The 2008–09 Persian Gulf Cup (also known as Iran Pro League) was the 26th season of Iran's Football League and eighth season of Iran Pro League since its establishment in 2001. Persepolis were the defending champions. The season featured 15 teams from the 2007–08 Persian Gulf Cup and two new teams promoted from the 2007–08 Azadegan League: Payam Mashhad as champions and Foolad. Damash replaced Pegah. The league started on 4 August 2008 and ended on 26 April 2009. Esteghlal won the Pro League title for the second time in their history (total seventh Iranian title).

Teams

TeamCityVenueCapacityHead coachTeam captainPast Season
AboomoslemMashhadSamen35,000Iran Ali HantehIran Saeed Khani4th
Bargh ShirazShirazHafezieh20,000Iran Rasoul KorbekandiIran Sattar Zare7th
Damash GilanRashtSardar Jangal15,000Croatia Stanko PoklepovićIran Mohammad Reza Mahdavi15th
Est. AhvazAhvazTakhti Ahvaz30,000Iran Khodadad AziziIran Afshin Komaei8th
EsteghlalTehranAzadi90,000Iran Amir GhalenoeiIran Farhad Majidi13th
FooladAhvazTakhti Ahvaz15,000Iran Majid JalaliIran Ali BadaviQualifier
MalavanAnzaliTakhti Anzali8,000Iran Mohammad AhmadzadehIran Masoud Gholamalizad16th
Mes KermanKermanShahid Bahonar15,000Iran Parviz MazloomiIran Farzad Hosseinkhani10th
MoghavematShirazHafezieh20,000Iran Gholam Hossein PeyrovaniIran Mostafa Sabri14th
Pas HamedanHamedanGhods5,000Croatia Vinko BegovicIran Omid Khouraj5th
PaykanQazvinShahid Rajaei5,000Iran Ali Asghar Modir RoostaIran Mohammad Reza Tahmasebi9th
PayamMashhadSamen35,000Iran Kazem GhiyasiyanIran Mehdi HasheminasabQualifier
PersepolisTehranAzadi90,000Portugal Nelo VingadaIran Karim BagheriChampion
Rah AhanRey, IranRah Ahan15,000Iran Mehdi TartarIran Ahmad Taghavi12th
Saba QomQomYadegar Emam15,000Iran Firouz KarimiIran Yahya Golmohammadi3rd
SaipaKarajEnghelab Karaj15,000Iran Mohammad Mayeli KohanIran Ebrahim Sadeghi11th
SepahanEsfahanFoolad Shahr25,000Iran Farhad KazemiIran Moharram Navidkia2nd
Zob AhanEsfahanFoolad Shahr25,000Iran Mansour EbrahimzadehIran Mohammad Salsali6th
  • In October 2008 Pegah Gilan terminated their sports activities due to financial problems. Damash Iranian (Damash Mineral Water Company) owned by Amir Abedini took over their license. New club named Damash Gilan.

Below is the list of coaches who left their teams after the start of the season.

TeamNameNationality
AboomoslemHadi BargizarIran
Damash GilanBijan ZolfagharnasabIran
Rah AhanDavoud MahabadiIran
SaipaPierre LittbarskiGermany
SepahanEngin FiratTurkey Germany
PersepolisAfshin GhotbiIran United States
PayamKhodadad AziziIran
AboomoslemAmir Hossein PeyrovaniIran
SepahanHossein CharkhabiIran
Damash GilanHossein AbdiIran
Bargh ShirazMohammad AbbasiIran
PayamAbbas ChamanyanIran
PersepolisAfshin PeyrovaniIran
Est. AhvazAkbar MisaghianIran
Bargh ShirazFarshad PiousIran
PayamMajid HosseinipourIran
Rah AhanMahmoud YavariIran
PaykanAli Asghar Modir RoostaIran
AboomoslemAli HantehIran

