Fakhrian, Kazemian join Persepolis
Mojtaba Fakhrian and Mohammad-Amin Kazemian, two of the finest players in the newly-finished Persian Gulf Pro League season, signed for Persepolis, the Tehran Reds announced on Saturday.
Fakhrian, 22, is widely regarded as one of the young prospect in the Iranian top flight after bagging four goals in 23 league appearances for Shams Azar – including the winner in the shock 1-0 victory over Tractor in December, as well as the spectacular bicycle strike during the 3-2 home win against his new employers in March.
Kazemian also had an impressive campaign with Iralco, as the 28-year-old winger scored nine goals, and provided his teammates with three assists in 28 games to help the club finish eighth in the table.
Persepolis had also signed Congolese wide forward Thievy Bifouma, who registered five goals and assists apiece for Esteghlal Khuzestan, last week.
The new recruitments are part of what promises to be a summer of shakeup in the Persepolis squad under Turkish head coach Ismail Kartal, after his team failed to reach the knockout phase of the AFC Champions League Elite and was beaten by Sepahan in the Hazfi Cup last 16, while finishing third in the league table with 60 points – eight adrift of champion Tractor.
This was a worst league position in 10 seasons for the Reds, who dominated the Iranian club football for nearly a decade with seven top-flight titles – including domestic doubles on two occasions – while reaching the final showpiece of the Asian elite clubs’ competition twice.