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
TeamCityVenue CapacityHead coach Team captain Past Season AboomoslemMashhadSamen35,000 Ali Hanteh Saeed Khani 4th Bargh ShirazShirazHafezieh20,000 Rasoul Korbekandi Sattar Zare7th Damash GilanRashtSardar Jangal15,000 Stanko Poklepović Mohammad Reza Mahdavi 15th Est. AhvazAhvazTakhti Ahvaz30,000 Khodadad Azizi Afshin Komaei8th EsteghlalTehranAzadi90,000 Amir Ghalenoei Farhad Majidi 13th Foolad AhvazTakhti Ahvaz15,000 Majid Jalali Ali BadaviQualifier MalavanAnzaliTakhti Anzali8,000 Mohammad Ahmadzadeh Masoud Gholamalizad16th Mes KermanKermanShahid Bahonar15,000 Parviz Mazloomi Farzad Hosseinkhani10th MoghavematShirazHafezieh20,000 Gholam Hossein Peyrovani Mostafa Sabri14th Pas HamedanHamedanGhods5,000 Vinko Begovic Omid Khouraj 5th PaykanQazvinShahid Rajaei5,000 Ali Asghar Modir Roosta Mohammad Reza Tahmasebi 9th Payam Mashhad Samen35,000 Kazem Ghiyasiyan Mehdi HasheminasabQualifier PersepolisTehranAzadi90,000 Nelo Vingada Karim BagheriChampion Rah AhanRey, Iran Rah Ahan15,000 Mehdi Tartar Ahmad Taghavi12th Saba QomQomYadegar Emam15,000 Firouz Karimi Yahya Golmohammadi 3rd SaipaKarajEnghelab Karaj15,000 Mohammad Mayeli Kohan Ebrahim Sadeghi11th SepahanEsfahanFoolad Shahr25,000 Farhad Kazemi Moharram Navidkia 2nd Zob AhanEsfahanFoolad Shahr25,000 Mansour Ebrahimzadeh 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.
Team Name Nationality Aboomoslem Hadi Bargizar Damash Gilan Bijan Zolfagharnasab Rah Ahan Davoud Mahabadi Saipa Pierre Littbarski Sepahan Engin Firat Persepolis Afshin Ghotbi Payam Khodadad Azizi Aboomoslem Amir Hossein Peyrovani Sepahan Hossein Charkhabi Damash Gilan Hossein Abdi Bargh Shiraz Mohammad Abbasi Payam Abbas Chamanyan Persepolis Afshin Peyrovani Est. Ahvaz Akbar Misaghian Bargh Shiraz Farshad Pious Payam Majid Hosseinipour Rah Ahan Mahmoud Yavari Paykan Ali Asghar Modir Roosta Aboomoslem Ali Hanteh
Foreign players Club Player 1 Player 2 Player 3 Player 4 Former Players Aboomoslem Jean Black Ngody Daniel Olerum Abdou Moumouni Franck Atsou Jassim Ghulam Fuad Salihović Bargh Shiraz Alen Avdić William Teixera Martín Barlocco Damash Gilan Adriano Alves Ivan Dragičević Esteghlal Ahvaz Ahmed Kadhim Mohammed Nasser Marjan Belčev Haitham Khadim Taher Esteghlal Januário Rinaldo Cruzado Fabrício Ceará Foolad Malavan Alen Bašić Felipe Alves Mes Kerman Edinho Paulo Zaltron Sékou Fofana Moghavemat PAS Hamedan Shakhboz Erkinov Mario Garba Paykan Christian Carvalho Payam Diego Shpejtim Arifi Persepolis Wésley Brasilia Ibrahima Touré Ivan Petrović Paulão Rah Ahan Álvaro Pintos Hamlet Mkhitaryan César Pellegrín Saba Qom Almir Tolja Saipa Alou Traoré Issa Traoré Sepahan Jacques Elong Elong Abdul-Wahab Abu Al-Hail Emad Mohammed Armando Sá Zob Ahan Igor Castro Iman Shirazi Bajram Nebihi Issa Ndoye Haider Obeid
League standings
Results table
Last updated April 26, 2009
Player statistics
Top scorers
Position Player Club Goals1 Arash BorhaniIranian Premier League Stats: 2008-2009 SeasonArash Borhani has 12 Goals in 1/2 season: http://ffiri.ir/html/images/lig8/5.jpg Esteghlal202 Shpejtim Arifi Payam183 Igor Castro Zob Ahan164 Afshin Chavoshi Damash Gilan155 Fereydoon Fazli Saba Qom14 Emad Mohammed Sepahan6 Siavash Akbarpour Esteghlal12 Adriano Alvez Damash Gilan Davoud Haghi Rah Ahan8 Maysam Baou Aboomoslem11 Faraz Fatemi Mes Kerman Iman Haydari Paykan Jalal Rafkhaei Malavan Ibrahima Touré Persepolis11 Farid Abedi Bargh Shiraz10 Edinho Mes Kerman Mohammad Reza Khalatbari Zob Ahan Amin Motevaselzadeh Moghavemat Sepasi Issa Traoré Saipa20 5 players925 6 players831 2 players733 8 players641 18 players558 23 players481 18 players399 26 players2125 95 players1Own goals0Total goals777 Last updated: 11 April 2009Source: Iplstats.com
Cards
PlayerTeam Mohammad Matouri1001 Payam Mashhad Mohammad Reza Khalatbari1010 Zob Ahan Mohsen Arzani810 Payam Mashhad Alireza Jalili900 Payam Mashhad Morteza Bargizar900 Payam Mashhad Mohammad AghaMohammadi900 Est. Ahvaz Meysam Khosravi900 Paykan Adriano Alvez900 Damash Gilan Mohsen Bengar710 Sepahan Omid Khouraj512 PAS Hamedan Hanif Omranzadeh710 PAS Hamedan Alireza Vahedi Nikbakht701 Persepolis Maziar Zare800 Persepolis
Matches played
33 Morteza Ebrahimi (Mes) Vahid Taleblou (Esteghlal)
Sponsorship Referee's Sponsor: GERAD Referee's Supplier: Merooj
Team Shirt manufacturers
TeamKit ManufacturerEsteghlalUhlsportPersepolisRah AhanSepahanAboomoslemMeroojEsteghlal AhvazFooladMes KermanMoghavematPaykanPayamDamash GilanSabaZob AhanBarghDaei SWEMalavanPAS HamedanNahangiSaipa
Attendances
Average home attendances
Highest attendances Rank Home team Score Away team Attendance Date Week Stadium1 Persepolis 2–0Damash 90,000 8 AzadiPersepolis 1–1Esteghlal 90,000 9 AzadiEsteghlal 1–1Persepolis 90,000 26 Azadi4 Persepolis 0–1Mes Kerman 60,000 6 AzadiPersepolis 3–2Sepahan 60,000 12 AzadiPersepolis 1–1Saipa 60,000 18 AzadiEsteghlal 2–1Saba Qom 60,000 23 Azadi8 Persepolis 3–1Bargh Shiraz 55,000 11 Azadi9 Saipa 1–1Persepolis 50,000 1 AzadiEsteghlal 2–1Rah Ahan 50,000 8 Azadi Notes:Updated to games played on 26 April 2009. Source: iplstats.com
See also 2008–09 Azadegan League 2008–09 Iran Football's 2nd Division 2008–09 Iran Football's 3rd Division 2008–09 Hazfi Cup Iranian Super Cup 2008–09 Iranian Futsal Super League
References
Iran Premier League Statistics Persian League Soccerway Bazikonan