Foreign players

ClubPlayer 1Player 2Player 3Player 4Former Players
AboomoslemCameroon Jean Black NgodyNigeria Daniel OlerumTogo Abdou MoumouniTogo Franck AtsouIraq Jassim Ghulam Serbia Fuad Salihović
Bargh ShirazBosnia and Herzegovina Alen AvdićBrazil William TeixeraUruguay Martín Barlocco
Damash GilanBrazil Adriano AlvesSerbia Ivan Dragičević
Esteghlal AhvazIraq Ahmed KadhimIraq Mohammed NasserNorth Macedonia Marjan BelčevIraq Haitham Khadim Taher
EsteghlalBrazil JanuárioPeru Rinaldo CruzadoBrazil Fabrício Ceará
Foolad
MalavanBosnia and Herzegovina Alen BašićBrazil Felipe Alves
Mes KermanBrazil EdinhoBrazil Paulo ZaltronMali Sékou Fofana
Moghavemat
PAS HamedanUzbekistan Shakhboz ErkinovCroatia Mario Garba
PaykanBrazil Christian Carvalho
PayamBrazil DiegoGermany Shpejtim Arifi
PersepolisBrazil Wésley BrasiliaSenegal Ibrahima TouréSerbia Ivan PetrovićBrazil Paulão
Rah AhanUruguay Álvaro PintosArmenia Hamlet Mkhitaryan Uruguay César Pellegrín
Saba QomBosnia and Herzegovina Almir Tolja
SaipaMali Alou TraoréMali Issa Traoré
SepahanCameroon Jacques Elong ElongIraq Abdul-Wahab Abu Al-HailIraq Emad MohammedMozambique Armando Sá
Zob AhanBrazil Igor CastroIraq Iman ShiraziKosovo Bajram NebihiSenegal Issa NdoyeIraq Haider Obeid

League standings

PosTeamPldWDLGFGAGDPtsQualification or relegation
1Esteghlal (C)3419967034+3666Qualification for the 2010 AFC Champions League
2Zob Ahan3419965842+1666
3Mes34171075436+1861
4Sepahan34141464634+1256
5Persepolis34151095041+955
6Saba34121754936+1353
7Foolad341311105041+950
8Paykan34138134342+147
9Fajr341111123337−444
10Saipa341012124350−742
11Rah Ahan34118153541−641
12Pas Hamedan341010144047−740
13Malavan34913123143−1240
14Est. Ahvaz34116173754−1739
15Aboumoslem34811153441−735
16Payam (R)3498173352−1935Relegation to the 2009–10 Azadegan League
17Damash (R)34613154056−1631
18Bargh (R)3459203554−1924
Champions

Results table

Last updated April 26, 2009

Home \ AwayABUBGHESTESAMLVMESPASPAYPYMDMGPRSRAHSABSAPSEPFOLMVTZOB
Aboumoslem1–10–20–12–21–12–11–01–13–24–30–01–00–01–21–21–24–0
Bargh Shiraz2–21–40–33–04–12–01–20–11–11–10–11–21–21–11–11–21–2
Esteghlal2–01–16–03–02–11–03–25–04–21–12–12–11–11–10–15–22–0
Est. Ahvaz1–31–00–33–01–00–02–31–01–12–11–11–13–11–30–11–10–2
Malavan0–01–02–21–01–02–11–10–11–12–20–11–12–21–13–01–01–1
Mes Kerman3–12–11–04–01–02–04–03–31–01–12–13–11–12–13–22–02–2
PAS Hamedan2–11–02–45–10–01–12–01–03–30–31–00–02–10–00–01–12–2
Paykan2–01–01–11–03–11–11–02–02–02–20–10–10–20–10–12–21–2
Payam Mashhad1–01–20–12–12–01–21–41–13–21–22–11–11–32–21–20–11–3
Damash1–03–11–02–41–22–21–01–01–11–22–21–21–11–10–11–12–1
Persepolis1–03–11–11–00–20–13–12–11–02–02–02–21–13–21–01–22–2
Rah Ahan3–03–01–52–21–00–12–11–40–01–01–21–11–20–12–10–00–1
Saba Qom1–02–23–12–03–01–33–11–10–02–22–01–12–01–11–12–00–0
Saipa0–02–20–23–22–11–11–30–11–24–10–11–02–41–13–20–21–0
Sepahan2–11–02–12–10–01–02–22–43–21–10–02–02–02–02–00–01–2
Foolad0–03–10–00–20–12–25–12–23–03–03–22–32–21–12–20–14–1
Moghavemat0–00–14–11–02–22–00–11–20–11–11–01–31–10–01–00–10–2
Zob Ahan0–32–11–11–13–01–02–12–02–02–13–11–02–26–32–12–23–1

