Ex-Iran captain Hajsafi set for Sepahan return
Former Iran international fullback Ehsan Hajsafi is on the verge of return to Persian Gulf Pro League club Sepahan, according to Iranian media reports on Saturday.
Hajsafi, 35, parted ways with AEK Athens on Friday after making 118 appearances in four seasons for the Greek top-flight side, registering four goals and 10 assists in all competitions.
“After four unforgettable years, the time has come for me to say goodbye. Wearing this jersey has been an absolute honor, and playing in front of our incredible fans is something I will never forget,” Hajsafi, who won a domestic league and cup double with AEK in 2023, wrote on Instagram.
Should his return to Sepahan is sealed in the coming days, it will be a fourth spell for the ex-Iran skipper at his boyhood club.
An academy product at Sepahan, Hajsafi made his senior debut for the club in 2007 and went on to bag 38 strikes and 25 assists in 309 games across different spells, lifting the Iranian league and cup trophies three times apiece, while reaching the AFC Champions League final in 2007.
Having last played for Iran at the AFC Asian Cup last year, the left-footed fullback has won 142 international caps – third all-time national record – and was an integral part of Team Melli at the 2014, 2018, and 2022 World Cup finals.
Sepahan has made six signings during the summer transfer window, including goalkeeper Alireza Akhbari, who joined from Golgohar Sirjan, and former Esteghlal midfielder Arash Rezavand.
Sepahan finished runner-up to Tractor in the Iranian Pro League last season to secure a place at the upcoming AFC Champions League Elite playoffs, where the Isfahan-based outfit plays away to Al Duhail of Qatar on Aug. 12, with the winner qualifying for the West region’s 12-team league phase.
French head coach Patrice Carteron left Sepahan earlier in the month in the aftermath of the 12-war between Iran and Israel, with the club announcing former captain Moharram Navidkia as his successor.