Javad Nekounam facts for kids
.jpg)
Nekounam with Esteghlal in 2023
|
|||||||||||||||||||
| Personal information | |||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Date of birth | 7 September 1980 | ||||||||||||||||||
| Place of birth | Rey, Iran | ||||||||||||||||||
| Height | 1.86m | ||||||||||||||||||
| Playing position | Central midfielder | ||||||||||||||||||
| Youth career | |||||||||||||||||||
| Naft Tehran | |||||||||||||||||||
| –1998 | Pas | ||||||||||||||||||
| Senior career* | |||||||||||||||||||
| Years | Team | Apps† | (Gls)† | ||||||||||||||||
| 1998–2005 | Pas | 179 | (45) | ||||||||||||||||
| 2005–2006 | Al-Wahda | 11 | (3) | ||||||||||||||||
| 2006 | Al-Sharjah | 11 | (5) | ||||||||||||||||
| 2006–2012 | Osasuna | 151 | (24) | ||||||||||||||||
| 2012–2014 | Esteghlal | 44 | (8) | ||||||||||||||||
| 2014 | Al-Kuwait | 11 | (1) | ||||||||||||||||
| 2014–2015 | Osasuna | 22 | (5) | ||||||||||||||||
| 2015–2016 | Saipa | 15 | (3) | ||||||||||||||||
| 2016 | Al-Arabi | 11 | (1) | ||||||||||||||||
| Total | 453 | (95) | |||||||||||||||||
| National team | |||||||||||||||||||
| 1998–2000 | Iran U20 | ||||||||||||||||||
| 1999–2002 | Iran U23 | 10 | (2) | ||||||||||||||||
| 2000–2015 | Iran | 149 | (38) | ||||||||||||||||
| Teams managed | |||||||||||||||||||
| 2016 | Iran (assistant) | ||||||||||||||||||
| 2017–2018 | Khooneh be Khooneh | ||||||||||||||||||
| 2018–2019 | Nassaji | ||||||||||||||||||
| 2019–2021 | Foolad | ||||||||||||||||||
| 2021–2023 | Foolad | ||||||||||||||||||
| 2023–2024 | Esteghlal | ||||||||||||||||||
|
Honours
|
|||||||||||||||||||
|
|||||||||||||||||||
Javad Nekounam (Persian: جواد نکونام; born on 7 September 1980) is a famous Iranian football manager and former player. He played as a midfielder, which is a player who helps both defense and attack. He holds the amazing record for playing the most games for the Iranian national team, with 149 appearances!
Many Iranian football fans call him Neku. He is seen as one of the greatest players in the history of Esteghlal Tehran. Nekounam played for the Iran national team a record 149 times. He took part in big tournaments like two World Cups and four Asian Cups. After he started coaching at Esteghlal, his popularity grew even more.
Contents
Playing Career
Javad Nekounam started his football journey in Ray, Iran, where he was born. He played for Pas Tehran F.C. for many years. With Pas, he even played in the AFC Champions League, which is a big competition for clubs in Asia.
Moving to Other Clubs
In 2005, Nekounam signed a short contract with Al-Wahda F.C. in the United Arab Emirates. He then joined Al Sharjah SC in January 2006. Before this, some European clubs like 1. FC Kaiserslautern and Tottenham Hotspur were interested in him.
Playing in Spain with Osasuna
After he played well in the 2006 World Cup, Nekounam moved to Spain. He joined CA Osasuna on a two-year contract. This was a big step for him, as he was one of the first Iranian players to play in La Liga, Spain's top football league.
On 22 February 2007, Nekounam scored a very late goal in the UEFA Cup. This goal helped his team win 1–0 against FC Girondins de Bordeaux. His first season was very successful. However, on 14 August 2007, he got a serious knee injury. He had surgery and was out of action for eight months.
He came back strong and scored Osasuna's first goal of the 2008–09 season from a penalty spot. He continued to score important goals for Osasuna. In 2011, he extended his contract with the club for two more seasons.
Returning to Iran with Esteghlal
On 21 July 2012, Nekounam returned to Iran. He signed a two-year deal with Esteghlal F.C.. This was a record deal, making him the most expensive player in the history of the Iran Pro League. He scored his first goal for Esteghlal from a penalty kick.
On 5 May 2013, he scored again against the same team, Foolad F.C.. This goal helped Esteghlal win their 28th league title. It was his second national championship win.
Short Stays Abroad
On 14 January 2014, Nekounam moved to Kuwait SC for four months. He scored his first goal for them in an AFC Champions League qualifier. He also scored three goals in the 2014 AFC Cup and helped his team win the Kuwait Emir Cup.
After his time in Kuwait, Nekounam went back to CA Osasuna in Spain. He signed a two-year deal on 4 August 2014. He even scored in his first game back with Osasuna.
Final Playing Years
On 6 July 2015, Nekounam returned to Iran again, joining Saipa F.C.. He played for one year and scored his first goal for them on 6 August.
His last club as a player was Al-Arabi SC in Qatar. He joined them on 21 January 2016. He played his first match for them and even helped a teammate score a goal. Nekounam left the club on 30 June 2016. Two weeks later, at 35 years old, he announced he was retiring from playing football.
International Career
Javad Nekounam first joined the Iran national team in 2000. He quickly became a key player in the midfield. He played in the 2006 World Cup in Germany. He was a very important part of the team.
Nekounam also helped Iran win the 2002 Asian Games and the 2004 West Asian Football Federation Championship. He played in the AFC Asian Cup in 2004, 2007, and 2011. He was the top goal scorer for Iran during their successful journey to qualify for the 2014 FIFA World Cup. In 2014, he was chosen by coach Carlos Queiroz to be the captain of the team for the World Cup in Brazil.
In March 2015, Nekounam became the player with the most appearances for Iran, passing Ali Daei. He played his last international game on 31 March 2015, against Sweden. He scored 38 goals for his country. Soon after retiring, he became an assistant coach for the national team.
Managerial Career
After his playing career, Javad Nekounam started coaching. In the 2017–18 season, he became the manager of F.C. Nassaji Mazandaran. His team played very well under him and earned promotion to the Persian Gulf Pro League after 24 years!
He later managed Foolad F.C. for several years. In 2023, he became the manager of Esteghlal F.C., one of the biggest clubs in Iran, where he had also played.
Honours and Achievements
Javad Nekounam won many awards and titles during his career as both a player and a manager.
As a Player
- Pas
* Iran Pro League: 2003–04 (League Champion)
- Esteghlal
* Iran Pro League: 2012–13 (League Champion)
- Al-Kuwait
* Kuwait Emir Cup: 2013–14 (Cup Winner)
- Iran National Team
* Asian Games: 2002 (Gold Medal) * AFC – OFC Challenge Cup: 2003 (Winner) * West Asian Football Federation Championship: 2004 (Winner)
Individual Awards
- Iran football award winners: Player of the Year
- AFC Champions League Dream Team: 2013 (Chosen as one of the best players)
- Asian Footballer of the Year nominee: 2013
As a Manager
- Nassaji Mazandaran
* Azadegan League: 2017–18 (Runner-up, promoted to top league)
- Foolad
* Hazfi Cup: 2020–21 (Cup Winner) * Iranian Super Cup: 2021 (Super Cup Winner)
- Esteghlal
* Iran Pro League runner-up: 2023–24
Images for kids
-
Nekounam celebrating Esteghlal's 2012–13 league title
-
Nekounam before a friendly with Montenegro in 2014
.jpg)
