Haddadifar named new Zob Ahan coach
Qassem Haddadifar was appointed as the new head coach of Zob Ahan, the Persian Gulf Pro League club announced on Saturday.
The club legend takes over from Mohammad Rabiei, who parted ways with the club following a 3-0 away victory over Nassaji Mazandaran in the final round of the Iranian league fixtures on Thursday.
Rabiei spent a decent two-year spell on Zob Ahan bench, leading the club to a fifth-place finish in the league in his first season in charge, before the Isfahan-based outfit stood sixth in the newly-finished campaign, with the club tallying 42 points in 30 games on both occasions.
Haddadifar, 41, spent 18 years of his career with Zob Ahan over different spells, before hanging up his boots in July 2022.
Also a former midfielder for Tractor and San’at Naft Abadan, Haddadifar bagged 22 goals and 30 assists in 450 appearances across all competitions for Zob Ahan, leading the club to four Hazfi Cup titles and three runner-up finishes in the domestic league.
He was also part of the Zob Ahan team that reached the final showpiece of the AFC Champions League in 2010, before suffering a 3-1 defeat against Seongnam Ilhwa Chunma of South Korea.