 Final 1/8 Final 2018–19 6th 1/16 Final 1/8 Final 2019–20 12th 1/16 Final did not qualify 2020–21 14th 1/16 Final did not qualify 2021–22 7th 1/16 Final did not qualify
Individual records
Lists of the players with the most caps and top goalscorers for the club, (players in bold signifies current Zob Ahan player). Mehdi Rajabzadeh is the club's all-time most capped player and top scorer with 93 goals in 296 games. This list includes goals from Iran Premier League.
Most appearances
| Name | Nationality | position | total | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ghasem Haddadifar | Iran |
Midfielder | 330 |
| 2 | Mehdi Rajabzadeh | Iran |
Forward | 296 |
| 3 | Esmaeil Farhadi | Iran |
Forward | 280 |
| 4 | Rasoul Korbekandi | Iran |
Goalkeeper | 265 |
| 5 | Mohammad Salsali | Iran |
Defender | 220 |
| 6 | Sepehr Heidari | Iran |
Defender | 175 |
| 7 | Ali Akbar Ostad-Asadi | Iran |
Defender | 164 |
| 8 | Mohammad Mansouri | Iran |
Midfielder | 155 |
| 9 | Hassan Ashjari | Iran |
Defender | 139 |
| 10 | Morteza Tabrizi | Iran |
Forward | 138 |
Top Goalscorers
| Player | Period | Appearances in PL | Goals in PL | Appearances | Goals | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Mehdi Rajabzadeh |
2003–07; 2010–11; 2012–18 | 296 | 93 | 353 | 106 |
| 2 | Morteza Tabrizi |
2013–18 | 138 | 39 | 179 | 53 |
| 3 | Esmaeil Farhadi |
2005–15 | 280 | 44 | 308 | 47 |
| 4 | Mohammad Reza Khalatbari |
2006–11; 2019– | 129 | 34 | 157 | 43 |
| 5 |  Igor Castro |
2008–12 | 121 | 30 | 153 | 42 |
Top Scorers by season
| Season | Player | Goals |
|---|---|---|
| 2001–02 | Reza Sahebi |
7 |
| 2002–03 | Reza Sahebi |
6 |
| 2003–04 | Mehdi Rajabzadeh |
9 |
| 2004–05 | Mehdi Rajabzadeh |
8 |
| 2005–06 | Mehdi Rajabzadeh |
14 |
| 2006–07 | Mehdi Rajabzadeh |
17 |
| 2007–08 | Esmaeil Farhadi |
9 |
| 2008–09 | Igor Castro |
16 |
| 2009–10 | Mohammad Reza Khalatbari |
11 |
| 2010–11 | Seyed Mohammad Hosseini |
12 |
| 2011–12 | Mohammad Ghazi |
7 |
| 2012–13 | Mehdi Rajabzadeh |
8 |
| 2013–14 | Mehdi Rajabzadeh |
9 |
| 2014–15 | Masoud Hassanzadeh |
9 |
| 2015–16 | Morteza Tabrizi |
7 |
| 2016–17 | Morteza Tabrizi |
11 |
| 2017–18 | Morteza Tabrizi |
13 |
| 2018–19 | Amir Arsalan Motahari |
6 |
Asian record
Asian Club Championship / AFC Champions League
| Season | Round | Rival | Home | Away | Rank/Agg. | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2004 | Group stage (Group A) |
 Pakhtakor |
1–0 | 2–0 | 2 | |
 Qatar SC |
3–3 | 0–0 | ||||
 Riffa |
– | – | ||||
| 2010 | Group stage (Group B) |
 Al-Wahda |
1–0 | 1–0 | 1 | Runners-up |
 Al-Ittihad |
1–0 | 2–2 | ||||
| Bunyodkor |
3–0 | 0–1 | ||||
| Round of 16 | Mes Kerman |
1–0 | – | 1–0 | ||
| Quarter-finals |  Pohang Steelers |
2–1 | 1–1 | 3–2 | ||
| Semi-finals | Al-Hilal |
1–0 | 0–1 | 2–0 | ||
| Final | Seongnam Ilhwa Chunma |
– | – | 1–3 | ||
| 2011 | Group stage (Group D) |
Emirates |
2–1 | 0–1 | 1 | |
| Al-Shabab |
0–1 | 0–0 | ||||
| Al-Rayyan |
1–0 | 1–3 | ||||
| Round of 16 | Al-Nassr |
4–1 | – | 4–1 | ||
| Quarter-finals | Suwon Samsung Bluewings |
1–2 | 1–1 | 2–3 | ||
| 2012 | Qualifying play-off | Esteghlal |
– | 2–0 | 2–0 | Not Qualify |
| 2016 | Group stage (Group B) |
Lekhwiya |
0–0 | 0–1 | 1 | |
| Bunyodkor |
5–2 | 0–0 | ||||
| Al-Nassr |
3–0 | 0–3 | ||||
| Round of 16 | Al-Ain |
0–2 | 1–1 | 1–3 | ||
| 2017 | Group stage (Group C) |
Al-Ain |
0–3 | 1–1 | 3 | |
| Al-Ahli |
1–2 | 2–0 | ||||
| Bunyodkor |
2–1 | 0–2 | ||||
| 2018 | Qualifying play-off |  Aizawl |
3–1 | – | 3–1 | Qualify |
| Group stage (Group B) |
Al Wahda |
2–0 | 3–0 | 2 | ||
| Lokomotiv |
2–0 | 1–1 | ||||
| Al-Duhail |
0–1 | 3–1 | ||||
| Round of 16 | Esteghlal |
1–0 | 3–1 | 3–2 | ||
| 2019 | Preliminary round 2 |  Al-Kuwait |
1–0 | – | 1–0 | Qualify |
| Qualifying play-off | Al-Gharafa |
– | 2–3 | 3–2 | ||
| Group stage (Group A) |
 Al-Zawraa |
0–0 | 2–2 | 1 | ||
| Al-Wasl |
2–0 | 1–3 | ||||
| Al-Nassr |
0–0 | 2–3 | ||||
| Round of 16 | Al-Ittihad |
3–4 | 2–1 | 4–6 |
Ownership
The owner of the Zob Ahan FC is Isfahan Steel Company. Company is the first Iranian steel maker opened in late 1960, based close to the cities of Fooladshahr and Zarrinshahr, Isfahan Province.
Zob Ahan-e Esfahan and Iran's first car manufacturer, Iran National (renamed Iran Khodro after the Iranian revolution) were parts of a significant move from mainly agriculture-based economy toward industrialization by the pre-revolutionary government of Amir Abbas Hoveida.
References
- "World Stadiums - Stadiums in Iran". www.worldstadiums.com.
- "باشگاه ذوب آهن برای افزایش ظرفیت تماشاگر در ورزشگاه فولادشهر دست به کار شد". فرتاک ورزشی.
- رسمی: نیما نکیسا، مدیرعامل ذوبآهن!
- AFC Champions League
- "Archived copy" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 12 June 2012. Retrieved 8 August 2011.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link) - varzesh3. "رجب زاده خداحافظی کرد شماره 30 بایگانی شد". Retrieved 18 June 2017.
- Profile of Teams
External links
- Official website (in Persian)
- Player statistics