Foolad F.C. facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Foolad
فولاد خوزستان

Full name	Foolad Khuzestan Football Club
Nickname(s)	Foolad Mardaan (Men of Steel) Leopard of Khuzestan
Founded	2 March 1971; 54 years ago (1971-03-02)
Ground	Foolad Arena
Ground 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
Home colours Away colours Third colours

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.

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)

Foolad players celebrating winning their second IPL title in 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

Three Foolad players (Arash Afshin, Bakhtiar Rahmani and Chimba) wearing the team shirts for the 2012–13 season.

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

No. Position Player 3 FW Sasan Ansari (Captain) 5 DF Moussa Coulibaly 6 DF Ali Nemati 8 MF Hamid Bou Hamdan 10 MF Sina Moridi 11 FW Mohammad Reza Soleimani 17 MF Amirmasoud Sarabadani 19 FW Gustavo Blanco 22 GK Alireza Nazi 26 DF Mohammad Ali Kazemi 30 DF Arash Akbarzadeh 33 DF Amirhossein Neshatjoo 44 DF Ali Hassani 50 DF Vahid Heydarieh

No. Position Player 66 MF Amin Saedi 70 FW Abolfazl Zadeh Attar 77 MF Mohammadreza Keshavarzi 79 MF Sina Asadbeigi 83 MF Amin Moradi 88 MF Alireza BaviehU23 GK Hamed Lak DF Mohammad Ghoreishi DF Abolfazl Razzaghpour DF Hossein Sangargir MF Mohammad Abbasi MF Saeid Sadeghi FW Mohammad Javad Mohammadi FW Issa Alekasir

Players on Loan

No. Position Player MF Mohammad Abbasi (at Kheybar until 30 June 2025)

No. Position Player FW Mohammad Javad Mohammadi (at Kheybar until 30 June 2025)

Notable Players Who Played for Their Country

Many talented players from Foolad have also played for the Iranian national team in big tournaments.

Team Staff and Management

Current Technical Staff

Name	Position
Head Coach	Juan Ignacio Martínez
Assistant coaches	Mohammad Khoramgah Hossein Kazemi Ahmad Aleneme
Goalkeeping coaches	Nader Ghobeishavi
Athletic coach	Alireza Ahmedaei
Fitness coach	Mehrdad Bakhtiyarzadeh
Team doctor	Akbar Moradi
Physiotherapist	Payam Ahmadi
Masseurs	Behnam Taghizadeh Iman Saeedi
Media officer	Soheil Ehyaei
Team manager	Mohammad Alavi

Management Team

Recent Seasons: Foolad's Performance Over Time

This table shows how Foolad has performed in different competitions since 1990.

Home Stadium Information

Foolad Arena

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

Most Appearances

More About Foolad

• Foolad B
• Foolad C
• Hafari Ahvaz F.C.

See also

In Spanish: Foolad FC para niños