Latest news with #Esteghlal
Yahoo
14-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Tractor SC complete journey to upset Iran's establishment and claim historic title
The league title was won with games to spare by a coach in his first season, leaving fans in the north-west of the country to wait for the official presentation of the trophy. Jamie Carragher said on Sunday that 'Liverpool as a city feels like it is 'us against the world' but that is nothing when compared to those who follow Tractor SC, a club that brings hope, unity and a voice to millions of Azerbaijani Turks, the largest minority in Iran. Now they have a first Iranian championship to celebrate. That journey to the very top took 55 years. It started when the state-owned tractor company set up a team for its workers and residents in Tabriz, the biggest city in the Iran's East Azerbaijan province as a whole, not far from the border with Turkey, Armenia and Azerbaijan. The relationship with the club and Tehran has been mixed ever since, especially as Tractor, after not doing much for quite a while, started to become a force on the pitch as well as a focal point off it. A people with their own language, culture and history who have long felt discriminated against and marginalised by governments (post- and pre-Islamic revolution in 1979) that have pursued Persia-centric policies in a diverse and ancient nation. Supporting the football club has become a way to push back and assert Azeri pride and identity (songs recall ancient heroes), advocate for more representation in Iran (chants in 2012 demanded a better response from the government after a major earthquake) and, sometimes, simply annoy the powers-that-be. It is not surprising that there is ire from Tehran when fans chant slogans invoking the names of capitals from other countries. 'Tabriz, Baku, Ankara, our path leads elsewhere than the path of the Persians.' Shouting that the 'Persian Gulf' should be called the 'Arabian Gulf' is also a surefire way to upset many in the capital and elsewhere, as Donald Trump and his administration will find out if they try to do so. The Iranian government, suspicious of large crowds even when they are gathered to support the national team, are wary of Tractor's pulling power. This season, there has been an average of over 42,000. They are a big draw away, too. On visits to Tehran to take on the twin titans of Persepolis and Esteghlal, thousands come to support them in the cavernous Azadi Stadium. Persepolis may traditionally be the club of the capital's working class in contrast to Esteghlal, the establishment's team, but for Tractor both are part of the ruling regime. These games can be bad-tempered. In 2018, there were 15,000 away fans, swapping ethnic insults with Esteghlal supporters but security forces waded in when the visitors started chanting 'death to the dictator', namely Iran's supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Now Tractor have football-related chants to rile Persepolis and Esteghlal, winners of around two-thirds of all the league titles in Iranian history. On 2 May, a 4-0 victory in Shams Azar clinched the championship with two games to spare. Fans in Tabriz and in other cities in the region took to the streets and partied. It was a long night but then it had been a long time coming. In 2018, one of the richest men in Iran, Mohammad Reza Zonouzi, took over the club. The billionaire brought in John Toshack as coach. It wasn't a random appointment. As well as taking Swansea City through the divisions in the 1970s and 80s, then going on to manage Real Madrid, the former Liverpool forward had also coached Besiktas in Turkey and led Khazar Lankaran to the Azerbaijan Super Cup in 2013. Soon after, Harry Forrester and Lee Erwin left Rangers and Kilmarnock respectively to join up with the Welshman, as did the former Celtic star and Republic of Ireland international Anthony Stokes. Big-name Iranians also made the move, such as the former Fulham and Wolfsburg midfielder Ashkan Dejagah as well as Ehsan Hajsafi and Masoud Shojaei. That trio stayed three years but Toshack lasted just three months. Despite the spending – unprecedented in Iranian football, especially with sanctions and inflation restricting financial power – it did not happen for the Welshman with just nine points from the first six games and a Hazfi Cup elimination. That dismissal seemed harsh (Sven-Göran Eriksson was supposed to be the replacement) and set the scene for coaches and players to come and go over the following years. The title remained absent but then came Dragan Skocic last summer. The Croat led Iran through qualification for the 2022 World Cup but was fired in July of that year, reinstated days later and then jettisoned in favour of Carlos Queiroz just weeks before the tournament started. Skocic brought in Iran's first-choice goalkeeper Alireza Beiranvand as well as Mehdi Torabi, Danial Esmaeilifar and Shoja Khalilzadeh. There was some controversy as the first three were all signed directly from Persepolis and the fourth is a former player of that club (also, Torabi is still remembered for lifting up his shirt in the past to reveal pro-government slogans). While these were not the big names of the last decade – the same is true of the foreign imports – they were solid, experienced players. The Red Wolves reached the top of the league at about a third of the way through the campaign and pretty much stayed there for the duration. Next is Asia. Iran has just one automatic place in the group stage of AFC Champions League Elite, so it may be that the rest of the country will get behind its only guaranteed representative – but then maybe not. Regardless, Tractor will plough on.
