Nasser Hejazi facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Nasser Hejazi

Hejazi in 2008
Personal information
Date of birth	(1949-12-14)14 December 1949
Place of birth	Tehran, Iran
Date of death	23 May 2011(2011-05-23) (aged 61)
Place of death	Tehran, Iran
Height	1.85 m (6 ft 1 in)
Playing position	Goalkeeper
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps†	(Gls)†
1964–1969	Nader
1969–1976	Taj
1976–1980	Shahbaz
1980–1986	Esteghlal
1986–1987	Mohammedan SC
National team
1968–1980	Iran	62	(0)
Teams managed
1987–1988	Dhaka Mohammedan
1988–1989	Shahrdari Kerman
1989	Bangladesh
1990–1992	Bank Tejarat
1992–1993	Shahrdari Kerman
1994–1995	Sepahan
1995–1996	Mashin Sazi
1996–1999	Esteghlal
1999–2001	Zob Ahan
2001–2002	Esteghlal Rasht
2003	Mashin Sazi
2003–2004	Esteghlal Ahvaz
2006–2007	Nassaji Mazandaran
2007	Esteghlal
Honours Representing  Iran AFC Asian Cup Gold 1972 Thailand Team competition Bronze 1980 Kuwait Team competition Asian Games Gold 1974 Iran Team competition
Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only. † Appearances (Goals).

Nasser Hejazi (Persian: ناصر حجازی; 14 December 1949 – 23 May 2011) was a famous Iranian goalkeeper and coach. He was often called "the legendary Iranian goalkeeper." Many people believe he was the best goalkeeper in the history of Iranian football and even in Asia.

Hejazi played for the Iran national football team 62 times. In 2000, the Asian Football Confederation named him the second-best Asian goalkeeper of the 20th century. He won the AFC Asian Cup twice (in 1972 and 1976) and the Asian Games title once. He also played in the 1972 and 1976 Olympics and the 1978 FIFA World Cup. As a manager, he led teams to win the Azadegan League in 1998 and the Bangladesh League in 1988. He also helped his team reach the final of the AFC Champions League in 1999.

Early Life and First Clubs

Nasser Hejazi was born on 14 December 1949 in Tehran, Iran. His father, Ali Akbar, worked in real estate in Tehran. Nasser started playing football for a club called Nader F.C. in 1964. He played there until 1965. After that, he joined Taj Tehran, which was a professional club. This is where his amazing career really began.

Playing for Clubs

Hejazi became the main goalkeeper for Taj Tehran and the Iran national football team during the 1970s. He joined Taj when he was only 18 years old. With Taj, he helped them win the Asian Club Championship in 1970. He also won the Iranian league in 1971 and 1975. In 1977, his team won the Hazfi Cup.

In 1977, he moved to Shahbaz Tehran. He played alongside other famous national teammates there. The 1978–79 season was canceled because of the Iranian Revolution.

Taj Tehran after winning the Asian Champion Club Tournament in 1970

After the 1978 FIFA World Cup, Hejazi had a chance to play for Manchester United in England. He trained with the team for a month and even played in a reserve match. The manager, Dave Sexton, wanted him to stay longer and sign a contract. However, due to the Islamic Revolution happening in Iran, it was not possible to arrange the paperwork. So, Manchester United signed another goalkeeper instead.

Hejazi continued to play for Esteghlal until 1986. During this time, he won the Tehran Province League in 1983 and 1985. His last club as a player was Mohammedan in Dhaka, Bangladesh. He played there for one year and won his final league title as a player.

Playing for Iran

Hejazi played his first game for the Iran national football team in 1969. He became the main goalkeeper for the 1972 AFC Asian Cup, which Iran won for the second time in a row. Later that year, he played for Iran at the Olympic Games in Munich.

