Sepahan S.C. facts for kids
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| Full name | Foolad Mobarakeh Sepahan Sport Club | |||
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| Nickname(s) | Yellow Storm of Asia Yellow Lions of Isfahan |
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| Short name | Sepahan | |||
| Founded | 5 October 1953 | |||
| Ground | Naghsh-e Jahan Stadium | |||
| Capacity | 76,000 | |||
| Owner | Mobarakeh Steel Company | |||
| President | Ahmad Yousefzade | |||
| Manager |  Patrice Carteron |
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| League | Persian Gulf Pro League | |||
| 2024–25 | Persian Gulf Pro League, 2nd | |||
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Foolad Mobarakeh Sepahan Sport Club, usually called Sepahan, is a famous Iranian sports club from Isfahan. They are best known for their amazing football team. This team plays in the Persian Gulf Pro League, which is the top football league in Iran.
Sepahan made history in the 2002–03 season. They broke the winning streak of two big Tehran clubs, Persepolis and Esteghlal, by winning the Pro League title. They are also the first Iranian club to win the league three times in a row!
In 2007, Sepahan became the first Iranian team to reach the final of the AFC Champions League. This also meant they got to play in the 2007 FIFA Club World Cup, representing Iran for the very first time. So far, they have won five league titles and five Hazfi Cups, making them one of the most successful football clubs in Iran.
Contents
Sepahan Football Club: A Journey Through Time
How Sepahan Started
The club began in 1953 with help from Iran national football team player Mahmoud Hariri. It was first called Shahin Isfahan and was connected to the bigger Shahin F.C. in Tehran. In 1963, Shahin Isfahan became champions of Iran.
However, in 1967, the Shahin organization in Tehran faced problems. This meant the Isfahan team had to stop playing under that name. So, the club changed its name to Sepahan. They played in the Takht Jamshid Cup league from 1974 to 1978. In their first season, they finished 10th, doing better than their city rivals, Zob Ahan.
After the Revolution
After the Iranian Revolution, Sepahan played in local Isfahan leagues for many years. In 1993, a company called Siman-e-Sepahan (Sepahan Cement) bought the club. They played in the Azadegan League until 2000.
Then, Foolad Mobarekeh (a steel company) bought the team. Since then, the team has been known as Foolad Mobarakeh Sepahan. They have great support from the company and a large fan base in Isfahan.
Years of Big Wins
Sepahan really showed what they could do in the 2002–03 season. They won the IPL title and got to play in the AFC Champions League. They also won the Hazfi Cup in 2004, which let them play in the ACL again.
On September 22, 2006, Sepahan won the Hazfi Cup again. This win helped them get a spot in the AFC Champions League 2007. They played very well in this tournament, winning their group and beating teams from Japan and the UAE to reach the final for the first time. Even though they lost to Urawa Red Diamonds, reaching the final meant Sepahan became the first Iranian club to qualify for the FIFA Club World Cup.
At the FIFA Club World Cup 2007, Sepahan beat Waitakere United from New Zealand in their first match. This moved them to the quarter-finals, where they played against Urawa Red Diamonds again. Urawa Reds won, stopping Sepahan from reaching the semi-finals against AC Milan.
Sepahan won the Hazfi Cup once more in 2007, which qualified them for the AFC Champions League 2008. However, they couldn't repeat their success from 2007.
Sepahan played in the AFC Champions League for the third time in a row in 2009. They finished second in the Persian Gulf Cup 2007-08. They almost won the league title but lost by just one point to Persepolis F.C. in the last match.
In the 2010 Season, Sepahan, led by coach Amir Ghalenoei, won the championship two weeks before the season ended. They tied 2–2 against F.C. Aboomoslem to secure the title.
In the 2010–11 Persian Gulf Cup, Sepahan started slowly but then dominated the league. They won the title two weeks before the season finished. They also made it to the knockout stage of the ACL after winning their group. This was their third championship, making them the most successful team in the Iran Pro League.
The Kranjčar Years
Sepahan won the league title again in the 2011–12 season with Croatian manager Zlatko Kranjčar. They also reached the quarter-finals of the 2012 AFC Champions League by beating fellow Iranian club Esteghlal.
However, in the 2013 AFC Champions League, Sepahan struggled. They were in Group C and couldn't get past the group stage. They lost several games, including a big 4–1 loss to Al-Ahli SC, which ended their hopes in the tournament.
In the 2013–14 Iran Pro League season, Sepahan finished 4th. This meant they missed out on the AFC Champions League for the first time in five years. Even though coach Kranjčar initially said he would leave, Sepahan extended his contract for another season.
The Faraki Years
Sepahan started the 2014–15 season with three wins. But then they didn't win their next four matches. Kranjčar resigned on September 8, 2014, and Hossein Faraki became the new manager.
On May 15, 2015, Sepahan beat Saipa 2–0. At the same time, Tractor drew 3–3 with Naft Tehran. This meant Sepahan won their fifth league title by just one point over Tractor. With this win, Sepahan returned to the AFC Champions League after a year away.
On November 12, 2015, Hossein Faraki left Sepahan due to personal reasons.
Štimac and Veisi Years
After Faraki left, the club hired Igor Štimac, a former manager of the Croatia national team. Štimac won his first game, but then Sepahan didn't win for 10 weeks. They were knocked out of the Hazfi Cup by their rivals, Zob Ahan. Sepahan also exited the AFC Champions League after losing five times in the first round. Igor Štimac resigned on April 20, 2016. Sepahan, who were league champions, ended up in 11th place.
