Foolad F.C. facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Foolad
فولاد

Full name	Foolad Khuzestan Football Club
Nickname(s)	Foolad Mardaan (Men of Steel)
Founded	2 March 1971; 54 years ago (1971-03-02)
Ground	Foolad Arena
Ground Capacity	30,655
Owner	Foolad Khuzestan Company
Chairman	Houshang Nasirzadeh
Head Coach	Yahya Golmohammadi
League	Persian Gulf Pro League
2023–24	Persian Gulf Pro League, 11th
Home colours Away colours Third colours

Foolad Khuzestan Football Club is a professional football team from Ahvaz, Khuzestan, Iran. They play in the top football league in Iran, called the Persian Gulf Pro League. The club started in 1971 and is owned by the Foolad Khuzestan Company.

Foolad has won the Iran Pro League two times. Their first big win was in the 2004–05 season. They earned 64 points in 30 games to become champions. After this, the team faced some challenges. Many players left, and they didn't do well in the 2006 AFC Champions League. This led to them being moved down to a lower league, the Azadegan League, at the end of the 2006–07 season.

However, Foolad quickly bounced back! They returned to the top league in the 2008–09 Iran Pro League season. They won their second championship in the 2013–14 season. The club also won their first Hazfi Cup (a major cup competition) in the 2020–21 season.

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 FC Started (1971–1995)

Foolad Khuzestan Football Club was founded on March 2, 1971. It was started in Ahvaz, Iran, by Ali Akbar Davar. He was the president of the Foolad Khuzestan Company. For a long time, Foolad was not a very well-known team.

In 1991, Foolad won the championship for Ahvaz City. Two years later, they joined the second division of the Khuzestan football league. They won their group in their first season. This helped them move up to Ahvaz's first league, which they also won. This meant they could play in the Khuzestan Provincial Leagues.

Climbing to the Top League (1995–2001)

In 1995, Foolad became the champions of their province. This was their second year in the Khuzestan's Second Division. Around the same time, another team, Jonoub Ahvaz, stopped playing. Foolad took their spot in the Iran Football's 2nd Division.

In 1996, with Homayoun Shahrokhinejad as their manager, the team moved up. They were promoted to the first division. This was a big step for the club.

Winning the First Championship (2004–2006)

The Ahvaz Steel Mill eventually bought the team. Foolad finally won the IPL (Iran's top league) in the 2004–05 season. This was a huge achievement for the club.

However, after their big win, they faced some problems. There were internal issues and difficulties with coaching. Because of this, they did not perform well in the 2006 Asian Champions League.

Tough Times and Relegation (2006–2007)

After a so-so 2005–06 season, Foolad started the 2006–07 season. They had a new coach, Mohammad Mayeli Kohan. But he left halfway through because the team was not getting good results.

A youth coach, Nenad Nikolić, took over for a short time. Then, Portuguese manager Augusto Inácio became the head coach. Foolad had a very difficult 2006–07 season. They finished 15th, which meant they were moved down to the lower Azadegan League. This is called relegation.

Back to the Top League (2007–2012)

Foolad started the 2007–08 season in the Azadegan League. They played well and earned a spot in the playoffs. In the playoffs, they tied with Payam Mashhad. They missed getting promoted because of the "away goals" rule.

A few weeks later, they bought the right to play in the Persian Gulf Cup from Sepahan Novin. This meant they were back in the top league! Majid Jalali became the head coach. They had an average season, finishing in 7th place.

In 2009, Seifollah Dehkordi became the new club president. Majid Jalali left the club, even though he had good results. Luka Bonačić took over, but the team struggled. They didn't win any of their first eight games. So, the club brought Majid Jalali back. They finished that season in 10th place. In Jalali's last year as manager, the club finished 14th. This was their lowest finish since returning to the league.

Another Championship Win (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 club to their second Iran Pro League title. They finished with 57 points, two points ahead of Persepolis. Five days later, Foolad reached the Round of 16 in the AFC Champions League. This was a first for the club. They beat El-Jaish from Qatar. Foolad then lost to Al Sadd on away goals.