Iran's squad in a 1978 World Cup qualification match against South Korea in Tehran on 11 November 1977

In 1974, he helped Iran win the gold medal at the Asian Games in Tehran. He played a very important role in the 1–0 win against Israel in the final. In 1976, he was part of the team that won the 1976 AFC Asian Cup. He then returned to being the starting goalkeeper for the 1976 Olympics in Montreal. Iran reached the quarter-finals in that tournament.

Hejazi was also Iran's starting goalkeeper at the 1978 FIFA World Cup in Argentina. He was later named captain for the 1980 AFC Asian Cup in Kuwait. Iran reached the semi-finals but lost to Kuwait. After this tournament, a new rule was made in Iranian football. It said that players older than 27 could no longer play for the national team. This meant that Hejazi, who was only 29, had to stop playing international football.

International Games Played

Managerial Career

After his playing career, Hejazi became a football manager. He coached the Bangladeshi club Mohammedan from 1987 to 1991. He brought new and modern coaching ideas to Bangladeshi football. Because of his success, the Bangladeshi football Federation made him the national team coach in 1989.

In the 1990s, Hejazi managed several football clubs. These included Mohammedan SC, Esteghlal (his former club Taj), and Esteghlal Ahvaz. While managing Esteghlal, Hejazi won the Iranian League in 1998. He also led the club to the final of the Asian Champions League in 1999, where they lost to Júbilo Iwata.

Hejazi was known for finding new talented players. For example, he discovered Rahman Rezaei at Zobahan and Alireza Akbarpour at Machine Sazi Tabriz. In 2006, he became the head coach of Nassaji Mazandaran. He later returned to Esteghlal as head coach for a second time in 2007.

Achievements and Awards

Hejazi (right) in a match against Australia in Melbourne, 1977.

As a Player

With Esteghlal

• Asian Club Championship: 1970
• Iranian Football League: 1974–75
• Tehran Provincial League: 1982–83, 1984–85

With Dhaka Mohammedan

• Dhaka League: 1986–87

With Iran National Team

• Asian Cup: 1972
• Asian Games: 1974

Individual Awards

• AFC Asian Cup Fans' All Time Best XI: 2018

As a Manager

With Dhaka Mohammedan

• Dhaka League: 1987–88, 1988–89

With Esteghlal

• Iranian Football League: 1997–98
• Asian Club Championship runner-up: 1998–99

Personal Life

Hejazi with his spouse in 1973

Nasser Hejazi married Behnaz Shafie in 1973. They had two children, a daughter named Atoosa and a son named Attila. Both of his children also became involved in soccer. Attila played for Esteghlal B, and Atoosa was the captain of the Iran national women's futsal team. Atoosa is married to Saeed Ramezani, who was also a retired Iranian soccer player. They have a son named Amir Arsalan.

Illness and Passing

In late 2009, Hejazi was diagnosed with a serious illness called lung cancer. Even though he was sick, he tried to keep coaching. However, his illness eventually made him go to the hospital. On 20 May 2011, he fell into a coma while watching a football match. He passed away on 23 May 2011, at 10:55 a.m. in Kasra Hospital in Tehran.

His funeral was held on 25 May 2011 at Azadi Stadium in Tehran. More than 20,000 people came to say goodbye. He was buried in the Behesht-e Zahra cemetery. Nasser Hejazi was very popular, not just in Iran but also internationally. Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson sent a message of sympathy when Hejazi was ill. The President of Iran also honored Hejazi, calling him a famous and kind figure in Iranian football.

Legacy

Many people consider Nasser Hejazi to be the best Iranian and Asian goalkeeper ever. He was a key player for the Iran national football team in the 1960s and 1970s. This team won the AFC Asian Cup a record three times in a row. Hejazi also represented Iran at two Summer Olympics and the 1978 FIFA World Cup. After he passed away, there was a suggestion to build a new stadium in Tehran named after him. Esteghlal's training camp was also renamed Hejazi Training Camp in his honor.

See also

In Spanish: Nasser Hejazi para niños