Esteghlal Khuzestan F.C.

Esteghlal Khuzestan F.C.
Full name	Esteghlal Khuzestan Football Club
Nickname(s)	Âbihai-ye Jinub (Southern Blues)
Founded	2011; 13 years ago
Ground	Ghadir
Capacity	38,900
Owner	Iran National Steel Industrial Group
Manager	Miodrag Božović
League	Persian Gulf Pro League
2023–24	Persian Gulf Pro League 14th
Website	http://www.esteghlalfc-khz.com/
Home colours	Away colours
	Current season

Esteghlal Khuzestan Football Club (Persian: باشگاه فوتبال استقلال خوزستان, Bašgâh-e Futbâl-e Esteqlâl-e Xuzestân), commonly known as Esteghlal Khuzestan, is an Iranian football club based in Ahvaz, Iran. The club currently competes in the Persian Gulf Pro League after being promoted from the Azadegan League in the 2022–23 season.

This football club is different from Esteghlal Ahvaz.^[1] In 2011 they bought Esteghlal Jonub's licence to compete in the Azadegan League. They finished 2012–13 season in 2nd place of their group and qualified to the promotion play-off. However, they were awarded the direct promotion IRIFF after group's winner, Shahrdari Tabriz's relegation due to match-fixing. They won the Persian Gulf Pro League title in 2015–16 season.

History

Founding and early years

Esteghlal Khuzestan F.C. was established just before the start of the 2011–2012 season by acquiring the license of Esteghlal Jonub Tehran F.C. who has just been promoted to the Azadegan League (Iran's 1st division). After an average 6th-place finish in the team's inaugural year in the Azadegan League in 2011–2012, the next season (2012–13) turned out to be a different year, with a 2nd-placed finish in group B, the club was promoted to the Iran Pro League for the first time in their history.

Promotion to the Pro League

In Esteghlal Khuzestan's first year in the top flight, it finished 12th, escaping relegation play-off by better goal difference. In the Hazfi Cup Esteghlal Khuzestan exited the competition in the Round of 32 after a shock defeat to Azadegan League side Alvand Hamedan. Esteghlal finished the 2014–15 season 14th, meaning it would have to play in a relegation play-off against the winner of the Azadegan League promotion play-off winner. Esteghlal Khuzestan defeated Mes Kerman 3–0 on aggregate meaning it had secured a spot in the 2015–16 Persian Gulf Pro League season.

2015–16 season

Esteghlal Khuzestan players celebrating after winning league title in 2015–16 season

Before the start of the 2015–16 season Esteghlal Khuzestan signed many of Foolad Novin's players and was a major surprise, as it started well in the season. Esteghlal Khuzestan had four consecutive winning streak at the 12th week, which made Esteghlal Khuzestan finished champion of the first half of the season.^[2]^[3] After a great result with Abdollah Veisi, Esteghlal Khuzestan managed to keep its shape at the second half of the season. On January 1, 2016, Esteghlal Khuzestan lost to Persepolis which made the race tighter for first place, and also made Esteghlal Khuzestan fall to second place, Esteghlal became first after 17th week. The head coach Abdollah Veisi later said that their main goal was to take place at AFC Champions League.^[4] Esteghlal Khuzestan qualified to the AFC Champions League on 8 May, for the first time in its history. Esteghlal Khuzestan won the league title on 13 May after a 2–0 win over Zob Ahan.

Relegation

Following a poor start to the following season, 6 points were deduced from Esteghlal Khuzestan by FIFA. Dariush Yazdi was sacked and Karim Boostani replaced the coach. Results ultimately did not improve under Boostani and he was replaced with Mohammad Alavi. Esteghlal Khuzestan were relegated from the Persian Gulf Pro League to Azadegan League on 3 May 2019.