Yahoo
14-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Tractor SC complete journey to upset Iran's establishment and claim historic title
The league title was won with games to spare by a coach in his first season, leaving fans in the north-west of the country to wait for the official presentation of the trophy. Jamie Carragher said on Sunday that 'Liverpool as a city feels like it is 'us against the world' but that is nothing when compared to those who follow Tractor SC, a club that brings hope, unity and a voice to millions of Azerbaijani Turks, the largest minority in Iran. Now they have a first Iranian championship to celebrate. That journey to the very top took 55 years. It started when the state-owned tractor company set up a team for its workers and residents in Tabriz, the biggest city in the Iran's East Azerbaijan province as a whole, not far from the border with Turkey, Armenia and Azerbaijan. The relationship with the club and Tehran has been mixed ever since, especially as Tractor, after not doing much for quite a while, started to become a force on the pitch as well as a focal point off it. Advertisement A people with their own language, culture and history who have long felt discriminated against and marginalised by governments (post- and pre-Islamic revolution in 1979) that have pursued Persia-centric policies in a diverse and ancient nation. Supporting the football club has become a way to push back and assert Azeri pride and identity (songs recall ancient heroes), advocate for more representation in Iran (chants in 2012 demanded a better response from the government after a major earthquake) and, sometimes, simply annoy the powers-that-be. It is not surprising that there is ire from Tehran when fans chant slogans invoking the names of capitals from other countries. 'Tabriz, Baku, Ankara, our path leads elsewhere than the path of the Persians.' Shouting that the 'Persian Gulf' should be called the 'Arabian Gulf' is also a surefire way to upset many in the capital and elsewhere, as Donald Trump and his administration will find out if they try to do so. The Iranian government, suspicious of large crowds even when they are gathered to support the national team, are wary of Tractor's pulling power. This season, there has been an average of over 42,000. They are a big draw away, too. On visits to Tehran to take on the twin titans of Persepolis and Esteghlal, thousands come to support them in the cavernous Azadi Stadium. Persepolis may traditionally be the club of the capital's working class in contrast to Esteghlal, the establishment's team, but for Tractor both are part of the ruling regime. These games can be bad-tempered. In 2018, there were 15,000 away fans, swapping ethnic insults with Esteghlal supporters but security forces waded in when the visitors started chanting 'death to the dictator', namely Iran's supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Advertisement Now Tractor have football-related chants to rile Persepolis and Esteghlal, winners of around two-thirds of all the league titles in Iranian history. On 2 May, a 4-0 victory in Shams Azar clinched the championship with two games to spare. Fans in Tabriz and in other cities in the region took to the streets and partied. It was a long night but then it had been a long time coming. In 2018, one of the richest men in Iran, Mohammad Reza Zonouzi, took over the club. The billionaire brought in John Toshack as coach. It wasn't a random appointment. As well as taking Swansea City through the divisions in the 1970s and 80s, then going on to manage Real Madrid, the former Liverpool forward had also coached Besiktas in Turkey and led Khazar Lankaran to the Azerbaijan Super Cup in 2013. Soon after, Harry Forrester and Lee Erwin left Rangers and Kilmarnock respectively to join up with the Welshman, as did the former Celtic star and Republic of Ireland international Anthony Stokes. Big-name Iranians also made the move, such as the former Fulham and Wolfsburg midfielder Ashkan Dejagah as well as Ehsan Hajsafi and Masoud Shojaei. That trio stayed three years but Toshack lasted just three months. Despite the spending – unprecedented in Iranian football, especially with sanctions and inflation restricting financial power – it did not happen for the Welshman with just nine points from the first six games and a Hazfi Cup elimination. That dismissal seemed harsh (Sven-Göran Eriksson was supposed to be the replacement) and set the scene for coaches and players to come and go over the following years. The title remained absent but then came Dragan Skocic last summer. The Croat led Iran through qualification for the 2022 World Cup but was fired in July of that year, reinstated days later and then jettisoned in favour of Carlos Queiroz just weeks before the tournament started. Advertisement Skocic brought in Iran's first-choice goalkeeper Alireza Beiranvand as well as Mehdi Torabi, Danial Esmaeilifar and Shoja Khalilzadeh. There was some controversy as the first three were all signed directly from Persepolis and the fourth is a former player of that club (also, Torabi is still remembered for lifting up his shirt in the past to reveal pro-government slogans). While these were not the big names of the last decade – the same is true of the foreign imports – they were solid, experienced players. The Red Wolves reached the top of the league at about a third of the way through the campaign and pretty much stayed there for the duration. Next is Asia. Iran has just one automatic place in the group stage of AFC Champions League Elite, so it may be that the rest of the country will get behind its only guaranteed representative – but then maybe not. Regardless, Tractor will plough on.
