Majidi extends Al Bataeh deal until 2027
Iranian Farhad Majidi will stay on as Al Bataeh head coach until 2027 after signing a two-extension to his contract with the Emirati top-flight club on Tuesday.
The former Esteghlal manager, who had been without a job since parting ways with Ittihad Kalba in March 2024, made an impressive return to a managerial role at the UAE ADNOC Pro League with Al Bataeh midway through the newly-finished campaign.
The 48-year-old Iranian took charge in January and steered the relegation-threatened club to five victories – including massive wins against Sharjah and Al Wahda – and four draws in 15 games as Al Bataeh finished 11 points clear of the drop zone.
Al Bataeh had managed two wins in 12 outings, suffering eight defeats, was just a couple of points above the bottom two before Majidi replaced Croatian Goran Tomic on the bench.
In his previous spell in the UAE Pro League, Majidi led Kalba to 17 wins in 51 outings in all competitions across two seasons, steering his team to an all-time best finish (eighth) in the table in the 2022/2023 campaign.
Widely regarded as an Esteghlal legend, Majdi was also in charge of the Tehran Blues’ bench when they went a whole season without a single defeat to lift a first Persian Gulf Pro League trophy in nine years in 2022.