Ex-Persepolis defender reunites with Sepahan
Georgian center-back Giorgi Gvelesiani signed for Sepahan for a second spell as a free agent from Persepolis, the Persian Gulf Pro League club announced on Friday.
Having joined Persepolis from Sepahan for the start of the 2022/23 season, the 34-year-old Georgian scored 20 goals in 100 appearances for the Tehran Reds, lifting two league trophies as well as the Hazfi Cup two seasons ago, while becoming the club’s all-time foreign top scorer.
Gvelesiani, who played for the national team at the Euro 2024, scored some crucial goals throughout the three seasons with Persepolis, including a double in a 2-2 draw against archrival Esteghlal in December 2022, and a last-gasp winner against Mes Rafsanjan on the final day of the 2023/24 season, which helped Persepolis win a seventh top-flight title in eight years.
He contributed with four goals in 36 games for Persepolis last term.
The Georgian, who was introduced to the Iranian top flight with Zob Ahan in January 2017, made 79 appearances in his previous spell with Sepahan, finding the net on 10 occasions.
Sepahan has endured a shaky start to the new campaign under new head coach Moharram Navidkia, who replaced Frenchman Patrice Carteron in June.
A 3-2 loss to Qatar Stars League club Al Duhail in the AFC Champions League Elite playoffs was followed by a 1-1 stalemate against Malavan on the opening day of the domestic league season, before Sepahan suffered a first league defeat against Persepolis in 1,335 days in the ‘Iranian Clasico’ last Monday, losing 1-0 at the Naqsh-e Jahan Stadium.