Azadegan League

This article is about the Iranian 1st division league. For the top division league, see Iran Pro League.
Azadegan League
Country Iran
Confederation AFC
Founded 1991 officially
2001 with current format
Divisions 1
Number of teams 18 (since 2016)
Level on pyramid 2 (2001–)
1 (1991–2001)
Promotion to Persian Gulf Pro League
Relegation to League 2
Domestic cup(s) Hazfi Cup
Current champions Paykan
(2015–16)
TV partners IRIB
Website www.lig1.ir
2016–17 Azadegan League

The Azadegan League (Persian: ليگ آزادگان‎‎) (also called League 1) is one of two fully professional football leagues in Iran,[1] and the second-highest professional league in the Iranian football league system after the Persian Gulf Pro League. The top two teans from the group automatically get promoted to the Persian Gulf Pro League. The three worst teams are directly relegated to the 2nd Division.

In 1991 the league was founded as Iran's top division. But, after the creation of the Persian Gulf Pro League in 2001, the Azadegan League was declared as the second highest football league in the county.

Since the leagues inception as the official second division in 2001, no club has ever won the league title multiple times. Paykan has come the closest to achieving the feat, finishing as runners-up in the 2005–06 season and winning the league in the 2011–12 season.

In the summer of 2015 the format of the league was changed from a two group league to a one group and 20 team league. The format was again changed after the 2015–16 season as the number of teams was reduced to 18.

History

The first national league in Iran after the revolution was founded in 1989 with the name of Qods League. Esteghlal became winners of the first edition of the league.

In 1991, the national league was named to Azadegan League in honor of the Iranian prisoners of war who were released. The number of teams, playing in the league, varied from year to year. Pas and Saipa dominated the league in the first four years. Pas and Esteghlal both were also able to capture Asian Club Championships in the early 1990s. By the mid-90s Persepolis and Esteghlal regained their dominant form and the league champions in the period of 1995-2001 was either Esteghlal or Persepolis.

Until 2001 the league was the highest division football league in Iran, but that changed when the Iranian Football Federation decided to start a professional league. The Persian Gulf Pro League was created and since then, the Azadegan League became the second-highest division in the Iranian football league system.

In the summer of 2015, before the start of the 2015–16 season, the Iranian Football Federation decided to change the format of the league and make a one group, twenty team league, instead of a two group and twenty-four team league.

Ownership

Hazfi Cup

All teams in the Azadegan League are entered in the Hazfi Cup, if any club from the Azadegan League wins the cup, they participate in the AFC Champions League. Since 2001, when Azadegan League became the second-highest division league, no team from Azadegan League has become Hazfi Cup champion. Gostaresh Foolad is the only club from the Azadegan League that has reached the final of the Hazfi Cup.

Format

The Azadegan League consists of two subdivisions, each having 12 teams. The top teams in each group are automatically promoted to the Persian Gulf Pro League, while the second place teams play each other in a home and away play-off to decide the third and last promotion spot. The eleventh and twelfth placed teams in the groups are automatically relegated to the 2nd division. Sometimes the playoff match format is not used and one match takes place between the teams on a neutral ground instead.

League Champions

Trophy of Azadegan League, pictured in 2015
Season Winner Runner Up
As first-highest Iran's football division (1991–2001)
1991–92 Pas Tehran Esteghlal Tehran
1992–93 Pas Tehran Persepolis
1993–94 Saipa Persepolis
1994–95 Saipa Esteghlal Tehran
1995–96 Persepolis Bahman
1996–97 Persepolis Bahman
1997–98 Esteghlal Tehran Pas Tehran
1998–99 Persepolis Esteghlal Tehran
1999–00 Persepolis Esteghlal Tehran
2000–01 Esteghlal Tehran Persepolis
As second-highest Iran's football division (2001–)
2001–02 Esteghlal Ahvaz Sanat Naft
2002–03 Shamoushak Noshahr Pegah Gilan
2003–04 Saba Battery Malavan
2004–05 Shahid Ghandi Yazd Rah Ahan
2005–06 Mes Kerman Paykan
2006–07 Shirin Faraz Pegah Gilan
2007–08 Payam Mashhad Sepahan Novin
2008–09 Tractor Sazi Steel Azin
2009–10 Naft Tehran Shahrdari Tabriz
2010–11 Damash Gilan[2] Mes Sarcheshmeh
2011–12 Paykan Aluminium Hormozgan
2012–13 Esteghlal Khuzestan Gostaresh Foolad
2013–14 Naft Masjed Soleyman Padideh
2014–15 Foolad Novin Siah Jamegan
2015–16 Paykan Machine Sazi

