Big four gearing up as countdown is on for Persian Gulf Pro League
Iranian football fans are to be treated to another season of excitement in the Persian Gulf Pro League when the country’s top-flight action gets underway on Thursday.
It has been just over two months since Persepolis thrashed Nassaji Mazandaran by four goals on the final day to round off one of the tightest title contests recent years with a sixth league crown in seven seasons.
And now the Tehran Reds, which went on lift the Hazfi Cup trophy in May, are again tipped to be engaged in a four-horse race alongside archrival Esteghlal, Sepahan, and Tractor for the ultimate prize of the Iranian club football.
The defending champion will surely benefit from minimum changes being made to the starting XI as striker Issa Alekasir, who played a massive role in the late stages of the Reds’ title run-in last season, is the only marquee player to have left the club – signing for Sepahan.
Persepolis has managed to hold on to the integral members of the best backline in the league, including star goalkeeper Alireza Beiranvand, while international center-back Hossein Kan’anizadegan has rejoined from Qatari club Al Ahli to add to the depth of the squad.
Zorya Luhansk forward Shahab Zahedi has also been recruited on loan but Persepolis will be looking to have more signings up front to fill the void caused by the departure of Alekasir as well as Brazilian Leandro Pereira and Malian Cheick Diabaté.
Sepahan and Tractor, unlike Persepolis, have undergone a somewhat full-scale rebuild as they are desperate to end the Reds’ dominance in the Iranian top flight.
Sepahan looked to be on its way to a first title in eight years under Portuguese head coach Jose Morais last season before untimely wobbles against Tractor and most significantly in a 1-1 home draw against Malavan FC, coupled with seven successive wins for Persepolis, saw the Isfahan-based powerhouse ultimately finish one point adrift of the top spot.
The addition of Alekasir, Reza Asadi, and Kaveh Rezaei to a squad already possessing last season’s top scorer Shahriyar Moghanlou promises a formidable frontline for Sepahan, while Reza Shekari and Ehsan Pahlevan have also been signed to bring more creativity to the midfield area.
Tractor will be looking to build on an impressive run in the second half of the previous campaign under Spanish manager Paco Jemez, who will start a first season on the northwest Iranian club’s bench.
The defensive renovation has been the top priority for the Spaniard, whose team conceded 34 goals across 30 games – including seven against Esteghlal on the final day.
Goalkeeper Hossein Pour-Hamidi, who was second to Beiranvand in the number of clean sheets last term, ended his loan spell at Iralco to return to Tractor, with international center-back Shoja Khalilzadeh joining former Persepolis teammates Mehdi Shiri, Saeed Aqaei, and Siamak Nemati in signing for the club – along with fullback Mohammad Naderi and ex-Foolad center-back Aref Aqasi.
Asadi and Mohammad Abbaszadeh, who finished behind Moghanlou and Mehdi Qayedi in the league’s scoring chart, have both embarked on a new chapter elsewhere – a source of concern for Jemez – though former Esteghlal winger Amirhossein Hosseinzadeh ended his disappointing spell at Belgian club Charleroi to seal a move to Tractor.
Meanwhile, Javad Nekounam might regret the timing of his long-awaited appointment as the head coach of Esteghlal, whose preseason has been hampered by chaos and controversy.
The Blues wasted a vital period of the transfer window trying to lure Beiranvand, before the club CEO Hojjat Karimi stepped down from his role following a failed attempt to sign the Iranian keeper.
The financial shortcomings have added to Esteghlal’s misery in recent weeks and the Blues have been struggling to replace Qayedi and Mohammad Mohebbi – the club’s leading marksmen last season.
Prolific frontman Mehrdad Mohammadi, though, has been brought in from Qatari second-tier club Al Sailiya to ease Nekounam’s woes, while new signing Armin Sohrabian is expected to start in the backline after Brazilian Raphael Silva parted ways with the Blues.
The opening stages of the upcoming season could play a decisive role in how the league table will shape up early on as all four will square off against each other until the fifth matchday.
Sepahan and Tractor will lock horns in Isfahan on Thursday, with Persepolis opening its title defense at home against Iralco on the same day, before Esteghlal visits southern Iran to play San’at Naft Abadan on Friday.
The second round of matches will see Persepolis play away to Tractor in a raucous Yadegar-e Imam Stadium in Tabriz on August 9 – nine days before Sepahan hosts Esteghlal.
A much-anticipated Tehran derby is scheduled for September 1 at the Azadi Stadium.