Saipa F.C.

Saipa
سايپا

Full name

Saipa Football Club

Nickname(s)

خودروسازان (car makers)
نارنجی ها (oranges)

Founded

1 February 1989; 27 year ago

Ground

Shahid Dastgerdi Stadium

Capacity

8,250

Owner

SAIPA

Chairman

Reza Darvish

Manager

Hossein Faraki

League

Persian Gulf Pro League

2015–16

Persian Gulf Pro League, 8th

Website

Club home page

Home colours

Away colours

For the automobile company, see SAIPA.

Saipa Football Club (Persian: باشگاه فوتبال سايپا‎‎) is a football club from Karaj, Alborz Province, Iran which plays in Tehran, Iran. The team is owned by SAIPA, an Iranian automobile manufacturer. The team has never had a large fanbase, despite some success. It is known to have one of the best youth academys in Iranian football an regularly promote academy players to the first team.

In the 2006–07 under the guidance of Ali Daei won their only Iran Pro League title. Saipa has also won the Azadegan League twice and the Hazfi Cup one time.

Saipa is the football club of the multisport Saipa Cultural and Athletic Corporation.

History

Early days

In 1989, SAIPA Company decided to start its own football team. They purchased a team playing in the 4th division of Tehran's city league, and renamed it Saipa F.C. After back to back promotions starting in the first year, the Karaj based club was playing in the 2nd division by 1991. That same year they purchased the Shipping Department team's shares, and participated in the 1st division of Tehran's local league. In that year they won the Tehran city championship as well as the Tehran Super Cup, thus attaining the right to play in Iran's top league at the time, the Azadegan League.

Azadegan League

In their first year in the Azadegan League they won the championship, as well as the Hazfi Cup. They also won the league championship again in 1994 marking an incredible first five years for the club in Iranian football. Things turned to the worse though, as the team was shockingly relegated into the 2nd division in 1995, only to bounce back the next year. Since their second promotion to the top tier, the club has been a constant mid table outfit, and has often starred some of the country's most well known players.

Persian Gulf Pro League

Ali Daei era

Following the turn of the century, the club's on field performance remained stable, occupying mid table position most years. Shortly following Iranian Goalkeeping legend Ahmad Reza Abedzadeh's retirement, he was linked with the head coaching job at Saipa. It never materialized, but the club signed another Iranian legend Ali Daei in a blockbuster move from Saba Battery. The club had finished third the previous season and now, with Daei on the field and Werner Lorant as a coach, the team turned into a serious title contender. Shortly after the season began though, Littbarski was sacked and Ali Daei took on the role of player/ coach. Captaining and coaching the team to the title marked the end of a remarkable career. Daei also scored the winner in the title winning game. Daei extended his contract, this time as a full-time Coach. He was appointed head coach of the national team but kept his role at Saipa until the end of the season.

Return to Mid-Table and Relocation to Tehran

Following the title winning year which saw the team play in the AFC Champions League, Saipa has turned back into the mid table places of the league again. Before the start of the 2015–16 Persian Gulf Pro League season Saipa announced they had moved their home city from Karaj to nearby Tehran. Saipa also made some big transfers to attempt to return to the top of the league, namely Gholamreza Rezaei, Reza Norouzi and former CA Osasuna captain Javad Nekounam.

Season-by-season

The table below chronicles the achievements of Saipa in various competitions since 1993.

Season		Pos.	Hazfi Cup	ACL
1993–94	Azadegan League	1st	Cup	Did not qualify
1994–95	Azadegan League	1st		Second round
1995–96	Azadegan League	16th		Semifinal
1996–97	Iran Second Division	2nd		Did not qualify
1997–98	Azadegan League	7th	Not held
1998–99	Azadegan League	4th
1999–2000	Azadegan League	3rd	Semifinal
2000–01	Azadegan League	7th	Semifinal
2001–02	IPL	11th
2002–03	IPL	6th
2003–04	IPL	13th	Semifinal
2004–05	IPL	13th	Quarterfinal
2005–06	IPL	3rd	1/16 Final
2006–07	PGC	1st	1/8 Final
2007–08	PGC	11th	1/16 Final	Quarterfinal
2008–09	PGC	10th	1/16 Final	Did not qualify
2009–10	PGC	8th	Third Round
2010–11	PGC	11th	Fourth Round
2011–12	PGC	8th	1/16 Final
2012–13	PGC	9th	1/16 Final
2013–14	PGC	8th	1/16 Final
2014–15	PGPL	7th	1/16 Final
2015–16	PGPL	8th	1/4 Final

