Persian League

Foolad Khuzestan (Official Website)
فولاد خوزستان
Full name FC Foolad Khuzestan
Founded 1986
Ground Takhti Stadium
Capacity 30,000
Chairman Masoud Rezaeian

Foolad (فولاد in Persian), literally meaning "steel", is an Iranian football club, based in Ahvaz, Khuzestan. It was named Foolad partially because it is funded by the industry in Khuzestan. The club contributed the highest number (six) of players to the national team during the Asian Cup 2004 in China, in particular during the quarter-final clash with South Korea, which ended 4-3 (in normal time) in favor of the then underdogs, Iran. In the 2004-05 season, Foolad became the champion of the fourth Iran Professional League (IPL), gaining a total of 64 points over 30 league matches. The majority of current squad players are under 25 years of age, making the club one of the youngest average-wise, among the IPL teams throughout the country.

مقام فصل گذشته: هشتم

بازیكنان جدا شده: ابراهیم میرزاپور، حسین كعبی، جلال كاملی مفرد، امید شریفی نسب، میلاد نوری، لفته حمیدی، علی بداوی، فرشاد بختیاری زاده، عمادرضا، دنی اولروم.
بازیكنان جدید: ابوذر رحیمی، اسفندیار محسنی، امیرخلیفه اصل، علی اكبر مهدی پور، خالد شحیطاوی، هادی نظرپاك، محمد مرادی، علی بن محسن.

بازیكنان قبلی: حسن هوری، امین جهانپور، محمد مرادی، مكی شریفی، میثم سلیمانی، سیدمحمد علوی، كریم حزباوی پور، مجاهد خذیراوی، عبدالكریم شاهوردی، فرهاد آل خمیس، علی امیری، مهدی چمن آرا، ابوذر رحیمی، پژمان منتظری، عادل كلاه كج، سیامك سرلك، جاسم صادقی، حجت چهارمحالی، وحید ولایی، اصغر رامشگر، عبدالله كرمی، میلاد زینت پور،رضا مردانی، عبدالهادی خنیفر.

سرمربی: محمد مایلی كهن
مربی: محمد خاكپور، عبدالله ویسی
مربی دروازه بان ها: نادر فریادشیران
سرپرست: علی پوركیانی

بهترین خرید: امیر خلیفه اصل

از دست رفته: ابراهیم میرزاپور

مهره كلیدی: عادل كلاه كج

متحول ترین تیم این فصل لیگ برتر همراه با محمد مایلی كهن و محمد خاكپور كه از آمریكا به ایران برگشته حداقل روی كاغذ برای موفقیت كار غیرممكنی در پیش دارد. ۱۰ بازیكن كلیدی فولاد از این تیم جدا شده اند و در عوض تعدادی بازیكن جوان و گمنام به تیم خوزستانی آمده اند. محمد مایلی كهن در طول آماده سازی فولاد كار سختی داشت تا بازیكنان تازه وارد را با آنهایی كه مانده اند هماهنگ كند

Last Coach: Augusto Inácio (From week 18)

Coach: Nenad Nikolić (From week 16)

Coach: Abdollah Veisi (From week 13)

Coach: Mohamad Mayelikohan

Club history

Foolad was a team that no one knew anything about until the dissolution of Jonoub Ahvaz football team in 1996. Foolad had won the Ahvaz City Championship in 1991, and entered the 2nd division of the Khuzestan football league two years later. In 1995, which was Foolad's second year in the Khuzestan second division, they became provincial champions. That same year Jonoob Ahvaz FC, was contracted and Foolad took their place in Iran's 2nd division football league. In 1996, with Homayoun Shahrokhi as manager, the team was promoted to the first division. It was really an amazing run, considering that the team began in the 4th division of the Ahvaz City League in 1986. Ever since their promotion, the club has introduced very talented young footballers to Iranian football. The team was eventually bought by the Ahvaz Steel Mill, this helped the team's financial situation improve. The team was finally able to use its massive potential and win the IPL in the 2004/05 season but unfortunately due to some ensuing internal problems and coaching difficulties could not perform well in the 2006 Asian Champions League. Their star player and MVP of their championship season was loaned and eventually transferred to Al-Shabbab in the UAE. The club also had to change the location of its home field, due to renovations, instead playing in neighbouring city, Abadan's Takhti Stadium. Foolad now looks to a new start under the recently-appointed former national team head coach Mohammad Mayeli Kohan in the forthcoming IPL season.

Season-by-season

The table below chronicles the achievements of Foolad every season, from 1996 to the present day.

Season	League	League Finishing Position	Hazfi Cup
1996-1997	2nd Division	?
1997-1998	Azadegan League	10th
1998-1999	Azadegan League	7th
1999-2000	Azadegan League	10th
2000-2001	Azadegan League	8th	1/8 Final
2001-2002	Iran Premier League	3rd	Quarterfinal
2002-2003	Iran Premier League	7th
2003-2004	Iran Premier League	3rd	1/8 Final
2004-2005	Iran Premier League	1st (Champions)
2005-2006	Iran Premier League	8th	1/16 Final

2006/2007 Squad

No.	Position	Player	No.	Position	Player
2	MF	Maki Sharifi	21	FW	Amir Khalifeasl
3	DF	Abouzar Rahimi	22	GK	Hassan Houri (captain)
4	MF	Farhad AleKhamis	26	MF	Milad Zinatpour
6	MF	Saman Mousavi	27	DF	Hadi Nazarpak
8	MF	Siamak Sarlak	28	MF	Abdollah Karami
9	FW	Asghar Rameshgar	29	MF	Ali Amiri
10	MF	Adel Kolahkaj	33	DF	Pejman Montazeri
11	FW	Hojat Chaharmahali	34	MF	Karim Hezbavi
12	DF	Ali Akbar Mahdipour	TBA	MF	Mojahed Khaziravi
13	DF	Karim Shaverdi	TBA	FW	Mehdi Chamanara
15	DF	Mohammad Alavi	TBA	GK	Amin Jahanpour
16	MF	Mohsen Hamidi	TBA	MF	Abdolhadi Hanifar
17	MF	Meysam Soleimani	TBA	DF	Reza Mardani
19	MF	Ali Ben Mohsen	TBA	DF	Esfandiar Mohseni
20	DF	Nader Ahmadi	TBA	MF	Mohammad Moradi

Squad changes during 2006/07 season

In:

Fábio Hempel - From Vitória S.C.
Fábio Januário - From CF Belenenses
Ali Ben Mohsen - From Deihim Ahvaz
Abdollah Karami - From Shahrdari Dezful
Amir Khalifeasl - From Esteghlal Ahvaz
Ali Akbar Mahdipour - From Esteghlal Ahvaz
Esfandiar Mohseni - From Shemushack Noshahr
Mohammad Moradi - From Pegah Karaj
Hadi Nazarpak - From Malavan
Abouzar Rahimi - From Shemushack Noshahr
Khaled Shaheytavi - From Esteghlal Ahvaz

Out:

Farshad Bakhtiarizadeh
Lefteh Hamidi - To Pas Tehran
Hossein Kaebi - To Al-Emarat
Jalal Kameli Mofrad - To Esteghlal Ahvaz
Ebrahim Mirzapour - To Esteghlal Ahvaz
Milad Nouri - To Esteghlal FC
Erfan Olerum - To Abu Muslem
Emad Ridha - To Sepahan
Omid Sharifinasab - To Saipa FC

Famous players:

Hossein Kaebi
Iman Mobali
Jalal Kameli Mofrad
Ebrahim Mirzapour
Emad Ridha