The 2012–13 Azadegan League was the 22nd season of the Azadegan League and 12th as the second highest division since its establishment in 1991. The season featured 19 teams from the 2011–12 Azadegan League, three new teams relegated from the 2011–12 Persian Gulf Cup (Shahin Bushehr, Shahrdari Tabriz and Mes Sarcheshmeh) and four new teams promoted from the 2011–12 2nd Division (Esteghlal Ahvaz as champions, Gostaresh Foulad and Hafari Ahvaz). Alvand Hamedan replaced PAS Novin Hamedan, Bargh Shiraz replaced Steel Azin and Sang Ahan replaced Tarbiat Yazd. The league started on 13 September 2012 and ended on 16 April 2013. Gostaresh Foulad and Esteghlal Khuzestan won the Azadegan League title for the first time in their history. Gostaresh Foulad and Esteghlal Khuzestan were promoted to the Persian Gulf Cup.
Changes
At the end of 2011–12 Azadegan League season, Sanat Sari, Payam Mokhaberat, Kaveh, Bargh Shiraz were relegated to 2012–13 Iran Football's 2nd Division. The four relegated teams were replaced by four 2011–12 Iran Football's 2nd Division winners. Esteghlal Ahvaz made an immediate return to Azadegan League. Hafari Ahvaz also promoted to Azadegan League. The two other promoted teams, Pas Novin and Gostaresh Foolad Sahand, were reserve teams of PAS Hamedan, and Gostaresh Foolad. Kaveh Tehran bought Gostaresh Foolad Sahand and returned to the Azadegan League. Pas Novin have changed their name and sponsorship to Alvand Hamedan, so they can remain in Azadegan League. Steel Azin come back from Semnan to Tehran. Sang Ahan Company bought Tarbiat Yazd and changed the name to Sang Ahan Bafq. Bargh Shiraz bought Steel Azin and return to Azadegan League. Yadavaran Shalamcheh bought Kaveh Tehran and came to the Azadegan League.
Match fixing scandal After Shahrdari Tabriz promoted to the Iran Pro League, the former chairman of Niroye Zamini was announced that he was offered 100,000,000 tomans to fixing the match between two teams, a bid that he rejected. Two days later, one of the players of the Shahrdari Bandar Abbas was charged that he was purchased to score an own goal in match with Shahrdari Tabriz. IRIFF opened a case for the match-fixing scandal and excluded coaching staff and management of Shahrdari Tabriz temporarily. The play-off and championship matches was also postponed to another time until the final judgment. The final was announced on 13 May 2013. Shahrdari Tabriz's promotion was canceled and they will not be playing at Azadegan League next season too, Faraz Kamalvand (head coach of Shahrdari Tabriz) and his assistants were banned for two years from football careers. The team manager of Shahrdari Tabriz and chairman of the club were also banned for one year and six months. Yadavaran Shalamcheh (which relegated to the 2nd Division) was relegated to the 3rd Division. Nader Dastneshan (head coach of Saipa Shomal), Majid Bagherinia (head coach of Esteghlal Khuzestan) and chairman of the club.
Teams
TeamCityVenueCapacityHead coachNote AboomoslemMashhadSamen Stadium35,000 Hadi Bargizar Alvand HamedanHamedanQods Stadium10,000 Reza Talaeimanesh Bargh ShirazShirazDastgheib5,000 Mohammad Abbassi Esteghlal AhvazAhvazTakhti Ahvaz30,000 Adel Hardani Esteghlal KhuzestanAhvazTakhti Ahvaz30,000 Majid Bagherinia EtkaGorganKarim Abad15,000 Saket Elhami Foolad YazdYazdNassiri6,000 Ali Kalantari Gol GoharSirjanImam Ali2,000 Ghasem Shahba Gostaresh FooladTabrizBagh Shomal20,000 Rasoul Khatibi Hafari AhvazAhvazTakhti Ahvaz30,000 Nasser Motlagh IranjavanBushehrShahid Beheshti15,000 Ahmad Sanjari Machine SaziTabrizBagh Shomal20,000 Asghar E'tebari Mes RafsanjanRafsanjanShohadaye Noushabad10,000 Bahman Foroutan Mes Sarcheshmeh Sarcheshmeh Shahid Bahonar 12,000 Davoud Mahabadi Naft Masjed SoleymanMasjed SoleymanTakhti Ahvaz30,000 Zoran Smilevski NassajiQa'em ShahrVatani15,000 Esmaeil Esmaeili Niroye ZaminiTehranTakhti Tehran30,000 Bahman Khoda Karam PAS HamedanHamedanQods Stadium80,000 Omid Tayyeri Parseh TehranTehranKargaran Stadium5,000 Alireza Emamifar Saipa ShomalQa'em Shahr Shahid Vatani 10,000 Nader Dastneshan Sang Ahan BafqBafqShohada6,000 Afshin Peyrovani Shahin Bushehr Bushehr Shahid Beheshti 14,000 Ali Hanteh Shahrdari ArakArakImam Khomeini15,000 Mohammad Navazi Shahrdari Bandar AbbasBandar AbbasTakhti10,000 Abdolrahim Khorramzi Shahrdari Tabriz Tabriz Yadegar Emam Tabriz 50,000 Faraz Kamalvand Shahrdari YasujYasujTakhti5,000 Abbas Chamanyan Rahian KermanshahKermanshahAzadi7,000 Javad Zarincheh Yadavaran ShalamchehKhorramshahrJahan Ara2,000 Human Afazeli
Managerial changes TeamOutgoing managerManner of departureDate of vacancyReplaced byDate of appointmentMachine Sazi Alireza Akbarpour November 2012 Asghar EtebariNovember 2012Pas Hamedan Vingo Begovic January 2013 Omid TeyriJanuary 2013
Standings
Group A
Group B
Play-off First leg was played on 28 May 2013; return leg on 30 May 2013
Pas Hamedan advanced to the Iran Pro League play-off against Zob Ahan.
Final The match was played on 31 May 2013
Team 1ScoreTeam 2NotesGostareshCancelledEsteghlal Khuzestan
Iran Pro League Playoff The promotion/relegation playoff for 2013–14 Iran Pro League was held between Zob Ahan and Pas Hamedan. The matches were played on 21 June 2013 and 26 June 2013
Zob Ahan remained in Iran Pro League.
Top scorers
Group A RankScorerClubGoals1 Mohammad Abbaszadeh Nassaji182 Younes Shakeri Aboomoslem113 Hossein MalekiNaft Masjed Soleyman8 Farzad Mohammadi Naft Masjed Soleyman84 Fakhrodin Shahroei Mes Rafsanjan, Esteghlal Ahvaz7 Mokhtar Jomehzadeh Gol Gohar7 Mostafa Chatrabgoon Mashin Sazi7
Group B RankPlayerClubGoals1 Meghdad Ghobakhlou Pas Hamedan9 Hassan Faraji-Moghadam Bargh Shiraz93 Mehdi Chahkotahzadeh Iranjavan8 Ahmad DavoodiHafari Ahvaz85 Ambuno AchilleRahian Kermanshah76 Ali YoonesiShahrdari Tabriz6
References