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Foolad
فولاد خوزستان
FooladFC.png
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
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 won IPL title 01
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

Afshin,Bakhtiar,Chimba
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 Iran FW Sasan Ansari (Captain)
5 Mali DF Moussa Coulibaly
6 Iran DF Ali Nemati
8 Iran MF Hamid Bou Hamdan
10 Iran MF Sina Moridi
11 Iran FW Mohammad Reza Soleimani
17 Iran MF Amirmasoud Sarabadani
19 Argentina FW Gustavo Blanco
22 Iran GK Alireza Nazi
26 Iran DF Mohammad Ali Kazemi
30 Iran DF Arash Akbarzadeh
33 Iran DF Amirhossein Neshatjoo
44 Iran DF Ali Hassani
50 Iran DF Vahid Heydarieh
No. Position Player
66 Iran MF Amin Saedi
70 Iran FW Abolfazl Zadeh Attar
77 Iran MF Mohammadreza Keshavarzi
79 Iran MF Sina Asadbeigi
83 Iran MF Amin Moradi
88 Iran MF Alireza BaviehU23
Iran GK Hamed Lak
Iran DF Mohammad Ghoreishi
Iran DF Abolfazl Razzaghpour
Iran DF Hossein Sangargir
Iran MF Mohammad Abbasi
Iran MF Saeid Sadeghi
Iran FW Mohammad Javad Mohammadi
Iran FW Issa Alekasir

Players on Loan

No. Position Player
Iran MF Mohammad Abbasi (at Kheybar until 30 June 2025)
No. Position Player
Iran 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 Spain Juan Ignacio Martínez
Assistant coaches Iran Mohammad Khoramgah
Iran Hossein Kazemi
Iran Ahmad Aleneme
Goalkeeping coaches Iran Nader Ghobeishavi
Athletic coach Iran Alireza Ahmedaei
Fitness coach Iran Mehrdad Bakhtiyarzadeh
Team doctor Iran Akbar Moradi
Physiotherapist Iran Payam Ahmadi
Masseurs Iran Behnam Taghizadeh
Iran Iman Saeedi
Media officer Iran Soheil Ehyaei
Team manager Iran Mohammad Alavi

Management Team

Position Staff
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-Sepahan 20190315 05
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

# Name Goals Position
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
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

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: Foolad FC para niños

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