Club history
On 24 September 1945, three individuals by the names of Mirzani, Jananpour and Navab started a sports club on Ferdowsi Street of Tehran. Since the founders of the club were mostly interested in cycling, the club's original name was Docharke Savaran or The Cyclists. The Docharkhe Savaran football club played its first official match a year later, and in 1947 was able to capture the Tehran Hazfi Cup. In 1949, the team officially changed its name to Taj. The club became the second most loved team in Iran after some years, and were able to make their fans happy by winning numerous league championships, Hazfi Cups and Asian Club Championships. The team had to change its name again in 1979 to Esteghlal(independence in Persian), because of the revolution. Taj means crown in Persian, and after the revolution, any sign of the previous monarchist regime was not tolerated, so naturally, the name Taj was not suitable. The club has been able to get successful results in the past couple of years and is always looked at as a contender for the league championship. In the past two years it has finished 2nd or 3rd in the league, but Ghalenoei was able to get the team its first championship in the IPL in the 2005-06 season after his third and final year as the manager.

Season-by-season

The table below chronicles the achievements of Esteghlal FC every season, from 1994 to the present day.

2007/2008 Squad

Squad changes during 2007/08 season

In:

• Sanjan Orsović (Free Transfer)
• Mohsen Bayatinia (from Paykan Tehran - Free Transfer)
• Meysam Manei (from PAS Tehran - Free Transfer)
• Ahmad Khaziravi (Free Transfer)
• Arash Borhani (from PAS Tehran - Free Transfer)
• Mehrdad Pouladi (from Paykan Tehran)
• Asghar Nadali (from Nassaji Mazandaran)
• Omidreza Ravankhah (from Fajr Sepasi)
• Pejman Montazeri (from Foolad)
• Ashkan Namdari (from Sanaye Arak)
• Hossein Koshki (from Mersad Shiraz)
• Hamid Shafiei (from Sepahan - Free Transfer)
• Farhad Majidi (from Al-Nasr - Free Transfer)
   

Out:

• Hossein Kazemi (to Sepahan Contract Expired - Free Transfer)
• Mahmoud Fekri (to Shirin Faraz - Contract Expired - Free Transfer)
• Siavash Akbarpour (to Al-Dharfa - Contract Expired - Free Transfer)
• Morteza Ebrahimi (to Mes Kerman - Contract Expired - Free Transfer)
• Farzad Majidi (to Steel Azin Contract Expired - Free Transfer)
• Joelson Rodriguez da Silva (Released)
• Meysam Baou (to Al-Shaab - Contract Expired - Free Transfer)
• Morteza Hashemizadeh (to Steel Azin)
• Mehdi Rahmati (to Mes Kerman - Contract Expired - Free Transfer)
• Behshad Yavarzadeh (to Steel Azin - Contract Expired - Free Transfer)
• Akvsenti Gilauri (to Pegah Gilan - Contract Expired - Free Transfer)
• Leony Kwekeu (to Steel Azin)
• Bagher Ahmadi (Released)
• Asghar Talebnasab (to PAS Hamedan - Contract Expired - Free Transfer)
• Ali Ansarian (to Steel Azin for $150,000)
   

Famous players:

Current management team: