Tehran titans in turmoil after rocky start to new season
Not even the most pessimistic fans of Persepolis or Esteghlal could have foreseen such a turbulent start to the season for both Tehran archrivals when the Persian Gulf Pro League got underway in mid-August.
A summer spending spree, which brought a host of high-profile signings as well as new head coaches, had only offered hope of a fresh start for both sets of supporters after their teams had a season to forget last term.
Less than seven weeks gone, however, the new Iranian top-flight campaign has delivered a shared crisis that has both head coaches Vahid Hashemian and Ricardo Sa Pinto clinging to their jobs after a mere six games.
Ali Alipour came to Persepolis rescue again, finding the net from the spot with 14 minutes remaining, as the Tehran Reds salvaged a point in a 1-1 home draw against Golgohar Sirjan on Friday.
However, the result meant the capital giants have now managed just two wins in 14 games between them in all competitions this season.
It was the Reds’ fourth successive league draw – all in front of the home support in Tehran – with their sole victory coming against Sepahan (1-0) in the so-called ‘Iranian Clasico’ in Isfahan on August 25.
For Persepolis, the problem runs deeper than the results.
Despite the unbeaten start to the new season, the drab, and at times clueless, nature of the Reds’ performances this season has done little to justify the appointment of Hashemian, who took up his first experience as a senior head coach when he replaced ex-Persepolis boss Isamil Kartal in July.
For all the respect that the former Iran international earned through his time as a player at the German Bundesliga, questions are now being asked about Hashemian’s tactical acumen, with sections of the home showing their frustration by jeering the head coach in recent games.
Hashemian went on to praise his side’s “best performance of the season” after Friday’s draw, ruing “bad luck” and “missed opportunities”, but the Reds’ boss must be aware that his days at the club could be numbered if he does not turn his team’s fortunes around after the upcoming international break.
Esteghlal blues
The circumstances may be even more dire for Hashemian’s opposite number on the Blues bench, as rumors and speculation are already swirling about who might replace the Portuguese coach in the near future.
When Sa Pinto returned to the club in the summer, he was widely regarded by many supporters as a messiah after a dreadful campaign had seen Esteghlal finish ninth in the 16-team league table in May.
The passionate Portuguese was tipped by many to build on a busy transfer window – headlined by the signing of ex-Barcelona winger Munir El Haddadi, Albanian international Jasir Asani, and former Real Madrid and Sporting goalkeeper Antonio Adan – to complete his unfinished business, having left Esteghlal without a trophy despite his team delivering an aggressive and attack-minded brand of football during his previous tenure at the 2022/23 season.
Esteghlal began the new season with a 2-1 defeat against Tractor in the Iranian Super Cup game but the 1-0 win at the home of the defending champion on the opening day of the league campaign offered genuine optimism for a serious title charge from the Blues.
However, that impressive victory remains the only moment of joy for Esteghlal fans throughout their campaign, as the club has since fallen to three defeats, coupled with four frustrating draws, in their subsequent eight games.
The Blues suffered arguably the darkest day in their 80-year history when they were humiliated 7-1 by Emirati club Al Wasl in their AFC Champions League Two opener in Dubai on September 17.
The club hierarchy was quick to voice its support for the under-fire head coach, but there have been no signs of a turnaround since. A second continental defeat – a 1-0 setback at home against Al Muharraq of Bahrain – on Wednesday led to a list of familiar faces in Farhad Majidi, Mojtaba Jabbari, and Sohrab Bakhtiarizadeh being touted as potential replacements for Sa Pinto.
Esteghlal will be chasing a second win of the season when taking on a resolute Chadormalou side today in Tehran, and failure to do so could well bring a premature end to Sa Pinto’s second spell in Iran.