All-time Azadegan League (As second-highest Iran's football division) standings

Since the 2001–02 season, fifteen seasons of the Azadegan League have been completed. The table below shows the total ranking for the all football clubs competing in all 15 seasons. Teams in bold compete in 2016–17 season.

Pos. Club Seasons Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts Best Rank
1 Nassaji Mazandaran 13336116102118353370-1744713rd
2 Mashin Sazi Tabriz 1231391104115323389-663772nd
3 Naft Abadan 92291016959294206+883722nd
4 Aluminium Arak 112848893103300324-243574th
5 Mes Rafsanjan 9235838567254212+423342nd
6 Payam Mashhad 9218827363266236+303172Champions
7 Niroo Zamini 112607882100242282-403163rd
8 Tarbiat Yazd 9220818267251217+34315Champions
9 Gol Gohar 9235768376256242-143115th
10 Damash Gilan 7185834944222150+72303Champions
11 Iranjavan 9232728377245257-122992nd
12 Tractor Sazi Tabriz 7172785638210148+62290Champions
13 Rahian Kermanshah 8197667654191172+19274Champions
14 Sh. Bandar Abbas 10217717076229216+132702nd
15 Aluminium Hormozgan 7188676754200177+232682nd
16 Mes Kerman 7184696055202169+31267Champions
17 Homa 819467646319519502655th
18 Shahrdari Zanjan 8192596271197215-182395th
19 Etka 8185605768196204-82373rd
20 Shahrdari Tabriz 6143614834170120+502312nd
21 Naft Masjed Soleyman 5140515137169150+192052nd
22 Paykan 411055352015790+67200Champions
23 Pas Hamedan 5135523647129124+51923rd
24 Shamoushak 6146475148134136-2192Champions
25 Foolad Yazd 6161455660143164-211915th
26 Shahin Bushehr 6140484052147160-131842nd
27 Padideh 410247371812769+58178Champions
28 Oghab Tehran 5124463939151118+331774th
29 Gahar Doroud 6150434760133169-361763rd
30 Bargh Tehran 5124453841134120+141734th
31 Parseh Tehran 5135416143147149-21723rd
32 Gostaresh 4104443228131111+201642nd
33 Moghavemate Mersad 5114403539127120+71554th
34 Esteghlal Ahvaz 5118393346122137-15150Champions
35 Shahrdari Yasuj 410239273610496+81443rd
36 Rah Ahan 4102362937106110-41372nd
37 Aboumoslem 4102333732115112+31365th
38 Sorkhpooshan 48635292210779+281343rd
39 Fajr Sepasi 3863526258563+221312nd
40 Sanati Kaveh 4100312940106115-81228th
41 Steel Azin 37438191711981+3812132nd
42 Sepahan Novin 37433202110580+251192nd
43 Bargh Shiraz 410429304591129-381173rd
44 Payam Mokhaberat 410427334491110-191148th
45 Saba Battery 2602920118653+33107Champions
46 Giti Pasand 3842431298191-101035th
47 Kowsar 49422304286120-34968th
48 Persepolis Shomal 3762320337496-22868th
49 Siah Jamegan 245231575232+20842nd
50 Esteghlal Khuzestan 2522215155241+1181Champions
51 Deyhim Ahvaz 49018225084157-73769th
52 Petrochimi Tabriz 2522015176663+3753rd
53 Foolad Novin 2482011176255+771Champions
54 Keshto Sannat Shooshtar 3661623276589-24716th
55 Shahrdari Ardabil 2601719246772-5706th
56 Alvand Hamedan 2501714195657-1654th
57 Ekbatan 3661321325292-40669th
58 Mehrkam Pars 2521615215362-9639th
59 Yazd Louleh 2501517185853+5627th
60 Sanat Sari 2521516213858-20617th
61 Naft Gachsaran 2461515165156-5607th
62 Kheybar Khorramabad 2601418286698-356012th
63 Khooneh Be Khooneh 138141683934+5586th
64 Malavan 130151055621+35552nd
65 Fajr Sepah 2501219194456-12555th
66 Naft Tehran 126131033316+1749Champions
67 Shahin Ahvaz 12213543315+18443rd
68 Foolad Khuzestan 17410135151152-1014312th
69 Pasargad Tehran 12211654126+15393rd
70 Tarbiat Khorasan 130710132638-123112th
71 Foolad Natanz 126610103036-62814th
72 Pegah Shush 12251252421+3277th
73 Esteghlal Dezful 1226791921-2276th
74 Hafari Ahvaz 12668124042-22612th
75 Part Sazan 1206561726-9268th
76 Sanam Tehran 1206772324-1255th
77 Esteghlal Kish 12274112532-7258th
78 Badr Hormozgan 12494112130-925411th
79 Nirou Moharekeh 130510152143-222515th
80 Shahrdari Kerman 24267292892-642511th
81 Ararat Tehran 1205781218-6229th
82 Pas Arak 12064102133-12229th
83 Shahrdari Bushehr 12055102025-52010th
84 Nozhan Mazandaran 12248101222-102011th
85 Sepidrood Rasht 12648142139-182014th
86 Chooka Talesh 12044121737-201610th
87 Yadavaran Shalamcheh 12637161235-231614th
88 Irsotter Noshahr 12043131742-251511th
89 Shahrdari Langarud 12226141739-221212th
90 Pars Jam 0000000—0—
91 Oxin Alborz 0000000—0—
92 Baadraan Tehran 0000000—0—

