Esteghlal Football Club (استقلال ; commonly known as Esteghlal, is the oldest Iranian professional football club based in Tehran that competes in the Persian Gulf Pro League. The club was founded in 1945 as 'The Cyclists' and was known as Tâj between 1949 and 1979. The club is part of the multisport club Esteghlal Athletic and Cultural Company of Iran. They were the first team to reach 1,000 points in the Persian Gulf Pro League.
Nasser Hejazi, nicknamed "the legendary Iranian goalkeeper", was an Iranian football player and coach who most notably played for Esteghlal (Taj).
Hassan Rowshan is an Iranian football coach, manager, and former player. He usually played as a striker. He is currently the head of technical committee of Esteghlal.
Persepolis Football Club is an Iranian professional football club based in Tehran that competes in the Persian Gulf Pro League. Persepolis F.C. is the football club of the multisport Persepolis Athletic and Cultural Club. The club was owned by the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports until April 2024 when, due to Asian Football Confederation licensing regulations, an 85% majority ownership stake was transferred to a consortium of six Iranian banks. Ten percent of the club's share is publicly available on the Tehran Stock Exchange.
Malavan Bandar Anzali Football Club is an Iranian football club based in Bandar-e Anzali, Iran. It currently won Iran's second football league, the Azadegan League and came back to Persian Gulf Pro League after they were relegated in the 2015–16 season. The team is known to have some of the most passionate fans in Iranian football, and is one of the country's most successful teams based outside Tehran. This team is one of the most successful Iranian teams in the Hazfi Cup. Malavan has reached the Hazfi Cup final 7 times and won 3 titles.
Hamid Reza Estili is an Iranian football coach and former player. Estili was a member of the Iran national team and is mostly remembered for his memorable goal and goal celebration against the United States at the 1998 FIFA World Cup.
Winfried "Winnie" Schäfer is a German football manager and former player.
Ardeshir "Amir" Ghalenoei is an Iranian football coach and former player who currently manages Iran national football team. He has been the most successful coach in the Iran Pro League and managed several clubs, including Esteghlal, Mes Kerman, Sepahan S.C. and Tractor, with two of which he won a total of five championships and two Hazfi Cup titles. He was also the head coach of Iran national football team from August 2006 to July 2007 where he managed the team for the 2007 AFC Asian Cup where Iran was eliminated in the quarter-finals.
Tractor Cultural Sports Economic Club, commonly known as Tractor, formerly Tractor Sazi, is an Iranian professional football club based in Tabriz, East Azerbaijan, that competes in the Persian Gulf Pro League. The club was founded in 1970 by the Iran Tractor Manufacturing Company.
Gholam Hossein Mazloumi, nicknamed Sar Talaei, was an Iranian football player, coach and football administrator.
Mohammad Mayeli Kohan is an Iranian football coach and former player. He recently managed Malavan in Azadegan League.
Parviz Mazloomi is a former Iranian footballer who is the team manager of the Esteghlal. He played for Esteghlal and Tractor Sazi in the 1970s and 1980s. He also managed many clubs such as Saba Battery, Sanat Naft, Aboumoslem, Mes Kerman and Esteghlal. He was also head coach of Iran B team in 2007 West Asian Football Federation Championship which won the title.
Ali Fathollahzadeh Khoei is an Iranian businessman and football administrator, who was formerly the chairman of the Esteghlal F.C. He is also the formerly managing-director of Esteghlal Javan Newspaper.
Faraz Kamalvand is an Iranian football coach. He is currently the Head-coach of Sanat Naft since March 2024.
Abbas Torabian is the former team manager of Iran national football team and the current head of futsal committee in Islamic Republic of Iran Football Federation. He was deputy chairman of the Esteghlal FC from 1998 to 2008, and was appointed as head of the futsal committee by Ali Kafashian in November 2008. He became team manager and director of Iran national football team in April 2011 after his successful talks with Carlos Queiroz to become head coach of the national team but resigned in November 2011 to continue his career at the futsal committee. He was an employee in the Ministry of Petroleum before starting football careers.
Andrea Stramaccioni is an Italian football manager and former player who last managed Qatari club Al Gharafa.
Ali Waheed, also known as Ammadey, is a Maldivian politician who served as the Tourism Minister of Maldives, former MP and the Chairperson of the Jumhooree Party. He was also the Chairman of New Radiant Sports Club.
Seyed Mirshad Majedi is a retired Iranian football player and administrator who is acting president of Football Federation Islamic Republic of Iran from February 2022 to August 2022. He was team manager of Esteghlal and Police Tero F.C and Iran national team.
The 2014–15 season are the Persepolis's 14th season in the Pro League, and their 32nd consecutive season in the top division of Iranian Football. They were also competing in the Hazfi Cup & AFC Champions League. Persepolis is captained by Mohammad Nouri.
Esteghlal Ladies Football Club, formerly known as Taj Ladies Football Club, is a women's professional football club based in Tehran.