Honours

Iran's Premier League Football:
- Winners (3): 1993–94, 1994–95, 2006–07
Hazfi Cup:
- Winners (1): 1993–94

First-team squad

As of July 1, 2016^[1]
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

No.	Position	Player
1	GK	Hamed Fallahzadeh
3	DF	Júnior Lopes
4	MF	Roozbeh Shahalidoost
5	DF	Siamak Kouroshi
6	MF	Mehdi Badrlou
7	FW	Ali Zeynali
8	MF	Ebrahim Sadeghi (Captain)
9	MF	Mehdi Torabi ^U23
10	FW	Gholamreza Rezaei
11	FW	Ali Gholizadeh ^U21
13	DF	Ebrahim Shakouri
14	DF	Saeid Lotfi

No.	Position	Player
17	FW	Masoud Hassanzadeh
18	MF	Hamed Shiri
19	DF	Sajjad Moshkelpour
20	DF	Alireza Alizadeh
21	DF	Omid Khaledi
22	GK	Alessandro
23	MF	Amin Javadi Moghadam ^U21
27	FW	Hossein Kamyab ^U21
28	FW	Mohammad Soltani Mehr ^U21
30	MF	Mojtaba Ramezani
33	GK	Mohammad Hossein Akbar Monadi ^U21

Loan list

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

No.		Position	Player
		GK	Mohammadreza Akhbari (at Tractor Sazi until end of 2016–17 season)

For recent transfers, see List of Iranian football transfers summer 2016.

Manager

Coaching Staff

Staff ^[2]	Name
Head coach	Hossein Faraki
Assistant coach	Saeid Rajabi
Assistant coach	Ahmad Sajjadi
Assistant coach	Farshad Falahatzadeh
Fitness coach	Ali Salehnia
Doctor	Vajiollah Cheshmesari
Analyzer	Mohammad Palizvan
Technical Manager	Asghar Hajiloo
B team Manager	Kianoush Rahmati

The following managers had managed Saipa since 1993:

Name	Period	Trophies
Bijan Zolfagharnasab	1993–97	2 Iran Pro League, Hazfi Cup
Nasrollah Abdollahi	1997–00
Behtash Fariba	2000–01
Hamid Alidoosti	2001–02
Giovanni Mei	2002–03
Mohammad Mayeli Kohan	2003–04
Bijan Zolfagharnasab	2004–06
Werner Lorant	2006
Ali Daei	2006–08	1 Iran Pro League
Pierre Littbarski	2008
Mohammad Mayeli Kohan	2008–11
Majid Saleh	2011–12
Mojtaba Taghavi	2012–13
Engin Firat	2013–14
Majid Jalali	2014–16
Hossein Faraki	2016–present

References

↑ سایپای کرج [Saipa Karaj] (in Persian). Ffiri.ir. Retrieved 2013-07-29.
↑ http://iranleague.ir/League/ClubProfile/64

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Saipa FC.

Official Website

Persian Gulf Pro League

2016–17 teams	Esteghlal Esteghlal Khuzestan Foolad Gostaresh Machine Sazi Mashhad Naft Tehran Padideh Paykan Persepolis Saba Saipa Sanat Naft Sepahan Tractor Sazi Zob Ahan

Former teams	Aboumoslem Aluminium Hormozgan Bargh Shiraz Damash Esteghlal Ahvaz Esteghlal Rasht Fajr Sepasi Gahar Zagros Malavan Mes Kerman Mes Sarcheshmeh Naft Masjed Soleyman PAS Hamedan Pas Tehran Payam Mashhad Pegah Gilan Rah Ahan Shahin Bushehr Shahrdari Tabriz Shamoushak Rahian Kermanshah Steel Azin Tarbiat Yazd

Competition	Champions Iranian league system Foreign players

Statistics and awards	Winning managers Top scorers all-time by season Football Awards

Associated competitions	Hazfi Cup Iranian Super Cup Azadegan League League 2 League 3

Seasons	2001–02 2002–03 2003–04 2004–05 2005–06 2006–07 2007–08 2008–09 2009–10 2010–11 2011–12 2012–13 2013–14 2014–15 2015–16 2016–17

List of transfers	summer 2012 winter 2012–13 summer 2013 winter 2013–14 summer 2014 winter 2014–15 summer 2015 winter 2015–16 summer 2016