1 Nassaji Mazandaran was docked 3 points in 2012–13 season issued by Iranian Football Federation.
2 Payam Mashhad was docked 3 points in 2010–11 season issued by Iranian Football Federation.
3 Steel Azin was docked 12 points in 2011–12 season issued by FIFA.
4 Badr Hormozgan was docked 6 points in 2013–14 season issued by Iranian Football Federation.

Top Goal Scorer

As second-highest Iran's football division

SeasonPlayerClubGoals
2005–06 Iran Hossein AbdiSanaye Arak14
2006–07 Iran Farhad KheirkhahSorkhpooshan11
2007–08 Iran Mohammad ParvinSteel Azin15
2008–09 Iran Abbas PorkhosravaniGol Gohar17
2009–10 Iran Ali KarimiSh. Tabriz17
2010–11 Iran Afshin ChavoshiDamash Gilan13
Iran Mostafa ShojaeiFoolad Natanz13
Iran Moslem FiroozabadiGol Gohar13
2011–12 Iran Bahman TahmasebiAluminum13
2012–13 Iran Mohammad AbbaszadehNassaji17
2013–14 Iran Mokhtar JomehzadehGol Gohar15
2014–15 Iran Issa AlekasirAluminum11
2015–16 Iran Hamid KazemiNassaji Mzandaran16

Current clubs (2015–16)

See also

References

  1. ↑ http://www.varzesh3.com/news/1333441/%D9%84%DB%8C%DA%AF-%D8%AF%D8%B3%D8%AA%D9%87-%D8%A7%D9%88%D9%84-%D8%AD%D8%B1%D9%81%D9%87%E2%80%8C%D8%A7%DB%8C-%D8%B4%D8%AF
  2. ↑ "داماش گيلان قهرمان ليگ يك شد". isna.ir.

External links

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