Azadegan League


The Azadegan League, also known as League 1, is the second highest division of professional football in Iran. It was the top-level football league in Iran from its foundation in 1991 until 2001, when the Persian Gulf Pro League was established. Each year, the top finishing teams in the Azadegan League are promoted to the Persian Gulf Pro League, and the lowest finishing teams are relegated to League 2.
Since 2016, the league comprises 18 teams. The winner and the runner-up of the Azadegan League are automatically promoted to the Persian Gulf Pro League. The bottom three teams in the league are relegated to League 2. In the past, the format and number of teams were changed for various times. Persepolis is the most successful club with four titles.

History

Before 1970

Before the 1970s, Iran did not have an official national football league. Most clubs participated in championships of their city or province. In 1970, the Local League was created. The league included teams from all Iran in different qualifying tournaments. In 1972, the Takht Jamshid Cup was founded as the national league and included teams from all over the country.

1979 Revolution and 1980s

Due to the Islamic Revolution and the Iran–Iraq War, the Takht Jamshid Cup was dissolved and also the lower leagues were unorganized. Consequently, the people paid very little attention football at that time. In 1989 the Qods League was created as the national football league. Esteghlal were the first national champion since PAS Tehran in 1978. After the season the Qods League was not continued.

Foundation

In 1991 the Azadegan League was formed as the top flight of Iranian football. The league was named as Azadegan League in honor of the Iranian prisoners of war who were released. Azadegan means the liberated in Persian. The league started with a format of 12 teams in the first season. In the 1992–93 Azadegan League season the league changed its format. 16 clubs participated in two groups of eight teams. PAS Tehran were the champions in both seasons.
Esteghlal relegated for the first time in their history in 1993. Before the start of the 1993–94 season, the league changed its format again. 14 teams participated in one group. Saipa won the Azadegan League title, sitting three points of runners-up Persepolis. Only one year later the league format was changed again. 24 clubs participated in two groups of 12 teams. Saipa defended their title in final against Esteghlal.
Prior to the start of the 1995–96 Azadegan League season, the league changed its format again. 16 teams participated in one group until 1999. Persepolis were the champions in 1995–96, 1996–97 and 1998–99, while Esteghlal became the champion in the 1997–98 season. In 1999 the league was reduced to 14 teams. Persepolis won the 1999–2000 Azadegan League season, sitting seven points clear of rival Esteghlal. The 2000–01 season was the last year of the Azadegan League as the top-level football league of Iran. Esteghlal became the champion in a league of 12 teams.

Second division

After the Iran Pro League was established as the professional football league of Iran, Azadegan League was declared as the second-highest professional league in the Iranian football league system. Esteghlal Ahvaz won the 2001–02 Azadegan League season and promoted to Iran Pro League. Also Sanat Naft Abadan promoted to the Iran Pro League. 22 clubs participated in two groups of 11 teams including a final stage for the best four teams. The format was changed into a classic league of 16 teams for the next two seasons. Shamoushak Noshahr became the champion in 2002–03, while Saba Battery won the league title in the 2003–04 season.
Once more the league changed their format in 2004. Between the 2004–05 and 2007–08 Azadegan League season, 24 clubs played in two groups of 12 teams. After Shahid Ghandi winning the league in 2004–05, Mes Kerman became the champion in the 2005–06 season. Sanat Naft Abadan, the third-ranked team in 2004–05, criticized the Iranian Football Federation due to incidents in the final stage. In the 2006–07 Azadegan League season, Pegah and Shirin Faraz became the champions of the league, while Tractor failed once again for promotion. Also, Sanat Naft Abadan promoted automatically to the Persian Gulf Cup because of the 2004–05 Azadegan League promotion controversy.
After Payam Mashhad winning the title in the 2007–08 Azadegan League season, the number of teams was increased to 28 before the start of the 2008–09 season. They played in two groups of 14 teams until 2013. East Azerbaijan's famous club Tractor returned finally back to the Persian Gulf Cup by winning the 2008–09 season alongside Steel Azin. Shahrdari Tabriz and Naft Tehran were the champions in the 2009–10 season, before Damash winning the league in 2010–11. Paykan won the league title 2011–12, while Gostaresh and Esteghlal Khuzestan winning the league one year later. Although Shahrdari Tabriz could win their group, they had to relegate due to match-fixing.
The number of teams was reduced in the next two seasons. 26 clubs participated in 2013–14, while 24 teams played in the 2014–15 season. Padideh won the title in 2013–14 after a victory over Naft Masjed Soleyman in the league final. One season later, Foolad Novin could win the league after they beat Siah Jamegan in final. Due to the fact that Foolad Novin is the reserve team of Foolad Khuzestan, they could not promote to the Persian Gulf Pro League. Instead of Foolad Novin, Esteghlal Ahvaz was allowed to promote.

Since 2015

Before the start of the 2015–16 Azadegan League season, they returned to a classic league format. 20 clubs participated in 2015–16, before the number of teams were reduced to 18 one season later. Paykan won the 2015–16 season, sitting seven points clear of Machine Sazi. In 2017, Pars Jonoubi Jam promoted sensationally to the Persian Gulf Pro League after winning the 2016–17 Azadegan League. Also Sepidrood returned to the highest Iranian league after 25 years.
Like in the 2016–17 season, Nassaj was also involved in a dramatic season finish in the 2017–18 Azadegan League. At the last matchday, five teams had the chance to promoted. Naft Masjed Soleyman drew 2–2 with Mes Rafsanjan and won the league, while Nassaji defeated Rah Ahan 6–0 in Tehran's Takhti Stadium and became runners-up with 64 points thanks to a better goal difference than Khooneh be Khooneh.