Hazfi Cup

2016–17 Hazfi Cup clubs

4th Round (Round of 16)	Aluminium Arak Foolad Machine Sazi Naft Masjed Soleyman New Bargh Fars Saba Qom Shahrdari Fouman Shahrdari Mahshahr

3rd Round (Round of 32)	Baadraan Tehran Foolad Yazd Khooneh Be Khooneh Malavan Mes Rafsanjan Naft Omidiyeh Nassaji Mazandaran Oxin Alborz Padideh Pars Jonoubi Jam Paykan Qashqai Shiraz Rah Ahan Sanat Mes Shahrdari Tabriz Shohada Garrus Bijar

2nd Round (Round of 64)	Baadraan Novin Tehran Esteghlal Aabi B Tehran Esteghlal Ahvaz Esteghlal Khuzestan Etehad Lordegan Fajr Sepasi Foulad Yasuj Ghazaye Sabz Mashhad Giti Pasand Isfahan Gol Gohar Haf Semnan Iranjavan Kheybar Khorramabad Malavan Novin Anzali Mehregan Darreh Shahr Niroo Zamini Tehran Oghab Tabriz Omid Shahrdari Arak Parag Tehran Persepolis Safir Abyek Qazvin Sanat Naft Sanat Naft Novin Sepidrood Shahbaz Nozhan Alborz Shahid Karimi Juybar Shahin Bandar Ameri Shahin Shahrdari Bushehr Shahrdari Bandar Abbas Shahrdari Urmia Siah Jamegan Zagros Yasuj

1st Round	Aab o Bargh Kish Aluminium Hormozgan Arvand Khorramshahr Be'sat Kermanshah Caspian Qazvin Esteghlal Khoramshahr Esteghlal Latifi Larestan Esteghlal Padideh Alborz Foolad Novin Kara Shiraz Keshavarz Aliabad Keshavarz Meshginshahr Kimia Farayand Tehran Mahan Shushtar Omid Baharestan Tehran Panah Afarin Qom Pas Hamedan Pirouzi Garmsar Rahpouyan Gilan Sardar Bukan Shahr Baran Rasht Shahrdari Arak Shahrdari Ardabil Shahrdari Hamedan Shahin Mahshahr Shahrdari Mianrud Shahrdari Kahnuj Shahrdari Kashan Shahin Kish Tarbiat Dizicheh Ardestan

Hazfi Cup seasons

Seasons	1975–76 1976–77 1985–86 1986–87 1987–88 1989–90 1990–91 1991–92 1993–94 1994–95 1995–96 1996–97 1998–99 1999–2000 2000–01 2001–02 2002–03 2003–04 2004–05 2005–06 2006–07 2007–08 2008–09 2009–10 2011–12 2011–12 2012–13 2013–14 2014–15 2015–16 2016–17

Final	2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016

Competitions involving Iranian clubs

Domestic	IPL Azadegan League 2nd Division 3rd Division Hazfi Cup Super Cup

Defunct	Takht Jamshid Cup Local Leagues Qods League 17th of Shahrivar league Espandi Cup

International	AFC Champions League Asian Cup Winners' Cup (Defunct)

Football in Iran

League competitions	Persian Gulf Pro League Azadegan League League 2 League 3 Provincial Leagues Kowsar league (women's)

Cup competitions	Hazfi Cup Super Cup

Defunct competitions	Takht Jamshid Cup

National teams	Men's B-team Women's M U-23 M U-20 W U-20 M U-17

Lists and categories	League system Champions Foreign players List of clubs List of venues List of managers Top goalscorers all-time by season Clubs in the AFC Champions League

Iran Football Federation Iran Football League Organization Football Association of Iranian Club

Iranian football league champions

9 titles	Persepolis 1971–72, 1973–74, 1975–76, 1995–96, 1996–97, 1998–99, 1999–2000, 2001–02, 2007–08

8 titles	Esteghlal 1970–71, 1974–75, 1989–90, 1997–98, 2000–01, 2005–06, 2008–09, 2012–13

5 titles	Pas Tehran 1976–77, 1977–78, 1991–92, 1992–93, 2003–04 Sepahan 2002–03, 2009–10, 2010–11, 2011–12, 2014–15

3 titles	Saipa 1993–94, 1994–95, 2006–07

2 titles	Foolad 2004–05, 2013–14

1 title	Esteghlal Khuzestan 2015–16

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