Azmoun enters new chapter as European journey ends
Iranian international Sardar Azmoun will embark on a new era in his career after signing a three-year contract, worth €5 million, with UAE Pro League club Shabab Al Ahli.
The new deal means the end of an 11-season long journey for the 29-year-old striker, a former Sepahan under-19 player, who began his senior club football with Russian top-flight side Rubin Kazan.
Azmoun spent last season at AS Roma on loan from Bayer Leverkusen, bagging three goals and four assists in 29 games across all competitions for the Giallorossi but the Italian capital club, which failed to secure a Champions League spot for upcoming campaign, refused to make a permanent bid for the striker.
The Iranian returned to the Bundesliga champion for the regular performance diagnostics two weeks ago but did not show up for the first training session of the new season, while Spanish club Sevilla was also believed to be interested in making a move for the prolific forward.
Azmoun had joined the German club from Zenit St. Petersburg for €2.5 million in January 2022 and went on to register five goals and assists apiece in 44 appearances during a difficult season-and-a-half spell marked by injury setbacks.
Also a former player of Russian top-flight side Rostov FC, Azmoun netted 118 goals – including six in the UEFA Champions League – while providing his teammates with 52 assists in 345 games for five clubs in Russia, Germany, and Italy.
The Iranian won seven major trophies with Zenit, including four league titles, and was the Russian top flight’s top scorer in the 2019/20 season, claiming the Player of the Season award the following year.
Having a remarkable 53 goals in 83 international caps under his belt, Azmoun is the fourth Iranian to sign for Shabab Al Ahli in three years, following Ahamad Nourollahi, and Mahdi Qayedi, joining international teammate Saeid Ezzatollhi for the start of the new season.
Azmoun’s first appearance in the Emirati club’s shirt could come in his home country against his boyhood club Sepahan, when the two sides square off in the inaugural AFC Champions League Elite preliminary round in Isfahan next Tuesday.