Foolad F.C. facts for kids
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Full name | Foolad Khuzestan Football Club | |||
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Nickname(s) | Foolad Mardaan (Men of Steel) Leopard of Khuzestan |
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Founded | 2 March 1971 | |||
Ground | Foolad Arena | |||
Capacity | 30,655 | |||
Owner | Foolad Khuzestan Company | |||
Chairman | Mohammad Mohammadi | |||
Head Coach | Yahya Golmohammadi | |||
League | Persian Gulf Pro League | |||
2024–25 | Persian Gulf Pro League, 4th | |||
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Foolad Khuzestan Football Club is a professional football team from Ahvaz, Khuzestan, Iran. They play in the top league, the Persian Gulf Pro League. The club started in 1971 and is owned by the Foolad Khuzestan Company.
Foolad has won Iran's top football league twice. Their first championship was in the 2004–05 season. They earned 64 points in 30 matches to become champions. After this success, the team faced some challenges and even went down to a lower league in 2006–07. However, they quickly returned to the top league in 2008–09.
The club won its second league title in the 2013–14 season. Foolad also won their first Hazfi Cup in the 2020–21 season. This is a major cup competition in Iranian football.
The team's home uniform is red and yellow shirts with matching shorts and red socks. These colors come from the club's symbol.
Contents
- Club History: How Foolad Started and Grew
- Youth Development
- Team Kits and Colors
- Team Rivals
- Current Players
- Notable Players Who Played for Their Country
- Team Staff and Management
- Recent Seasons: Foolad's Performance Over Time
- Home Stadium Information
- Club Achievements
- Team Records and Statistics
- More About Foolad
- See also
Club History: How Foolad Started and Grew
Early Years (1971–1995)
Foolad Khuzestan Football Club was founded on March 2, 1971. It was started in Ahvaz, Iran, by Ali Akbar Davar, who was the president of the Foolad Khuzestan Company. For many years, Foolad was not a well-known team.
In 1991, Foolad won the Ahvaz City Championship. Two years later, they joined the second division of the Khuzestan football league. They won their group in their first season and were promoted to Ahvaz's first league. They won that league too, which meant they moved up to the Khuzestan Provincial Leagues.
Climbing to the Top League (1995–2001)
In 1995, Foolad became the champions of Khuzestan's Second Division. Around the same time, another team called Jonoub Ahvaz stopped playing. Foolad took their spot in Iran's Second Division.
In 1996, with Homayoun Shahrokhinejad as their manager, the team was promoted to Iran's First Division. This was a big step for the club.
Winning the Premier League (2004–2006)
The team was later bought by the Ahvaz Steel Mill. Foolad finally won the IPL in the 2004–05 season. This was a huge achievement for the club. However, after this victory, they faced some problems within the team and with their coaches. This led to them not performing well in the 2006 Asian Champions League.
Challenges and Relegation (2006–2007)
After a difficult 2005–06 season, Foolad started the 2006–07 season with a new coach, Mohammad Mayeli Kohan. But he left halfway through the season because of poor results. The youth coach, Nenad Nikolić, took over temporarily. Soon after, Portuguese manager Augusto Inácio became the head coach. Foolad had a very tough 2006–07 season. They finished 15th and were moved down to the lower Azadegan League.
Back to the Top and Jalali's Time (2007–2012)
Foolad began the 2007–08 season in the Azadegan League. They played well and earned a spot in the playoffs. Even though they drew with Payam Mashhad, they missed promotion because of the "away goals" rule. A few weeks later, they bought a spot in the Persian Gulf Cup from Sepahan Novin. This meant they were back in the top league!
Majid Jalali became the club's head coach. In his first year, they finished 7th, which was an average season. Later, after some changes in club leadership, Jalali left but then returned. The team finished 10th that season. In Jalali's last year as manager, the club finished 14th. This was their lowest position since returning to the top league.
League Success Under Faraki (2012–2014)

After Majid Jalali's contract ended, Hossein Faraki became the new head coach. In his first season, he led Foolad to 4th place. This earned them a spot in the AFC Champions League for the second time.
In the 2013–14 Iran Pro League season, Faraki guided the team to their second Iran Pro League title! They finished with 57 points, two points ahead of second-place Persepolis. Just five days later, Foolad made it to the Round of 16 in the AFC Champions League for the first time. They beat El-Jaish of Qatar but then lost to Al Sadd on away goals.
On May 23, 2014, Faraki resigned as manager due to knee problems. Dragan Skočić took over as his replacement.
Youth Development
Foolad has a strong focus on developing young talent. In April 1999, the club started its own youth academy. This academy helps train young players to become future football stars.
Team Kits and Colors

The club's name, Foolad, means "steel" in Persian. The club's symbol and name come from its owner, the Foolad Khuzestan Company, which is involved in steel production. The club's logo has changed over time, but its main design has stayed the same. After winning the league in 2006, the club added a golden star to their shirts. However, the Iranian Football Federation did not approve this, so there is no star on the official logo.
