The 15th season of Iran’s premiere league (Persian Gulf Professional League) will start in earnest from tomorrow Thursday 30th July 2015.
16 teams will be battling it out for the ultimate prize of lifting the Championship title and challenging the holder Sepahan Esfahan, the team with the most honors in the history of the league. The Esfahani team has been consistently challenging for the title since the start of the new league system, and has managed to win a record breaking 5 titles with 1 runner up and one third place positions. As such Foolad Mobarekeh Sepahan is the most decorated team of the league.
The Defending Champions
No doubt that Sepahan will continue on the same trail this season with nearly same squad that won the title in the previous season under the leadership of Coach Hossein Faraki. The ex-Team Melli striker is building a deservedly good reputation for himself in Iran’s football by winning his second title in a row with two different clubs. The soft spoken coach has kept faith in the title winning squad and refrained from indulging in any business in the transfer market. No doubt that a fit again Navidkia will assist Sepahan further in this edition. The frail and injury prone Captain of the team was absent for many matches last season.
Persepolis
Persepolis, the most popular team in Iran along with Esteghlal, have been having torrid few seasons with changes in personnel occurring on regular basis. This club has so disappointed it millions of fans that the usual crowd of red army that used to paint Azadi in red has virtually disappeared. The Club numerous problems off the field, was further complicated the issue by some on the field transgressions of some players acting unruly and suffering from ill- disciplined. Poor appointments in coaching and administrative staff has furthered deteriorated the team to the extent that it was fighting for survival near the end of the last league season. Branko Ivankovic was recruited to replace the struggling Hamid Derakhshan. The Croat has maintained the league status of Persepolis and avoided the relegation, however, this season, there is little indication that the team will be decidedly better than last season.
The Blues of Esteghlal
Esteghlal, forever a title contender, had a disappointing last season under Amir Ghalenoei who was eventually replaced by Parviz Mazloomi. The club has a tendency to stick to its own and picks coaches from the plethora of ex and retired players rather than seek professional and experienced coaches elsewhere. Mazloomi last stint as Esteghlal coach ended bitterly when bad results and losses against much weaker teams started a semi revolt in the stands by the blues fan who demanded his removal. The squad for this season has not seen major changes however the loss of two Team Melli players in Sadeghi and Beigzadeh to Saba and lack of real fire power in the offensive line could limit the chance of Esteghlal in challenging for the title.
Like Persepolis, Esteghlal is another organization in real administrative, financial and ,management difficulties.
[box title=”
Leauge Stats
” style=”soft” box_color=”#c8c8ba” title_color=”#0d0c0c” radius=”5″]You can follow the Persian Gulf Pro League results and tables in www. teammelli.com all the time. Simply check the “Supplements” menu and select Persian Gulf League , or go to https://www.teammelli.com/the-persian-gulf-league[/box]
The League Committee
Despite gradual improvements in the organization of the league each new season, football in Iran is still behind the overall standard of rival Asian countries and the neighboring Persian Gulf states. Most of the facilities and the stadiums lack the international standards. Mercifully, AFC pressure has forced the Iranian authorities into action. The Asian ruling body plays a major role in forcing the Iranians to improve standards and facilities like the recent ruling by the AFC and insistence to install seats in the stadiums rather than the fans endure the hardship od sitting on scorching cement slabs.
One of the weaknesses of last season was the periodical stoppage of the season for Team Melli training camps which resulted in unanimous outcry by the coaches and teams. Those league stoppages were demanded by Carlos Queiroz as conditional for Team Melli survival in the World Cup. With no World Cup in 2016 , it is hoped that the season will continue without much interruption that hurts team’ momentum.
Attendances
Last season suffered from lack of interest by the fans. Factors that has affected the poor attendances varied amongst the major ones were; shortages of quality games, dearth of exciting players or games to attract the crowds, failure of the two most popular teams to shine which dampened the enthusiasm of their huge number of followers, match organizers lack of respect and appreciation of fans comfort and finally the broadcast of major European leagues matches on TV. Sepahan traditional never matched the fans base of the big two and their remote stadium has played a major role in the paltry attendance figures. The only team that made a difference and kept the league stands alive was Tractorsazi with its phenomenal and passionate crowds. No team has away travelling support either as the team from Tabriz. This season, despite the disappointing finish of last, should see the Azerbaijani fans flocking back once again to the Yadegar Imam stadium. The rest of the stadiums in Iran are a matter of hit and miss.
Broadcast rights.
Amongst the peculiarities of football in Iran is the TV and non-payment of broadcast fees.