Individual Records

All Top Appearances

#	Name	Nationality	Position	Apps
1	Mohammad Tayyebi	Iran	Defender	133
2	Hossein Bahrami	Iran	Midfielder	107
2	Meysam Doraghi	Iran	Defensive midfielder	107
4	Ali Helichi	Iran	Midfielder	100
5	Aghil Kaabi	Iran	Defender	95
6	Moussa Coulibaly	Mali	Defender	92
7	Vahid Sheikhveisi	Iran	Goalkeeper	87
8	Mehdi Momeni	Iran	Forward	83
9	Hadi Khanifar	Iran	Midfielder	82
10	Mojtaba Rashidi	Iran	Forward	75

All Top Scorers

#	Name	Nationality	Position	Goals
1	Mojtaba Rashidi	Iran	Forward	23
2	Hassan Beyt Saeed	Iran	Forward	22
3	Ehsan Alvanzadeh	Iran	Forward	21
4	Farshad Janfaza	Iran	Striker	18
5	Javad Aghaeipour	Iran	Forward	16
6	Ali vaziri Panah	Iran	Striker	15
7	Mehdi Momeni	Iran	Forward	14
7	Rahim Zahivi	Iran	Forward	14
9	Hadi Khanifar	Iran	Midfielder	9
9	Ali Kiani Far	Iran	Midfielder	9

Stadium

After the takeover of the club in 2011, the club played its home matches in Ahvaz's Takhti Stadium. After the club promoted to the Iran Pro League, it was decided that club continuing to play at Takthi, while big games like Persepolis, Esteghlal and Foolad playing at newly built Ghadir Stadium. In 2015, the club moved to Ghadir permanently, as city rivals Foolad set to move to its private ground.

Rivals

The team competes in Ahvaz derby against two-times Iran Pro League winner Foolad.

Honours

Domestic competitions

League

Persian Gulf Pro League:
- Winners (1): 2015–16
Azadegan League:
- Winners (1): 2012–13

Cup

Super Cup
- Runners-up (1): 2016

Season-by-season

The table below shows the achievements of the club in various competitions.

Season	League	Position	Hazfi Cup	Asia	Notes
2011–12	Azadegan League	6th	Round of 32	did not qualify
2012–13	Azadegan League	2nd	?		Promoted
2013–14	Persian Gulf Pro League	12th	Round of 32
2014–15		14th	Round of 16		Relegation play-off
2015–16		1st	Round of 16		Super Cup
2016–17		7th	Round of 64	Round of 16
2017–18		12th	Semi-Final	did not qualify
2018–19		16th	Round of 16		Relegated
2019–20	Azadegan League	9th	Did not participate
2020–21		6th	Did not participate
2021–22		13th	Third Round
2022–23		2nd	Round of 32		Promoted

Continental record

Season	Competition	Round	Club	Home	Away	Aggregate
2017	AFC Champions League	Group B	Al-Fateh	1–0	1–1	2nd
			Al-Jazira	1–1	1–0
			Lekhwiya	1–1	1–2
		Round of 16	Al-Hilal	1–2	1–2	2–4

Players

First-team squad

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.


No.	Pos.	Nation	Player
1	GK	IRN	Hassan Pour Hamidi
2	DF	IRN	Sajjad Danaei Baghaki
3	DF	IRN	Aram Abbasi
4	DF	IRN	Ali Helichi
5	DF	IRN	Mohammad Hosseini
6	MF	IRN	Mahmoud Motlaghzadeh (Captain)
7	FW	IRN	Sajjad Shahbazzadeh
8	MF	IRQ	Moamel Abdulridha
9	FW	BRA	Kainã
10	MF	BRA	Sávio Roberto
11	FW	IRN	Behrouz Barani
12	MF	IRN	Erfan Sazegari
13	MF	IRN	Mohammad Abshak
14	FW	IRN	Hossein Mohammadian
15	DF	GRE	Dimitrios Chatziisaias
17	MF	IRN	Hamed Bahiraei
19	FW	IRN	Amir Savaed


No.	Pos.	Nation	Player
20	FW	IRN	Mehdi Savadkouhi
21	FW	IRN	Amirmohammad Mohkamkar
22	FW	IRN	Sepehr Simanpour
23	FW	CGO	Thievy Bifouma
26	DF	IRN	Mehdi Khoshbakht
27	FW	IRN	Ahmad Savari
30	MF	IRN	Foad Koroushat
33	GK	IRN	Omid Afshin
34	GK	IRN	Ahmad Gohari
35	FW	IRN	Abolfazl Koohi
40	FW	IRN	Alireza Aiboobeyd
41	DF	IRN	Fayaz Mirdoraghi
66	MF	IRN	Reza Safinia
70	DF	IRN	Sobhan Pasandideh
81	FW	IRN	Adel Arghand
88	MF	IRN	Ismaeil Babaei

Loan list