Jahanbakhsh joins Dender in Belgian top flight
Iranian midfielder Alireza Jahanbakhsh has joined FCV Dender EH in the Jupiler Pro League on a season-long deal with an option for a one-year extension, the Belgian top-flight club announced on Tuesday.
Jahanbakhsh, 32, had been without a club since parting ways with Dutch side Heerenveen at the end of last season and was eager to secure his future in Europe in the leadup to the 2026 World Cup.
The Iranian registered three goals and assists apiece in 20 games in his one-season spell with Heerenveen.
First introduced to the European club football with NEC Nijmegen in 2013, Jahanbakhsh enjoyed his most prolific spell with AZ Alkmaar between 2015 and 2018, contributing with 37 goals and 31 assists in 111 outings.
The Iranian enjoyed his most successful campaign in the 2017/18 season, finishing as the Dutch league’s leading marksman with 21 strikes, which convinced Brighton & Hove Albion to pay a then-club record €22.5 million to sign him.
His contribution for the Premier League outfit, however, was limited to four goals and two assists in 61 games, with 31 of those appearances coming in the starting XI.
Capped 95 times for the national team, Jahanbakhsh has 17 international goals under his belt and was part of Iran’s World Cup squad in the previous three editions.
Dender sits rock bottom of the Belgian league table with four points, and has yet to win a game after 13 rounds of matches.