In Iran, there is one government owned and run organization that has unjustifiably and unfairly taken full advantage of football enjoying a free ride for decades without paying anything in return. IRIB, the TV and Radio monopoly, has flatly refused to entertain any demands for payment to the league clubs or the FFIRI for broadcasting league or Team Melli matches a system that is globally implemented. IRIB, argues that it is providing a free service for fans and clubs alike and not charging the viewers, so it does not find any justification for paying while it is not charging subscription fees. In the in the contrary, IRIB thinks that it has to be paid because it is doing a favor for the clubs!.
IRIB conveniently, opportunistically and deviously ignored the millions of dollars that it has received from TV advertisers when broadcasting football matches.
This stand of arrogance and egotism by IRIB resulted in tension in the league and spilled out in the parliament and the media with various heated debates. IRIB is an organization which is strongly supported and protected by the by the highest of the hierarchy in the regime. It has dodged all attempts by all sides including the Iranian parliament to pay for broadcasting rights that is believed to have earned it coffers millions of dollars in return. Even an attempt to a TV black out and ban of cameras in stadiums, which only lasted for one round, did not dislodge the IRIB from its position. The IRIB simply brushed such a move as a minor inconvenience!
Good news of this season, however, is that IRIB finally agreed to pay for the broadcast of matches. The figures are closely kept secret and many insiders believe that it is nowhere near the true value of the league. In any case, it is a step forward and this might be a beginning of a new era for many clubs with huge financial difficulties (read the majority of the clubs) to get some return from TV broadcast rights.
Team Melli Players
10 out of the 32 players that donned Iran’s Team Melli jersey have changed club so far. There are expected to be a few more changes as several players have not agreed terms with their present clubs while many other countries have not started the season yet..
The full list of Team Melli player is as follows:
| # | Players Name | Previous Team | Current Team |
| 1 | AMIRI, Vahid | Naft Tehran | Naft Tehran |
| 2 | ANSARIFARD, Karim | Osasuna | Rah Ahan |
| 3 | AZMOUN, Sardar | FC Rostov | FC Rostov |
| 4 | BEIGZADEH, Hashim | Esteghlal | Saba Qom |
| 5 | BIRANVAND, Alireza | Naft Tehran | Naft Tehran |
| 6 | DEJAGAH, Ashkan | Al Arabi | Al Arabi |
| 7 | EBRAHIMI, Omid | Esteghlal | Esteghlal |
| 8 | EZZATOLLAHI, Saeid | Athletico Madrid | FC Rostov |
| 9 | FOROUZAN, Mohsen | Esteghlal | Esteghlal |
| 10 | GHAFOORI, Vourya | Sepahan Esfahan | Sepahan Esfahan |
| 11 | GHOOCHANNEJAD, Reza | Al Wakra | Al Wakra |
| 12 | HAGHIGHI, Alireza | FC Penafiel | FC Penafiel |
| 13 | HAJSAFY, Ehsan | Sepahan Esfahan | Sepahan Esfahan |
| 14 | HASSANZADEH, Masoud | Zob Ahan | Zob Ahan |
| 15 | HEYDARI, Khosrow | Esteghlal | Esteghlal |
| 16 | HOSSEINI, Jalal | Al Ahli | Naft Tehran |
| 17 | JAHANBAKHSH, AliReza | NEC | NEC |
| 18 | KANANI, Mohammad Hossein | Malavan | Malavan |
| 19 | KHANZADEH, Mohammadreza | Persepolis | Foolad Kuzestan |
| 20 | MOHAMMADI, Milad | Rah Ahan | Rah Ahan |
| 21 | MONTAZERI, Pejman | Umm Salal | Al Ahli |
| 22 | NEKOUNAM, Javad | Osasuna | Saipa |
| 23 | POOLADI, Mehrdad | Al Shahaniya | Al Shahaniya |
| 24 | POURALIGANJI, Morteza | Tianjin Teda | Tianjin Teda |
| 25 | RAFIEI, Sourosh | Foolad Khuzestan | Foolad Khuzestan |
| 26 | REZAEIAN, Ramin | Rah Ahan | Persepolis |
| 27 | SADEGHI, AmirHossein | Esteghlal | Saba Qom |
| 28 | SHARIFI, Mehdi | Sepahan Esfahan | Sepahan Esfahan |
| 29 | SHOJAEI, Masoud | Al Shahaniya | Al Shahaniya |
| 30 | TAREMI, Mehdi | Persepolis | Persepolis |
| 31 | TEYMOURIAN, Andranik | Tractorsazi Tabriz | Umm Salal |
| 32 | TORABI, Mehdi | Saipa | Saipa |