Fajr Sepasi Shiraz F.C.

Fajr Sepasi Shiraz
فجر سپاسی شیراز
Full name Fajr Shahid Sepasi Shiraz Football Club
Founded 11 February 1988 (1988-02-11)
Ground Hafezieh
Ground Capacity 15,000
Owner Bassij
Chairman Jafar Jafari
Head Coach Gholam Hossein Peyrovani
League Azadegan League
2015–16 Azadegan League, 4th
Website Club home page

Fajr Shahid Sepasi Shiraz Football Club (Persian: باشگاه فوتبال فجر شهید سپاسی شیراز), commonly known as Fajr Sepasi Shiraz, or Fajr Sepasi, is an Iranian football club based in Shiraz, Fars, that competes in the Azadegan League. The club was founded in 1988.

The football team plays their home games at the Hafezieh Stadium which has a seating capacity of 15,000. The club is owned and supported by the Basij.

The club is the second highest supported team in Shiraz after local rival Bargh Shiraz and was known as Moghavemat Shahid Sepasi Shiraz Football Club between 2007 and 2011. Because of the club's affiliation with the Basij, there is the possibility for young players to serve their military service while playing for Fajr Sepasi.

History

Establishment

In 1988, a group of youngsters, who were from Shiraz along with Jafar Jafari, established a football team named Behzad. They started playing in the 2nd division of Shiraz's local city league.

After the death of Majid Sepasi during the Iran–Iraq War, the team was renamed in Fajr Shahid Sepasi Shiraz Football Club. Shahid means martyr in Persian. The club was officially founded on 11 February 1988, the day of the Islamic Revolution.

They started play in the 2nd division of Shiraz's local city league. When Majid Sepasi, was killed in the Iran–Iraq War, the team renamed itself Fajr Shahid Sepasi, to honor him. By 1991 the club had been bought by Sepah Pasdaran. In 1995 they became champions of Fars province, and in 1996 were promoted to the Azadegan League. The club has remained in the highest level of Iranian football since then, and surprised everyone when they won the Hazfi Cup in 2001.

Takeover

Moghavemat Shahid Sepasi emblem (2007–2011)

In December 2006 Sepah Pasdaran sold its shares in sport to Basij, therefore all Fajr teams were renamed to Moghavemat teams. Fajr Sepasi are now officially known as Moghavemat Shahid Sepasi Shiraz, although the name is not in common use yet.[1] Jafar Jafari is the club's chairman since the establishment of the club in 1988.

They kept the coach Gholam Hossein Peyrovani till 2009 where he was appointed as Iran's olympics team head coach and had to leave the club so Peyrovani left the club after 10 years being in charge and he was finished his last season in mid table and was replaced by Davoud Mahabadi and after poor results he was replaced by Mohammad Ahmadzadeh and got relegated in the first season without Peyrovani.

In 2010 for the first time in the club's history, the team was relegated to the Azadegan League for the 2010–2011 season. Fajr quickly rebounded gaining promotion to the Iran Pro League in 2011.

Azadegan League

At the end of the 2013–14 season Fajr Sepasi finished 14th and was relegated to the Azadegan League. In their first season back in the second tier Fajr finished 14th and missed out on promotion.

Shiraz Derby

Main articles: Shiraz Derby

The Shiraz Derby is played between Fajr Sepasi and Bargh Shiraz, but due to Bargh's relegation to the Azadegan League and then the 2nd Division, the derby has not been played in over 5 years.

Season-by-season

The table below chronicles the achievements of Fajr Sepasi in various competitions since 1995.

Season Division League Position Hazfi Cup Notes AFC Champions League
1995–96 3 Fars Province League 1st Did not qualify Promoted Did not qualify
1996–97 2 2nd Division 1st 1/16 Final Promoted
1997–98 1 Azadegan League 4th Not held
1998–99 1 Azadegan League 10th 1/16 Final
1999–00 1 Azadegan League 3rd 1/8 Final
2000–01 1 Azadegan League 9th Cup
2001–02 1 Iran Pro League 10th Final First Round
2002–03 1 Iran Pro League 4th Final Did not qualify
2003–04 1 Iran Pro League 11th 1/8 Final
2004–05 1 Iran Pro League 11th 1/16 Final
2005–06 1 Iran Pro League 10th 1/8 Final
2006–07 1 Iran Pro League 10th 1/16 Final
2007–08 1 Iran Pro League 14th 1/8 Final
2008–09 1 Iran Pro League 9th 1/16 Final
2009–10 1 Iran Pro League 16th 1/16 Final Relegated
2010–11 2 Azadegan League 2nd 1/32 Final Promoted
2011–12 1 Iran Pro League 13th 1/8 Final
2012–13 1 Iran Pro League 12th 1/4 Final
2013–14 1 Iran Pro League 14th 1/16 Final Relegated
2014–15 2 Azadegan League 5th 1/8 Final
2015–16 2 Azadegan League 4th Did not enter

Honors

Winners (1): 2001
Runners-Up (2): 2002, 2003
Winners (1): 1997
Runners-Up (1): 2001

Players

As of July 23, 2015[2]

First-team squad

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

No. Position Player
1 Iran GK Mohammad Saleh Khalil Azad
2 Iran DF Javad Nasir
3 Iran DF Farid Mokhtari
4 Iran DF Reza Moradi (on loan from Foolad)
5 Iran DF Iman Salimi
6 Iran DF Mostafa Mahi
7 Iran MF Mehdi Karimian (captain)
8 Iran MF Amin Mashayekh
9 Iran FW Ali Gholamrezapoursarkareh
10 Iran FW Ebrahim Salehi
11 Iran MF Ali Moslanejad U23
12 Iran FW Mohammad Reza Nejat
13 Iran MF Hamid Joukar
14 Iran DF Mohammad Hosseini U21
15 Iran MF Majid Jalalifar U23
16 Iran FW Mehdi Chahkoutahzadeh
17 Iran DF Seyed Ahmad Hayat Manesh
No. Position Player
18 Iran MF Ali Fathian U23
19 Iran Saeid Zare
20 Iran FW Sadegh Sadeghi Baba-Ahmadi
21 Iran GK Reza Taheri U23
22 Iran MF Milad Ahmadian U21
23 Iran DF Ehsan Joudaki
24 Iran DF Alireza Valizadeh
25 Iran DF Mohammad Javad Jalali
26 Iran DF Hamid Orangi
27 Iran FW Nader Mohammadnejad
28 Iran FW Mohammadreza Biose
29 Iran FW Babak Abdollahzadeh U21
30 Iran GK Mehdi Sedghian U21 (on loan from Sepahan)
32 Iran FW Milad Saremi U23
33 Iran FW Milad Safaei
34 Iran MF Iman Basafa (on loan from Esteghlal)


For recent transfers, see List of Iranian football transfers summer 2015.

Former players

For details on former players, see Category:Fajr Sepasi players.

Head coaches

References

  1. "Basij buy out Sepah". IRNA. Archived from the original on 2007-09-30. Retrieved 2007-04-15.
  2. "فجر سپاسی". Ffiri.ir. Retrieved 2013-11-10.
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