Persian Gulf Pro League:
Tehran archrivals to resume title race
The excitement is back in the Iranian club football as the top-flight sides will begin the second half of the Persian Gulf Pro League season today and tomorrow following a six-week Asian Cup pause.
While the game between Tractor and Sepahan – fourth and second in the table respectively – has been postponed due to the latter’s involvement in the AFC Champions League last 16, Tehran archrivals Esteghlal and Persepolis will resume what will presumably be a fourth-horse title race going down the wire.
League leader Esteghlal will be looking to build on a perfect home record in the ongoing campaign when hosting struggling San’at Naft Abadan – third from bottom in the table – at the Azadi Stadium on Friday.
However, the buildup to the game has been dominated by yet another public feud between Blues head coach Javad Nekounam and club chairman Ali Khatir over a quiet midseason transfer window.
Nekounam had some high-profile names in his wish list, including Iranian internationals Alireza Jahanbakhsh, Ali Qolizadeh, and Saeid Ezzatollahi, but was eventually left with the addition of Brazilin center-back Raphael Silva, rejoining the Blues only six months after parting ways with the club, and Uzbek winger Jaloliddin Masharipov from Greek club Panserraikos.
The game will be a first for new San’at manager Sohrab Bakhtiarizadeh – a former Iran and Esteghlal defender who replaced Abdollah Veisi and is tasked with steering the southern Iranian club in another familiar battle for survival.
New-look Reds
A lot has changed for the defending champion Persepolis since the last game before the hiatus – a 1-1 away draw at Mes Rafsanjan.
Yahya Golmohammadi, who had his own dispute with the club hierarchy, stepped down from his role to end a trophy-laden four years on the Reds bench.
The Reds’ approach for ex-Croatian coach Branko Ivankovic ended in vain and Brazilian Osmar Loss Vieira, a No. 2 to Golmohammadi, was handed the job for the rest of the campaign.
Osmar’s first test comes away to Iralco today in Arak against Mojataba Hosseini – also a former assistant to Golmohammadi.
Trailing Esteghlal by two points, third-place Persepolis had to part ways with Milad Sarlak and Mohammad Omri but made some marquee signings during the winter break in Qatari fullback Abdulkarim Hassan and Uzbekistani international midfielder Oston Urunov, as well as striker Issa Alekasir, who had left the club to join Sepahan in the summer.
The game, however, is likely to come too soon for the trio as Persepolis failed to register their contracts in time due to a FIFA transfer ban.
Elsewhere, fifth-placed Zob Ahan will host Malavan FC – sixth in the table – today in a match that could see the winner join the title race, while Shams Azar, the surprise package of the season, welcomes bottom-side Esteghlal Khuzestan.
Moharram Navidkia will begin a new chapter in his career as the Mes Rafsanjan coach at home against Masoud Shojaei’s Havadar.