Saipa F.C. facts for kids
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| Full name | Saipa Football Club | |||
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| Nickname(s) | Carmakers The Foxes Oranges |
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| Founded | 1 February 1989 | |||
| Ground | Shahid Dastgerdi Stadium | |||
| Capacity | 8,250 | |||
| Owner | Aihan Amerian | |||
| Chairman | Kamran Amerian | |||
| Manager | Ebrahim Sadeghi | |||
| League | Azadegan League | |||
| 2023-24 | Azadegan League, 5th | |||
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Saipa Football Club (Persian: باشگاه فوتبال سايپا, Bashgah-e Futbal-e Saipa) is a professional football team from Tehran, Iran. The club is owned by SAIPA, a big Iranian car company. Saipa FC has won the Persian Gulf Cup once, in the 2006–07 season, with famous player Ali Daei as their coach. They have also won the Azadegan League twice and the Hazfi Cup once. Saipa is part of a larger sports club called Saipa Cultural and Athletic Corporation.
Contents
History of Saipa Football Club
How Saipa FC Started
Saipa Company decided to create its own football team in 1989. They bought a team that was playing in the 4th division of Tehran's city league. This new team was renamed Saipa F.C. They quickly moved up through the leagues. By 1991, the team, which was based in Karaj at the time, was playing in the 2nd division.
In the same year, they joined the 1st division of Tehran's local league. Saipa won the Tehran city championship and the Tehran Super Cup. This allowed them to play in Iran's top league, the Azadegan League.
Winning the Azadegan League
In their very first year in the Azadegan League, Saipa won the championship! They also won the Hazfi Cup that year. They won the league championship again in 1994. In 1995, the team moved down to the second division, but they quickly came back up the next year. Since then, the club has usually stayed in the middle of the league table.
The Ali Daei Era
Around 2001, Saipa FC was a steady team, often finishing in the middle of the league. Then, in 2006, they signed Ali Daei, a very famous Iranian football player. The team had finished third the season before and hoped to win the title with their new coach, Werner Lorant.
However, Lorant was soon replaced, and Ali Daei became both a player and the coach! Daei scored the winning goal in the game that secured the title for Saipa. This was their only Persian Gulf Cup title. After this success, Daei became the full-time coach.
Moving to Tehran
After winning the league title, Saipa played in the AFC Champions League. However, they soon returned to their usual mid-table position. Before the 2015–16 season, Saipa announced they were moving their home city from Karaj to Tehran.
Saipa's Achievements Over the Years
This table shows how Saipa has performed in different competitions since 1993.
| Season | League | Position | Hazfi Cup | ACL |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1993–94 | Azadegan League | 1st | Winners | did not qualify |
| 1994–95 | 1st | Second round | ||
| 1995–96 | 16th | 4th Place | ||
| 1996–97 | Second Division | 2nd | did not qualify | |
| 1997–98 | Azadegan League | 7th | Not held | |
| 1998–99 | 4th | |||
| 1999–2000 | 3rd | Semifinal | ||
| 2000–01 | 7th | Semifinal | ||
| 2001–02 | Pro League | 11th | ||
| 2002–03 | 6th | Quarterfinals | ||
| 2003–04 | 13th | Semifinal | ||
| 2004–05 | 13th | Quarterfinals | ||
| 2005–06 | 3rd | Round of 16 | ||
| 2006–07 | 1st | Quarterfinals | ||
| 2007–08 | 11th | Round of 16 | Quarterfinals | |
| 2008–09 | 10th | Round of 16 | did not qualify | |
| 2009–10 | 8th | Third Round | ||
| 2010–11 | 11th | Fourth Round | ||
| 2011–12 | 8th | Round of 16 | ||
| 2012–13 | 9th | Round of 16 | ||
| 2013–14 | 8th | Round of 16 | ||
| 2014–15 | 7th | Round of 16 | ||
| 2015–16 | 8th | Semifinals | ||
| 2016–17 | 13th | Semifinals | ||
| 2017–18 | 4th | Round of 16 | ||
| 2018–19 | 7th | Semifinals | Play-off | |
| 2019–20 | 14th | Quarterfinals | did not qualify | |
| 2020–21 | 15th | Round of 16 | ||
| 2021-22 | Azadegan League | 14th | Third Round | |
| 2022-23 |
Club Honours
Saipa FC has won several important titles:
- Iran Pro League/First Division
- Champions: 1993–94, 1994–95, 2006–07
- Hazfi Cup
- Winners: 1993–94
Current Players
Here are the players currently on the Saipa FC team.
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Club Records
Top Players by Appearances
These players have played the most games for Saipa FC:
| # | Name | Nationality | Games Played |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ebrahim Sadeghi |  Iran |
452 |
| 2 | Majid Ayoubi | Iran |
338 |
| 3 | Roozbeh Shahalidoost | Iran |
254 |
| 4 | Hamed Shiri | Iran |
166 |
| 5 | Mohsen Khalili | Iran |
156 |
Top Goal Scorers
These players have scored the most goals for Saipa FC:
| # | Name | Nationality | Goals Scored |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Mohsen Khalili | Iran |
62 |
| 2 | Karim Ansarifard | Iran |
56 |
| 3 | Ebrahim Sadeghi | Iran |
41 |
| 4 | Amin Manouchehri | Iran |
25 |
| 5 | Hamed Shiri | Iran |
22 |
Coaching Staff
The people who manage and train the Saipa FC team are:
| Role | Name |
|---|---|
| Head coach | Faraz Kamalvand |
| First team coach | Asghar Maziar |
| Assistant coach | Mehdi Zarei Kazem Borjlou |
| Goalkeeping coach | Farshad Bakhtiarizadeh |
| Fitness coach | Ali Asghar GhorbanaliPour |
| Doctor | Mahyar Mortazavi |
| Analyzer | Mohammad Palizvan |
| Technical Manager | Asghar Hajiloo |
| B team Manager | Kianoush Rahmati |
See also
In Spanish: Saipa FC para niños