Format

In the past, the format and number of teams were changed for various times. Since 2016, the league comprises 18 teams. Over the course of a season, which runs annually from July to the following May, each team plays twice against the others in the league, once at home and once away, resulting in each team competing in 34 games in total. Three points are awarded for a win, one for a draw and zero for a loss. The teams are ranked in the league table by points gained, then goal difference, then goals scored and then their head-to-head record for that season.
At the end of the season, the top two teams are promoted to the Persian Gulf Pro League and the bottom three teams are relegated to League 2. Furthermore, all teams in the Azadegan League can participate in the Hazfi Cup.
Number of teamsPeriod
121991–92, 2000–01
16 1992–93
141993–94, 1999–00
24 1994–95, 2004–05 until 2007–08, 2014–15
161995–96 until 1998–99, 2002–03 until 2003–04
22 2001–02
28 2008–09 until 2012–13
26 2013–14
202015–16
18since 2016–17

Logo

Clubs

TeamLocationStadiumCapacity
Aluminium ArakArakImam Khomeini15,000
Arman Gohar SirjanSirjanTBATBA
Baadraan TehranTehranKargaran5,000
DamashRashtShahid Dr. Azodi11,000
Elmoadab TabrizTabrizMarzdaran Stadium5,000
Esteghlal KhuzestanAhvazGhadir38,900
Fajr SepasiShirazHafezieh15,000
Gol Reyhan AlborzKarajEnghelab15,000
Khooshe Talaei SavehSavehShahid Chamran3,000
MalavanBandar-e AnzaliTakhti Anzali8,000
Mes KermanKermanShahid Bahonar15,430
Mes RafsanjanRafsanjanShohadaye Noushabad5,000
Navad UrmiaUrmiaShahid Bakeri15,000
Nirooye ZaminiTehranTBATBA
QashqaiShirazHafezieh15,000
Rayka BabolBabolHaft-e Tir6,000
SepidroodRashtSardar Jangal15,000
Sorkhpooshan PakdashtPakdashtShahid Dastgerdi8,250

Champions

TeamChampionsRunners-up
Persepolis4 3
Esteghlal2 4
PAS Tehran2 1
Paykan2 1
Saipa2
Pegah1 1
Tractor61 1
Naft Masjed Soleyman1 1
Esteghlal Ahvaz1
Shahr-e Khodro51
Shamoushak Noshahr1
Saba Qom11
Tarbiat Yazd21
Mes Kerman1
Rahian Kermanshah31
Payam Mashhad1
Steel Azin41
Naft Tehran1
Shahrdari Tabriz1
Damash1
Esteghlal Khuzestan1
Gostaresh Foulad1
Foolad Novin1
Pars Jonoubi Jam1
Gol Gohar1
Bahman2
Sanat Naft2
Shahin Bushehr2
Malavan1
Rah Ahan1
Sepahan Novin1
Aluminium Hormozgan1
Mes Sarcheshmeh1
PAS Hamedan1
Siah Jamegan1
Machine Sazi1
Sepidrood1
Nassaji Mazandaran1

Notes:
1 Saba Qom was formerly known as Saba Battery
2 Tarbiat Yazd was formerly known as Shahid Ghandi
3 Rahian Kermanshah was formerly known as Shirin Faraz
4 Steel Azin was formerly known as Ekbatan
5 Shahr-e Khodro was formerly known as Padideh
6 Tractor was formerly known as Tractor Sazi

All-time table

Pos.ClubSeasonsMatchesWinDrawLossGFGAGDPtsChampionsRunners-upPromotedRelegatedBest Rank
1Sanat Naft17417154139124478427+516012422nd
2Nassaji Mazandaran118460153145162477514−3760123rd
3Tractor16392143131118448414+3456011111st
4Machine Sazi15392121124147415500−854871132nd
5Persepolis92221227129368167+201437431st
6Aluminium Arak213338106109123359388−2942724th
7Payam Mashhad31230510210697353350+34091131st
8Esteghlal92241087739328194+1344012411st
9PAS Tehran102509410650304227+77388211st
10Esteghlal Ahvaz1333090109131352429−773791231st
11Mes Rafsanjan10269949580296244+523772nd
12Gol Gohar10269929582305276+293713rd
13Sepahan9236877970250230+2034013rd
14Iranjavan10266819491284298−1433712nd
15Tarbiat Yazd49226847468267225+423261111st
16Niroye Zamini112668183102251287−3632633rd
17Malavan9238808573232208+243251122nd
18Mes Kerman8218807662237194+43316111st
19Bargh Shiraz112767590111245312−6731523rd
20Fajr Sepasi8226777871238202+3630912nd
22Shahrdari Tabriz59231828366260216+442821141st
29Naft Masjed Soleyman6174586848202182+20242112nd
38Rah Ahan5142464452150166−16182112nd
56Khooneh be Khooneh2722927168667+191145th
58Saba Qom62602920118653+33107111st
80Baadraan Tehran134141463421+13566th
83Oxin Alborz1341310113929+10497th
110Bargh Jadid Shiraz'
111Shahrdari Mahshahr'

2017–18 Persian Gulf Pro League
2017–18 Azadegan League
Dissolved

Notes:
Only league matches, Play-offs are not included in the all-time table
1 Nassaji Mazandaran was deducted three points in the 2012–13 season
2 Aluminium Arak was formerly known as PAS Arak, Shensa Arak, Hamyari Arak and Shahrdari Arak
3 Payam Mashhad was deducted three points in the 2010–11 season
4 Tarbiat Yazd was formerly known as Shahid Ghandi
5 Shahrdari Tabriz was deducted all 47 points in the 2012–13 season
6 Saba Qom was formerly known as Saba Battery

Attendances

Average league attendances

Notes:
Matches with spectator bans are not included in average attendances

Highest attended season matches

Statistics

Top scorers