2012–13 Persian Gulf Cup


The 2012–13 Persian Gulf Cup was the 30th season of Iran's Football League and 12th as Iran Pro League since its establishment in 2001. Sepahan were the defending champions. The season featured 15 teams from the 2011–12 Persian Gulf Cup and three new teams promoted from the 2011–12 Azadegan League: Paykan as champions, Aluminium Hormozgan and Gahar Zagros. The league started on 19 July 2012 and ended on 10 May 2013. Esteghlal won the Pro League title for the third time in their history.

Events

Competition format

After the 2012–13 Iran Pro League season the number of teams was planned to be reduced from 18 to 16 for the next season, so 4 team was directly relegated to the Azadegan League, while one team was played against the 3rd ranked team from the second division league team in a play-off. 2 teams also are directly promoted from current Azadegan league to the next pro league season and one team played against the 14th placed pro league team in a play-off.

Rules and regulations

The Iranian Football Clubs who participate in 2012–13 Iran Pro League are allowed to have up to maximum 35 players in their player lists, which will be categorized in the following groups:
Based on the fact that the Season is started from 19 July 2012.

Teams

Stadia and locations

TeamCityVenueCapacity
AluminiumBandar AbbasKhalij Fars15,459
Damash GilanRashtDr. Azodi11,000
EsteghlalTehranAzadi84,412
Fajr SepasiShirazHafezieh
Dastgheib		14,560
7,000
FooladAhvazGhadir50,199
Gahar ZagrosDoroodTakhti Doorood10,052
MalavanAnzaliTakhti Anzali8,000
Mes KermanKermanShahid Bahonar15,430
Naft TehranTehranDastgerdi8,250
PaykanTehranPeykanshahr30,000
PersepolisTehranAzadi84,412
Rah AhanTehranRah Ahan12,922
Saba QomQomYadegar Emam10,610
SaipaKarajEnghelab Karaj30,000
Sanat NaftAbadanTakhti Abadan25,256
SepahanEsfahanFoolad Shahr31,439
Tractor SaziTabrizYadegar-e-Emam66,833
Zob AhanEsfahanFoolad Shahr31,439

Number of teams by region

Personnel and kits

Note: Flags indicate national team as has been defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
TeamManagerCaptainKit manufacturerShirt sponsorPast Season
Aluminium Parviz Mazloomi Mahmood TighnavardUhlsportPromoted
Damash Afshin Nazemi Reza MahdaviUhlsport7th
Esteghlal Amir Ghalenoei Farhad MajidiUhlsportRefah BankChampion
Fajr Sepasi Mahmoud Yavari Hossein KazemiMajid13th
Foolad Hossein Faraki Bakhtiar RahmaniUhlsport14th
Gahar Zagros Mohammad Mayeli Kohan Majid BajelanUhlsportPromoted
Malavan Mohammad Ahmadzadeh Pejman NouriUhlsport12th
Mes Kerman Luka Bonačić Farzad HosseinkhaniUhlsport9th
Naft Tehran Mansour Ebrahimzadeh Hadi ShakouriUhlsportNIOC5th
Paykan Firouz Karimi Reza TahmasebiUhlsportIKCO RunnaPromoted
Persepolis Yahya Golmohammadi Mehdi MahdavikiaUhlsport15th
Rah Ahan Ali Daei Hossein PashaeiDaeiFars Air Qeshm11th
Saba Qom Samad Marfavi Morteza KashiMajid4th
Saipa Mojtaba Taghavi Ebrahim SadeghiUhlsportSAIPA8th
Sanat Naft Acácio Casimiro Hossein Kaebiadidas10th
Sepahan Zlatko Kranjčar Moharram NavidkiaLottoFoolad Mobarakeh3rd
Tractor Sazi Hassan Azarnia Morteza AssadiUhlsport2nd
Zob Ahan Farhad Kazemi Mohammad SalsaliUhlsportEsfahan Steel6th

;Notes
  1. Esteghlal's captain was Mehdi Rahmati before Farhad Majidi rejoins to the team.
  2. Reza Haghighi was the captain of Fajr Sepasi until his transfer to the Persepolis.
  3. From 19 January 2013 to 18 March 2013, Ali Firouzi and from 18 March 2013, Saeed Salamaat were the caretaker head coaches of Sanat Naft due to Casimiro's illness.

