Javad Nekounam facts for kids
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Nekounam with Esteghlal in 2023
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| Personal information | |||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Javad Nekounam | ||||||||||||||||||
| Date of birth | 7 September 1980 | ||||||||||||||||||
| Place of birth | Rey, Iran | ||||||||||||||||||
| Height | 1.86 m (6 ft 1 in) | ||||||||||||||||||
| Position(s) | Central midfielder | ||||||||||||||||||
| Youth career | |||||||||||||||||||
| Naft Tehran | |||||||||||||||||||
| –1998 | Pas | ||||||||||||||||||
| Senior career* | |||||||||||||||||||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) | ||||||||||||||||
| 1998–2005 | Pas | 179 | (45) | ||||||||||||||||
| 2005–2006 | Al-Wahda | 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 | 444 | (92) | |||||||||||||||||
| International career | |||||||||||||||||||
| 1998–2000 | Iran U20 | ||||||||||||||||||
| 1999–2002 | Iran U23 | 10 | (2) | ||||||||||||||||
| 2000–2015 | Iran | 149 | (38) | ||||||||||||||||
| Managerial career | |||||||||||||||||||
| 2016 | Iran (assistant) | ||||||||||||||||||
| 2017–2018 | Khooneh be Khooneh | ||||||||||||||||||
| 2018–2019 | Nassaji | ||||||||||||||||||
| 2019–2021 | Foolad | ||||||||||||||||||
| 2021–2023 | Foolad | ||||||||||||||||||
| 2023–2024 | Esteghlal | ||||||||||||||||||
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Medal record
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| *Club domestic league appearances and goals | |||||||||||||||||||
Javad Nekounam (born 7 September 1980) is a famous Iranian football manager and a former football player. He played as a midfielder, which is a player who helps both attack and defense. Many Iranian football fans call him Neku.
Nekounam is known as one of the greatest players in the history of Esteghlal Tehran. He played for the Iran national football team a record 149 times. He also played in big tournaments like two World Cups and four Asian Cups.
Contents
Playing Career Highlights
Javad Nekounam had a long and successful career playing football for many different clubs and his national team.
Early Club Days
Nekounam was born in Ray, Iran. He started his career playing for Pas Tehran F.C. for several years. He even played in the AFC Champions League with them. In 2005, he moved to Al-Wahda F.C. in the United Arab Emirates.
In January 2006, Nekounam joined Al Sharjah SC. Before that, some big European clubs like 1. FC Kaiserslautern and Tottenham Hotspur were interested in him.
Time with Osasuna
After playing well in the 2006 FIFA World Cup, Nekounam joined CA Osasuna in Spain. This was a big move for him. On 22 February 2007, he scored a very important goal in the last minute of a game against FC Girondins de Bordeaux in the UEFA Cup. This goal helped his team win 1–0.
In August 2007, Nekounam got a serious knee injury. He had surgery and was out of the game for eight months. He worked hard to recover and returned to play. On 31 August 2008, he scored Osasuna's first goal of the season from a penalty spot. He continued to play well for Osasuna for many years. In May 2011, he signed a new contract with the club.
Return to Iran with Esteghlal
In July 2012, Nekounam returned to Iran. He signed a two-year deal with Esteghlal F.C. for a lot of money. This made him the most expensive player in the Iran Pro League at that time. He scored his first goal for Esteghlal in November.
On 5 May 2013, he scored another goal that helped his team win their 28th league title. This was his second national championship win.
Playing in Kuwait and Back to Osasuna
In January 2014, Nekounam signed a short contract with Kuwait SC. He scored his first goal for them in an AFC Champions League qualifier. He also helped them win the Kuwait Emir Cup.
On 4 August 2014, Nekounam went back to Osasuna for two more years. He scored in his first game back.
Final Club Teams
Nekounam returned to Iran in July 2015, joining Saipa F.C.. He scored his first goal for them in August.
In January 2016, he moved to Al-Arabi SC in Qatar. He played there for four months. On 30 June 2016, Nekounam left the club. Two weeks later, at 35 years old, he announced he was retiring from playing football.
International Football Career
Nekounam started playing for the Iran national football team in 2000. He quickly became a key player in the midfield.
He played in two World Cups (2006 and 2014). In the 2006 World Cup, he played two matches. He also played in the 2004, 2007, and 2011 AFC Asian Cup tournaments.
Nekounam helped Iran win the gold medal at the 2002 Asian Games and the 2004 West Asian Football Federation Championship. He was the top goal scorer for Iran in their successful journey to qualify for the 2014 FIFA World Cup. He was the team captain in Brazil.
In March 2015, Nekounam became the most capped player for Iran, meaning he played the most games for his country. He played 149 games and scored 38 goals for Iran. After retiring, he became an assistant coach for the national team.
Managerial Career
After his playing career, Javad Nekounam became a football manager.
In the 2017–18 season, Nekounam became the manager of F.C. Nassaji Mazandaran. He led his team to get promoted to the Persian Gulf Pro League after 24 years.
He also managed Foolad F.C. for several years. He led Foolad to win the Hazfi Cup in 2021 and the Iranian Super Cup in 2021. From June 2023 to October 2024, he was the manager of Esteghlal F.C., where he led them to be runner-up in the 2023–24 Persian Gulf Pro League.
Career Statistics Summary
Javad Nekounam played a total of 453 league games and scored 95 goals in his club career. For the national team, he played 149 games and scored 38 goals.
Honours and Achievements
Javad Nekounam won many awards and titles during his career as a player and manager.
As a Player
- Pas
- Iran Pro League: 2003–04
- Esteghlal
- Iran Pro League: 2012–13
- Al-Kuwait
- Kuwait Emir Cup: 2013–14
- Iran National Team
- Asian Games: Gold Medal 2002
- AFC – OFC Challenge Cup: 2003
- West Asian Football Federation Championship: 2004
- Individual Awards
- Iran football award winners: Player of the Year
- AFC Champions League Dream Team: 2013
- Asian Footballer of the Year nominee: 2013
As a Manager
- Nassaji Mazandaran
- Azadegan League: Runner-up (promoted) 2017–18
- Foolad
- Hazfi Cup: 2020–21
- Iranian Super Cup: 2021
- Esteghlal
- Iran Pro League runner-up: 2023–24
See also
In Spanish: Javad Nekounam para niños
- List of men's footballers with 100 or more international caps
- Iranians in Spain