Player statistics

Top scorers

Arash Borhani
PositionPlayerClubGoals
1Iran Arash BorhaniEsteghlal20
2Germany Shpejtim ArifiPayam18
3Brazil Igor CastroZob Ahan16
4Iran Afshin ChavoshiDamash Gilan15
5Iran Fereydoon FazliSaba Qom14
Iraq Emad MohammedSepahan
6Iran Siavash AkbarpourEsteghlal12
Brazil Adriano AlvezDamash Gilan
Iran Davoud HaghiRah Ahan
8Iran Maysam BaouAboomoslem11
Iran Faraz FatemiMes Kerman
Iran Iman HaydariPaykan
Iran Jalal RafkhaeiMalavan
Senegal Ibrahima TouréPersepolis
11Iran Farid AbediBargh Shiraz10
Brazil EdinhoMes Kerman
Iran Mohammad Reza KhalatbariZob Ahan
Iran Amin MotevaselzadehMoghavemat Sepasi
Mali Issa TraoréSaipa
205 players9
256 players8
312 players7
338 players6
4118 players5
5823 players4
8118 players3
9926 players2
12595 players1
Own goals0
Total goals777

Last updated: 11 April 2009 Source:

Cards

PlayerTeam
Iran Mohammad Matouri1001Payam Mashhad
Iran Mohammad Reza Khalatbari1010Zob Ahan
Iran Mohsen Arzani810Payam Mashhad
Iran Alireza Jalili900Payam Mashhad
Iran Morteza Bargizar900Payam Mashhad
Iran Mohammad AghaMohammadi900Est. Ahvaz
Iran Meysam Khosravi900Paykan
Brazil Adriano Alvez900Damash Gilan
Iran Mohsen Bengar710Sepahan
Iran Omid Khouraj512PAS Hamedan
Iran Hanif Omranzadeh710PAS Hamedan
Iran Alireza Vahedi Nikbakht701Persepolis
Iran Maziar Zare800Persepolis

Matches played

33

Sponsorship

  • Referee's Sponsor:
  • Referee's Supplier:

Team Shirt manufacturers

TeamKit Manufacturer
EsteghlalUhlsport
Persepolis
Rah Ahan
Sepahan
Aboomoslem
Esteghlal Ahvaz
Foolad
Mes Kerman
Moghavemat
Paykan
Payam
Damash Gilan
Saba
Zob Ahan
BarghDaei SWE
Malavan
PAS HamedanNahangi
Saipa

Attendances

Average home attendances

PosTeamTotalHighLowAverageChange
1Persepolis651,00090,000040,688−32.2%†
2Esteghlal615,00090,00010,00036,176+4.2%†
3Mes Kerman123,00015,0001,0007,235−11.5%†
4Malavan116,00015,0003,0006,824−35.4%†
5Bargh Shiraz115,00020,0001,0006,765+29.2%†
6Foolad109,00020,0002,0006,412n/a†
7Payam103,00040,0001,0006,059n/a†
8Sepahan98,00015,0002,0005,765−8.1%†
9Aboumoslem90,00035,0001,0005,294−23.7%†
10Saipa89,00050,0001,0005,235−37.8%†
11Moghavemat86,00020,0001,0005,059+17.8%†
12Est. Ahvaz85,00020,0001,0005,000−37.0%†
12Saba Qom85,00015,0001,0005,000−32.5%†
14Zob Ahan84,00015,0002,0004,941+55.6%†
14Rah Ahan84,00040,0001,0004,941+86.7%†
16Paykan68,00012,0001,0004,000+6.2%†
17Damash67,00015,0001,0003,941n/a†
18PAS Hamedan63,00012,0001,0003,706−45.7%†
League total2,731,00090,00008,954−20.3%†

Updated to games played on 26 April 2009 Source: Notes: Matches with spectator bans are not included in average attendances Pegah, Sanat Naft and Shirin Faraz played last season in Azadegan League Paykan moved from Tehran to Qazvin Saba Battery moved from Tehran to Qom Damash replaced Pegah

Highest attendances

RankHome teamScoreAway teamAttendanceDateWeekStadium
1Persepolis2–0Damash90,00025 September 2008(2008-09-25)8Azadi
Persepolis1–1Esteghlal90,0003 October 2008(2008-10-03)9Azadi
Esteghlal1–1Persepolis90,00013 February 2009(2009-02-13)26Azadi
4Persepolis0–1Mes Kerman60,00011 September 2008(2008-09-11)6Azadi
Persepolis3–2Sepahan60,00026 October 2008(2008-10-26)12Azadi
Persepolis1–1Saipa60,0009 December 2008(2008-12-09)18Azadi
Esteghlal2–1Saba Qom60,00023 January 2009(2009-01-23)23Azadi
8Persepolis3–1Bargh Shiraz55,00022 October 2008(2008-10-22)11Azadi
9Saipa1–1Persepolis50,0004 August 2008(2008-08-04)1Azadi
Esteghlal2–1Rah Ahan50,00027 September 2008(2008-09-27)8Azadi

Notes: Updated to games played on 26 April 2009. Source:

See also