    Managerial changes

Before the start of the season

In season

League table

Results

Positions by round

Clubs season-progress

Relegation play-offs

as 14th-placed team faced play-off winner of 2012–13 Azadegan League, Pas Hamedan in a two-legged play-off.
----
Zob Ahan won 5–3 on aggregate and retained its Iran Pro League spot for the 2013–14 season.

Season statistics

Top goalscorers

Last updated: 10 May 2013
Source:

Top assistants

PositionPlayerClubAssists
1 Mohammad Reza KhalatbariSepahan13
2 Bakhtiar RahmaniFoolad11
3 Ghasem DehnaviTractor Sazi8
3 Yaghoub KarimiNaft Tehran8
5 Hossein PapiSepahan7
6 Bahador AbdiRah Ahan6
6 Ernandes Toretta JuniorSaipa6
6 Reza KhaleghifarSanat Naft6
6 Pejman NouriMalavan6
6 Ivan PetrovićMes Kerman6
11 Jaber AnsariFajr Sepasi5
11 Alireza JahanbakhshDamash5
11 Mehdi KarimianTractor Sazi5
11 Hossein MahiniPersepolis5
11 Moharram NavidkiaSepahan5
11 Payam SadeghianZob Ahan5

Last updated: 10 May 2013
Sources:

Clean sheets

PositionPlayerClubClean SheetsGoals Conceded
1 Mehdi RahmatiEsteghlal2118
2 Rahman AhmadiSaipa1529
3 Nilson Corrêa JúniorPersepolis1421
4 Arman ShahdadnejadMes Kerman1316
5 Sosha MakaniNaft Tehran1115
6 Gevorg KasparovZob Ahan812
6 Hamed LakSaba Qom823
8 Fábio CarvalhoPaykan754
8 Shahab GordanSepahan723
8 Milan MijatovicMes Kerman75
8 Vahid SheikhveisiFajr Sepasi724
8 Ershad YousefiFoolad722
13 Habib DehghaniSanat Naft634
13 Hamed FallahzadehNaft Tehran612
13 Luiz FernandoAluminium620
13 Mojtaba RoshangarAluminium618
13 Shahram MehrabanGahar643
13 Mehdi SabetiTractor Sazi614
19 Farshid KarimiRah Ahan524
19 Milad FarahaniDamash Gilan525
19 Mohammad MohammadiRah Ahan59
19 Hassan RoudbarianDamash Gilan522
23 Ali Hassani SefatMalavan411

Last Update: 10 May 2013

Scoring

Awards

Team of the Tournament

Goalkeeper: Mehdi Rahmati

Defence: Mehrdad Jama'ati, Pejman Montazeri, Amir Hossein Sadeghi, Khosro Heydari

Midfield: Reza Haghighi, Bakhtiar Rahmani, Moharram Navidkia, Yaghoub Karimi

Attack: Jalal Rafkhaei, Mohammad Reza Khalatbari

Player of the Tournament

was awarded as the best player of the season among Mehdi Rahmati and Pejman Montazeri became second and third. Saeid Ezzatollahi was also awarded as the best young player of the season and Alireza Jahanbakhsh was ranked second.

Other awards

was awarded as the best coach of the season, Zlatko Kranjčar becomes second and Hossein Faraki third. Saeid Mozafarizadeh awarded best referee, Fair Play Award was given to the Fajr Sepasi and Esteghlal was the team of the season. Mehdi Mahdavikia, Ali Parvin, Homayoun Behzadi and Ali Jabari were also awarded for their service to the Iranian football.

Attendances

Average home attendances

Highest attendances

Notes:
Updated to games played on 10 May 2013. Source:

Team season articles