Steel Azin F.C. facts for kids
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| Full name | Steel Azin Football Club | ||
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| Founded | 2007 | ||
| Dissolved | 2012 | ||
| Ground | Shahid Dastgerdi Stadium Tehran |
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| Capacity | 8,250 | ||
| Owner | Hossein Hedayati | ||
| League | Iran Football's 3rd Division | ||
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Steel Azin Football Club was a football team from Tehran, Iran. The club was owned by Hossein Hedayati, who also owned the company Steel Azin Iranian Holding Co. Besides football, Steel Azin also had a volleyball team. This team played in Iran's top volleyball league.
Contents
The Story of Steel Azin Football Club
Steel Azin Football Club had an interesting but short history. It started as a team called Ekbatan FC. This club went through many changes before becoming Steel Azin.
How Ekbatan FC Started Again
Ekbatan FC was brought back to life in the late 1990s by two former players, Rabti and Ghani. The team slowly climbed up the ranks of Iranian football. By 2003, they reached the Azadegan League, which is a high-level league in Iran.
For two years, Ekbatan FC managed to stay in the league. However, they didn't have much money. This made it hard for them to compete. In 2005, Rabti and Ghani sold the club. A rich builder who lived abroad bought the team.
New Owners, New Hopes
The new owners wanted to make big changes. They promised to invest in young players. They changed the coaching staff, making Rabti the Technical Director. Ghani stayed as the Club Manager. The club even went to Dubai for training. They played against other teams there, like Al Nasr SC. With new money and a home stadium (Shahid Dastgerdi Stadium), many thought Ekbatan would do very well.
But the season started slowly. The coach was replaced after only three weeks, and Rabti became head coach again. The team struggled and was at the bottom of the league. Even a big win against the top team, Pegah F.C., didn't help much. Rabti was later fired, and Hadi Ahangaran took over. He managed to save the team from being moved down to a lower league. They won a special play-off match in Esfahan.
More Changes and Challenges
For the next season, Ekbatan made more changes. They brought in Farhad Kazemi as a special advisor. Mohsen Garousi became the head coach, and Ebrahim Vatanikia led the youth academy. Most of the old players left, and new ones joined. The club aimed for a mid-table finish, not too high or too low.
However, the team had a terrible start. Garousi was fired after losing the first seven games. Asghar Sharafi took over and promised to keep the team in the second division. They had a good winning streak, but it wasn't enough to make up for the bad start. They finished in 9th place.
Even though the main team struggled, the youth academy was doing great. They won many titles. This showed that the club's plan to invest in young talent was working.
Hossein Hedayati Takes Over
On April 30, 2007, a very rich Iranian businessman named Hossein Hedayati bought Ekbatan. He changed the club's name to Steel Azin. With his strong financial support, Steel Azin was expected to become a major force in Iranian football.
Growing Young Talent
Ekbatan was already famous for having one of the best youth academies in Iran. Many talented young players came from there. Before Hedayati took over, the team was very young, with an average age of 23. After the takeover, Heshmat Mohajerani, a former coach of the Iran national football team, completely rebuilt Steel Azin's youth academy.
Playing in the Iran Pro League
Hossein Hedayati spent a lot of money to bring famous players to Steel Azin. Even though they were in a lower league, big names like Ebrahim Mirzapour, Hamed Kavianpour, Ali Ansarian, and Mohammad Parvin joined the team. Iranian football legend Ali Parvin became the Technical Director.
Despite all these star players, the team did not get promoted to the top league that year. However, Mohammad Parvin was the top scorer, playing very well.
The next year, after some big names left, the club finally made it to the top league, the Iran Pro League. Once they were in the top league, Hedayati invested even more. They signed foreign players and famous Iranian players like Ferydoon Zandi and Amir Shapourzadeh. The most talked-about player was Ali Karimi, who joined from their rival team, Persepolis.
Even with all these stars, Steel Azin's first season in the Iran Pro League was not great. They finished in fifth place. Many people blamed their defense for the poor results.
A Difficult Season and Relegation
The 2010-2011 season was a nightmare for Steel Azin. They changed managers and coaches many times. The team was at the bottom of the league for almost the entire season. Ali Karimi left the team and went to play for a big German club, Schalke 04.
The season ended badly with a 6-1 loss at home. Steel Azin finished last in the league. This was surprising because the owner, Hossein Hedayati, had reportedly spent nearly $40 million on the team.
Because of the poor results and the many famous players who didn't perform well, the media started calling the club "FC Hollywood." This nickname suggested that players were more interested in their high salaries than playing well. They were also called the "Galacticos of Iran" during their more successful first season in the Premier League.
Steel Azin was moved down to the second division two weeks before the season ended.
The End of Steel Azin
After being moved down, Steel Azin moved from Tehran to Semnan. A new CEO was appointed. The club continued to struggle. The next year, they finished 10th. However, FIFA, the world football organization, fined them and took away 12 points. This caused them to be moved down again, this time to the third division. Steel Azin Football Club was finally dissolved in 2012, after playing their last season in the third tier of Iranian football.
Club Sponsors and Kits
Official Sponsors
The main sponsor of Steel Azin Football Club was Steel Azin Co., which was owned by Hossein Hedayati. Before Hedayati bought the club, the main sponsor was Fabexi LLC.
Kit Providers
Different companies made the team's uniforms (kits) over the years:
- 2005/06: Aghili
- 2006/07: Farhad
- 2007/08: Daei
- 2009/10: Majid
- 2010/11: Shekari / Umbro / Majid
- 2011/12: Merooj
Managers of Steel Azin
Many different people managed Steel Azin and its earlier form, Ekbatan FC. Here are some of the managers:
- Mohamad Rabti
- Hadi Ahangaran
- Mohsen Garousi
- Asghar Sharafi
- Theo de Jong
- Farhad Kazemi
- Nader Dastneshan
- Hamid Reza Estili
- Afshin Peyrovani
- Ljubiša Tumbaković
- Mohammad Khakpour
- Mahmoud Yavari
- Human Afazeli
Images for kids
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Steel Azin's logo
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Steel Azin F.C. Headquarters in Tehran
See also
In Spanish: Steel Azin FC para niños
