Interim coach Bakhtiarizadeh handed permanent Esteghlal job
Sohrab Bakhtiarizadeh has been appointed Esteghlal's head coach for the upcoming Persian Gulf Pro League season, the Iranian top-flight club announced on Tuesday.
Bakhtiarizadeh, 48, took charge on an interim basis at the Tehran Blues in late February, replacing Portuguese coach Ricardo Sa Pinto, and led his side to a 2-1 home victory over Fajr Sepasi before the Iranian league was suspended due to the country's war with the United States and Israel.
"Following the evaluation of numerous domestic and foreign candidates, Esteghlal's technical committee and board of directors have selected Sohrab Bakhtiarizadeh as the head coach for next season," the club said in a statement.
The former Iran international and Esteghlal center back has served as the club's interim coach on three separate occasions since October 2024.
In his first stint, Esteghlal recorded one win and two defeats in three league matches before South African coach Pitso Mosimane was appointed as the permanent head coach.
He returned to the bench after Mosimane parted ways with the club later in the season, guiding Esteghlal to three wins and two draws in five matches across all competitions.
In the final match of his second spell in charge, Esteghlal secured a crucial 2-0 away victory over Qatar's Al Rayyan in its final league-phase match to book a place in the AFC Champions League Elite round of 16.
Esteghlal was top of the table when the Iranian Football Federation called off the remaining seven rounds of the top-flight season, meaning the Tehran club will be joined by second-placed Tractor SC in representing Iran in the AFC Champions League Elite next season.