Foolad first played in red, yellow, and black colors. But since 1999, they changed the yellow to white. Different companies have made their kits over the years, including Nike, Merooj, and Daei Sport. Currently, Uhlsport makes their uniforms. The club's company name is usually on the shirts instead of a separate sponsor.
Team Rivals
Foolad has a local rivalry with Esteghlal Khuzestan. This team is newer, and they first played against each other in the 2013–14 season. Foolad won that first match.
Current Players
First-team Squad
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Players on Loan
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Notable Players Who Played for Their Country
Many talented players from Foolad have also played for the Iranian national team in big tournaments.
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Team Staff and Management
Current Technical Staff
Management Team
Position | Staff |
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President | Hamidreza Shabani |
Board of Directors | Habibollah Rezaei |
Board of Directors | Hamidreza Radkia |
Board of Directors | Mohammad Rouzbehani |
Board of Directors | Omid Ahmadi |
Recent Seasons: Foolad's Performance Over Time
This table shows how Foolad has performed in different competitions since 1990.
Year | Division | Position | Hazfi Cup | ACL |
1990–91 | Ahwaz city league 1 | 1st | Not held | did not qualify |
1991–92 | Provincial league 3 | 7th | ||
1992–93 | Provincial league 3 | 1st | ||
1993–94 | Provincial league 2 | 1st | ||
1994–95 | Provincial league 1 | 1st | ||
1995–96 | Iran 2nd Division | 7th | ||
1996–97 | Iran 2nd Division | 2rd | ||
1997–98 | Azadegan League | 10th | ||
1998–99 | Azadegan League | 7th | ||
1999–00 | Azadegan League | 10th | ||
2000–01 | Azadegan League | 8th | 1/8 Final | |
2001–02 | Pro League | 3rd | Quarter-final | |
2002–03 | Pro League | 7th | 1/8 Final | |
2003–04 | Pro League | 3rd | 1/8 Final | |
2004–05 | Pro League | 1st | 1/16 Final | |
2005–06 | Pro League | 8th | 1/16 Final | Group Stage |
2006–07 | Pro League | 15th | 1/8 Final | did not qualify |
2007–08 | Azadegan League | 1st | Semi-final | |
2008–09 | Pro League | 7th | Quarter-final | |
2009–10 | Pro League | 10th | 1/16 Final | |
2010–11 | Pro League | 6th | Semi-final | |
2011–12 | Pro League | 14th | Quarter-final | |
2012–13 | Pro League | 4th | 1/16 Final | |
2013–14 | Pro League | 1st | Semi-final | Round of 16 |
2014–15 | Pro League | 5th | Round of 32 | Group Stage |
2015–16 | Pro League | 12th | Round of 16 | did not qualify |
2016–17 | Pro League | 10th | Round of 16 | |
2017–18 | Pro League | 7th | Round of 32 | |
2018–19 | Pro League | 8th | Round of 8 | |
2019–20 | Pro League | 3rd | Round of 32 | |
2020–21 | Pro League | 6th | Champions | Group Stage |
2021–22 | Pro League | 5th | Round of 16 | Round of 16 |
2022–23 | Pro League | 7th | Round of 16 | Quarter-final |
Home Stadium Information
Foolad plays its home games at the Foolad Arena. This stadium was built recently in northern Ahvaz and can hold 30,655 fans. The team has played there since 2019. Before that, they played at the Takhti Stadium until 2012, and then at Ghadir Stadium from 2012 to 2019.
Club Achievements
Domestic Titles
- Persian Gulf Pro League:
- Winners (2): 2004–05, 2013–14
- Hazfi Cup:
- Winners (1): 2020–21
- Iranian Super Cup:
- Winners (1): 2021
Team Records and Statistics
Top Goal Scorers
As of May 31, 2025
# | Name | Goals | Position |
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1 | Luciano Pereira | 76 | Forward |
2 | Sasan Ansari | 50 | Forward |
3 | Reza Norouzi | 36 | Forward |
4 | Bakhtiar Rahmani | 30 | Midfielder |
5 | Arash Afshin | 29 | Forward |
6 | Iman Mobali | 26 | Midfielder |
7 | Esmaeil Sharifat | 24 | Midfielder |
8 | Behnam Seraj | 21 | Forward |
9 | Ahmad Momenzadeh | 18 | Forward |
10 | Ayanda Patosi | 18 | Midfielder |
Most Appearances
# | Name | Apps | Position |
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1 | Sasan Ansari | 414 | Forward |
2 | Ayoub Vali | 253 | Defender |
3 | Luciano Pereira | 224 | Forward |
4 | Bakhtiar Rahmani | 209 | Midfielder |
5 | Esmaeil Sharifat | 191 | Winger |
6 | Ebrahim Mirzapour | 179 | Goalkeeper |
7 | Mehrdad Jama'ati | 174 | Left back |
8 | Abdollah Karami | 160 | Defender |
9 | Ahmad Abdollahzadeh | 155 | Midfielder |
10 | Mojtaba Najjarian | 154 | Defender |
More About Foolad
- Foolad B
- Foolad C
- Hafari Ahvaz F.C.
See also
In Spanish: Foolad FC para niños