Before the 2016–17 season, Abdollah Veisi became the new manager. He had just led Esteghlal Khuzestan to a league title. However, Sepahan's poor results continued, so Zlatko Kranjčar returned as their new manager. Sepahan finished the season in 5th place.
Team Colors and Logo
Sepahan's main color is yellow. However, they have also used blue or red at different times in the Persian Gulf Pro League.
The club's logo has changed over the years. When it was called Shahin Isfahan, its logo was similar to Shahin Tehran's.
Big Rivalries
Isfahan Derby
The Nagsh-e Jahan derby is a football match played every year in Isfahan. It's between the city's two main teams: Zob Ahan F.C. and Sepahan. This game is one of the most popular football events in Iran. The rivalry started in the 1970s.
Tehran Rivalries
Sepahan also has important rivalries with two big Tehran clubs: Esteghlal and Persepolis. These are known as the Esteghlal–Sepahan and Persepolis–Sepahan rivalries.
Playing in the FIFA Club World Cup
One of Sepahan's most special achievements is playing in the FIFA Club World Cup in 2007. This made them a unique club in Iranian football history.
On November 2, 2007, Sepahan's name was placed alongside huge teams like AC Milan from Italy and Boca Juniors from Argentina. Sepahan is still the first and only Iranian football team to have played in the Club World Cup. They proudly raised the Iranian flag at this global event.
Club Partnerships
On January 28, 2009, Sepahan and the Lebanese club Ahed started an informal partnership. This partnership became official on March 8, 2021. It includes things like training camps and friendly games between the two teams.
Home Stadium
The Naghsh-e-Jahan Stadium in Isfahan is Sepahan's main home ground. It's used for football matches and can hold 76,000 people. The stadium was first built in 2003. Its second phase of construction finished in the summer of 2016.
Sepahan also uses Foolad Shahr Stadium as a second home ground. This stadium is also the home of Zob Ahan. Some of Sepahan's matches are played there.
In 2024, female fans of Sepahan were allowed to watch the team's matches in the stadium for the first time since 1979.
Team Achievements
National League Titles
- Persian Gulf Pro League
- Winners (5): 2002–03, 2009–10, 2010–11, 2011–12, 2014–15
- Runners-up (5): 2007–08, 2018–19, 2020–21, 2022–23, 2024–25
- 2nd Division
- Winner (1): 1973–74
National Cup Titles
- Hazfi Cup
- Winners (5): 2003–04, 2005–06, 2006–07, 2012–13, 2023–24
- Iranian Super Cup
- Winners (1): 2024
Continental Achievements
- AFC Champions League Elite
- Runners-up (1): 2007
Current Players
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- U21 = Under-21 level player. U23 = Under-23 level player. SPE = Special group player. INJ = Out of main squad due to injury.
Coaching Staff
Current Coaches
| Position | Name |
|---|---|
| Head coach | Patrice Carteron |
| Assistant coaches |  Hossein Ghadami Vahid Esfahani |
| Goalkeepers coach | Mohammadreza Farahani |
Past Head Coaches
Here is a list of Sepahan's head coaches from 1953 until now.
| Name | Nationality | Years |
|---|---|---|
| Mahmoud Hariri |  |
1953–1960 |
| Technical Commission | 1960–1970 | |
| Mahmoud Yavari | |
1970–1978 |
| Zdravko Rajkov |  |
1978 |
| Mahmoud Yavari | |
1978–1980 |
| Masoud Tabesh | |
1980–1993 |
| Firouz Karimi | |
1993–1994 |
| Nasser Hejazi | |
1994–1995 |
| Mahmoud Yavari | |
1995–1996 |
| Rasoul Korbekandi | |
1996–1998 |
| Mehdi Monajati | |
1998–1999 |
| Hamid Nadimian | |
1999–2001 |
| Stanko Poklepović |  |
2001–2002 |
| Farhad Kazemi | |
2002–2005 |
| Stanko Poklepović | |
2005 |
| Edson Tavares |  |
2005–2006 |
| Luka Bonačić | |
2006–2008 |
| Jorvan Vieira | |
2008 |
| Engin Firat |  |
2008 |
| Hossein Charkhabi | |
2008 |
| Farhad Kazemi | |
2008–2009 |
| Amir Ghalenoei | |
2009–2011 |
| Luka Bonačić | |
2011 |
| Zlatko Kranjčar | |
2011–2014 |
| Hossein Faraki | |
2014–2015 |
| Igor Štimac | |
2015–2016 |
| Ghasem Zaghinejad* | |
2016 |
| Abdollah Veisi | |
2016–2017 |
| Zlatko Kranjčar | |
2017–2018 |
| Mansour Ebrahimzadeh | |
2018 |
| Amir Ghalenoei | |
2018–2020 |
| Miguel Teixeira* |  |
2020 |
| Moharram Navidkia | |
2020–2022 |
| José Morais | |
2022–Present |
Club Officials
| Position | Name |
|---|---|
| President | Manouchehr Nikfar (Acting) |
| Chairman of the Board | Mojtaba Lotfi |
| Board Members | Mojtaba Lotfi Mohammad Reza Saket Karim Fakharezadeh Ali Pezeshk Alireza Afzal |
Images for kids
See also
In Spanish: Sepahan Sport Club para niños