On May 23, 2014, Faraki resigned as manager. He left due to knee problems, even after two successful seasons with Foolad. Dragan Skočić was chosen as his replacement.

Reserve and Youth Teams

Foolad has a reserve team called Foolad Novin. This team helps younger players get ready for the main squad. In 2014, Foolad Novin was promoted to the Azadegan League.

The club also has a Foolad Youth Academy. It was started in April 1999. This academy helps train young football players. Foolad Yazd is another club that works with Foolad, but it's not their reserve team.

Team Kit

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

The name and symbol of the club come from the company that owns it, Foolad. The symbol is related to how steel is made. The club's logo has changed over time, but its main design stays the same.

After Foolad won the league in 2006, they added a golden star above their logo on the shirts. This star showed they were champions. However, the Islamic Republic of Iran Football Federation did not allow it. So, there is no star on the club's official logo.

Foolad first played in red, yellow, and black. But since 1999, they changed the yellow to white. Companies like Nike, Merooj, and Daei Sport have made their kits. Uhlsport is the current kit maker. The club does not have a special sponsor on their shirts. Instead, the name of the club's company is shown.

•  – Tefal was the sponsor of the team in only some matches not full season.

Rivals

Foolad has a local rivalry with Esteghlal Khuzestan. This is known as the Ahvaz derby. Esteghlal Khuzestan is a newer club. The first time these two teams played each other was in the 2013–14 season. Foolad won that first game.

Players

First-team Squad

No. Position Player 1 GK Utkir Yusupov 2 DF Mojtaba Najjarian 3 FW Sasan Ansari (Captain) 5 DF Moussa Coulibaly 6 DF Ali Nemati 7 FW Mohammad Javad Mohammadi 8 MF Hamid Bou Hamdan 9 MF Ehsan Pahlevan 10 MF Sina Moridi 11 FW Mohammad Reza Soleimani 14 MF Mohammad Abbasi 17 MF Amirmasoud Sarabadani 18 MF Ali Kolahkaj 19 DF Mohammad Khademi Monfared 22 GK Alireza Nazi

No. Position Player 23 MF Shahin Tavakoli 24 DF Behnam Teymourian 26 DF Mohammadali Kazemi 27 MF Ali Asghar Aarabi 29 FW Chimba (Vice Captain) 30 DF Arash Akbarzadeh 33 DF Amirhossein Neshatjoo 44 DF Ali Hassani 49 GK Adib Zarei 66 MF Amin Saedi 70 MF Yousef Mazrae 77 MF Mohammadreza Keshavarzi 79 MF Sina Asadbeigi 83 MF Amin Moradi 84 GK Hossein Kazeminia 88 MF Alireza BaviehU23 90 MF Mohammad Askari 99 FW Amin Ghaseminejad

For recent transfers, see List of Iranian football transfers summer 2023.

Players on Loan

No. Position Player DF Sina Shahabbasi (at Fajr Sepasi until 30 June 2025)

Notable Players

Players in International Cups

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

Club Staff

Current Technical Staff

Here are the people who work behind the scenes to help the team play their best.

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

• Last updated: 11 August 2022
• Source: Coaching staff

Management Team

These are the people who manage the club's business and operations.

• Last updated: 15 March 2023
• Source: Board of Directors

Recent Seasons

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

Stadium Information

Foolad Arena

Foolad plays its home games at the Foolad Arena. This is a new stadium in northern Ahvaz. It can hold 30,655 fans. The team started playing there in 2019.

Before the Foolad Arena, the club played at other stadiums. They used to play at the Takhti Stadium until 2012. From 2012 to 2019, they played at the Ghadir Stadium.

Honours

Domestic Titles

• Persian Gulf Pro League:
  • Winners (2): 2004–05, 2013–14
• Hazfi Cup:
  • Winners (1): 2020–21
• Iranian Super Cup:
  • Winners (1): 2021

Records and Statistics

All-Time Top Scorers

This table shows the players who have scored the most goals for Foolad. As of 14 NOVEMBER 2023

All-Time Top Appearances

This table lists the players who have played the most games for Foolad.

Images for kids

• 

  Foolad players celebrating winning their second IPL title in 2014

See also

In Spanish: Foolad FC para niños

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