Al Etihad
12-03-2025
- Sport
- Al Etihad
Ronaldo spot kick helps Al Nassr into Asian Champions League last eight
11 Mar 2025 01:05 RIYADH (AFP)A Cristiano Ronaldo penalty and a double from Jhon Duran fired Al Nassr into the quarter-finals of the AFC Champions League Elite on Monday, with a 3-0 second leg win over the Al Nassr captain, was reportedly rested for last week's goalless draw in the first leg in Iran, however returned to lead the side at Al Awwal scored from the spot midway through the first Nassr, one of three Saudi Arabian sides to dominate the west region's group stage, needed only nine minutes to take the lead in a winter signing from English Premier League side Aston Villa, picked up a loose ball on the right edge of the Esteghlal penalty area and floated a superb chip over goalkeeper Hossein marked the striker's first goal in the Nassr doubled their advantage on 27 minutes after Sadio Mane, a UEFA Champions League winner with Liverpool, drew a foul from rival midfielder Zobeir Niknafs inside the Esteghlal casually stroked the spot-kick into the centre of the net to take his tally in this year's Champions League Elite to seven goals in six Portuguese star is the leading scorer in this season's Saudi Pro League, with 18 night got even worse just before half-time when they were reduced to 10 men when Mehran Ahmadi inadvertently caught Al Nassr defender Mohammed Al Fatil with a stray arm in the face while trying to shield the upgraded the foul to a yellow card and, with Ahmadi having earlier been booked, he was promptly sent Nassr went close to adding a third at the beginning of the second half. First, Duran had an effort saved only for Ayman Yahya's rebound to be cleared off the later, Duran thumped the Esteghlal crossbar with a shot from Al Nassr forward would not be denied his second, though, dragging a low shot inside the near post after being teed up by former Chelsea winger Angelo.
Asharq Al-Awsat
11-03-2025
- Sport
- Asharq Al-Awsat
Al-Nassr Defeats Esteghlal, Advances to AFC Elite Champions League Quarters
Saudi Arabia's Al-Nassr qualified for the AFC Elite Champions League quarterfinals after defeating Iran's Esteghlal 3-0 on Monday in the second-leg match played at King Saud University Stadium in Riyadh. Jhon Durán netted two goals for Al-Nassr in the 9th and 84th minutes, while Cristiano Ronaldo added another from the penalty spot in the 27th minute. With the victory, Al-Nassr secured a spot in the quarterfinals following a goalless draw in the first-leg match held in Tehran.
The National
11-03-2025
- Sport
- The National
Cristiano Ronaldo still firing at 40 as he helps Al Nassr qualify for AFC Champions League quarter-finals
Cristiano Ronaldo might have recently turned 40 but he is showing no signs of slowing down as the Portuguese great converted a penalty to help Al Nassr sail into the quarter-finals of the AFC Champions League Elite. Ronaldo's goal and a double from Jhon Duran powered Al Nassr to a 3-0 second leg win over Esteghlal. Al Nassr captain Ronaldo was rested for last week's goalless first-leg draw in Iran. He returned to lead the way at Al Awwal Park. Al Nassr, one of three Saudi Arabian sides to dominate the west region's group stage, needed only nine minutes to take the lead in Riyadh. Duran put the home team in front early with the Colombian lifting the ball over Seyed Hossein Hosseini after the Esteghlal goalkeeper gifted possession to the striker 30 yards from goal. Duran, a winter signing from Premier League side Aston Villa, registered his first goal in the competition. The Saudi side doubled their lead from the penalty spot as Ronaldo stepped up in the 27th minute to convert with typical confidence following Mohammad Niknafs' mistimed challenge on Sadio Mane. Ronaldo casually stroked the spot-kick into the centre of the net to take his tally in this year's Champions League Elite to seven goals in six appearances. The Portuguese star is also the leading scorer in this season's Saudi Pro League with 18 goals. Esteghlal's night got even worse just before half time when they were reduced to 10 men when Mehran Ahmadi inadvertently caught Al Nassr defender Mohammed Al Fatil with a stray arm in the face while trying to shield the ball. VAR upgraded the foul to a yellow card and, with Ahmadi having earlier been booked, he was promptly sent off. Al Nassr went close to adding a third at the beginning of the second half. First, Duran had an effort saved only for Ayman Yahya's rebound to be cleared off the line. Minutes later, Duran thumped the Esteghlal crossbar with a shot from distance. Duran claimed his second goal of the game six minutes from time when he whipped a low strike into the bottom corner having earlier hit the post as Al Nassr eased through. "I think we played well," said Mane. "We created many chances and we scored three goals. I think we got our reward. "We pressed well together, we pushed them and they made mistakes and from that we scored three goals. We have a clean sheet and we cannot expect more than this." Ronaldo was elated after the match, sharing his joy with fans on social, posting on X "Quarter-finals, here we come!"
