2012–13 Persian Gulf Cup
The 2012–13 Persian Gulf Cup was the 30th season of Iran's Football League and 12th as Iran Pro League since its establishment in 2001. Sepahan were the defending champions. The season featured 15 teams from the 2011–12 Persian Gulf Cup and three new teams promoted from the 2011–12 Azadegan League: Paykan as champions, Aluminium Hormozgan and Gahar Zagros. The league started on 19 July 2012 and ended on 10 May 2013. Esteghlal won the Pro League title for the third time in their history.
Events
Competition format
After the 2012–13 Iran Pro League season the number of teams was planned to be reduced from 18 to 16 for the next season, so 4 team was directly relegated to the Azadegan League, while one team was played against the 3rd ranked team from the second division league team in a play-off. 2 teams also are directly promoted from current Azadegan league to the next pro league season and one team played against the 14th placed pro league team in a play-off.Rules and regulations
The Iranian Football Clubs who participate in 2012–13 Iran Pro League are allowed to have up to maximum 35 players in their player lists, which will be categorized in the following groups:- Up to maximum 21 adult players
- Up to maximum 6 under-23 players.
- Up to maximum 5 under-21 players.
- Up to maximum 3 under-19 players.
Teams
Stadia and locations
Team | City | Venue | Capacity |
Aluminium | Bandar Abbas | Khalij Fars | 15,459 |
Damash Gilan | Rasht | Dr. Azodi | 11,000 |
Esteghlal | Tehran | Azadi | 84,412 |
Fajr Sepasi | Shiraz | Hafezieh Dastgheib | 14,560 7,000 |
Foolad | Ahvaz | Ghadir | 50,199 |
Gahar Zagros | Dorood | Takhti Doorood | 10,052 |
Malavan | Anzali | Takhti Anzali | 8,000 |
Mes Kerman | Kerman | Shahid Bahonar | 15,430 |
Naft Tehran | Tehran | Dastgerdi | 8,250 |
Paykan | Tehran | Peykanshahr | 30,000 |
Persepolis | Tehran | Azadi | 84,412 |
Rah Ahan | Tehran | Rah Ahan | 12,922 |
Saba Qom | Qom | Yadegar Emam | 10,610 |
Saipa | Karaj | Enghelab Karaj | 30,000 |
Sanat Naft | Abadan | Takhti Abadan | 25,256 |
Sepahan | Esfahan | Foolad Shahr | 31,439 |
Tractor Sazi | Tabriz | Yadegar-e-Emam | 66,833 |
Zob Ahan | Esfahan | Foolad Shahr | 31,439 |
Number of teams by region
Personnel and kits
Note: Flags indicate national team as has been defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.Team | Manager | Captain | Kit manufacturer | Shirt sponsor | Past Season |
Aluminium | Parviz Mazloomi | Mahmood Tighnavard | Uhlsport | Promoted | |
Damash | Afshin Nazemi | Reza Mahdavi | Uhlsport | 7th | |
Esteghlal | Amir Ghalenoei | Farhad Majidi | Uhlsport | Refah Bank | Champion |
Fajr Sepasi | Mahmoud Yavari | Hossein Kazemi | Majid | 13th | |
Foolad | Hossein Faraki | Bakhtiar Rahmani | Uhlsport | 14th | |
Gahar Zagros | Mohammad Mayeli Kohan | Majid Bajelan | Uhlsport | Promoted | |
Malavan | Mohammad Ahmadzadeh | Pejman Nouri | Uhlsport | 12th | |
Mes Kerman | Luka Bonačić | Farzad Hosseinkhani | Uhlsport | 9th | |
Naft Tehran | Mansour Ebrahimzadeh | Hadi Shakouri | Uhlsport | NIOC | 5th |
Paykan | Firouz Karimi | Reza Tahmasebi | Uhlsport | IKCO Runna | Promoted |
Persepolis | Yahya Golmohammadi | Mehdi Mahdavikia | Uhlsport | 15th | |
Rah Ahan | Ali Daei | Hossein Pashaei | Daei | Fars Air Qeshm | 11th |
Saba Qom | Samad Marfavi | Morteza Kashi | Majid | 4th | |
Saipa | Mojtaba Taghavi | Ebrahim Sadeghi | Uhlsport | SAIPA | 8th |
Sanat Naft | Acácio Casimiro | Hossein Kaebi | adidas | 10th | |
Sepahan | Zlatko Kranjčar | Moharram Navidkia | Lotto | Foolad Mobarakeh | 3rd |
Tractor Sazi | Hassan Azarnia | Morteza Assadi | Uhlsport | 2nd | |
Zob Ahan | Farhad Kazemi | Mohammad Salsali | Uhlsport | Esfahan Steel | 6th |
;Notes
- Esteghlal's captain was Mehdi Rahmati before Farhad Majidi rejoins to the team.
- Reza Haghighi was the captain of Fajr Sepasi until his transfer to the Persepolis.
- From 19 January 2013 to 18 March 2013, Ali Firouzi and from 18 March 2013, Saeed Salamaat were the caretaker head coaches of Sanat Naft due to Casimiro's illness.
Managerial changes
Before the start of the season
In season
League table
Results
Positions by round
Clubs season-progress
Relegation play-offs
as 14th-placed team faced play-off winner of 2012–13 Azadegan League, Pas Hamedan in a two-legged play-off.----
Zob Ahan won 5–3 on aggregate and retained its Iran Pro League spot for the 2013–14 season.
Season statistics
Top goalscorers
Last updated: 10 May 2013Source:
Top assistants
Position | Player | Club | Assists |
1 | Mohammad Reza Khalatbari | Sepahan | 13 |
2 | Bakhtiar Rahmani | Foolad | 11 |
3 | Ghasem Dehnavi | Tractor Sazi | 8 |
3 | Yaghoub Karimi | Naft Tehran | 8 |
5 | Hossein Papi | Sepahan | 7 |
6 | Bahador Abdi | Rah Ahan | 6 |
6 | Ernandes Toretta Junior | Saipa | 6 |
6 | Reza Khaleghifar | Sanat Naft | 6 |
6 | Pejman Nouri | Malavan | 6 |
6 | Ivan Petrović | Mes Kerman | 6 |
11 | Jaber Ansari | Fajr Sepasi | 5 |
11 | Alireza Jahanbakhsh | Damash | 5 |
11 | Mehdi Karimian | Tractor Sazi | 5 |
11 | Hossein Mahini | Persepolis | 5 |
11 | Moharram Navidkia | Sepahan | 5 |
11 | Payam Sadeghian | Zob Ahan | 5 |
Last updated: 10 May 2013
Sources:
Clean sheets
Position | Player | Club | Clean Sheets | Goals Conceded |
1 | Mehdi Rahmati | Esteghlal | 21 | 18 |
2 | Rahman Ahmadi | Saipa | 15 | 29 |
3 | Nilson Corrêa Júnior | Persepolis | 14 | 21 |
4 | Arman Shahdadnejad | Mes Kerman | 13 | 16 |
5 | Sosha Makani | Naft Tehran | 11 | 15 |
6 | Gevorg Kasparov | Zob Ahan | 8 | 12 |
6 | Hamed Lak | Saba Qom | 8 | 23 |
8 | Fábio Carvalho | Paykan | 7 | 54 |
8 | Shahab Gordan | Sepahan | 7 | 23 |
8 | Milan Mijatovic | Mes Kerman | 7 | 5 |
8 | Vahid Sheikhveisi | Fajr Sepasi | 7 | 24 |
8 | Ershad Yousefi | Foolad | 7 | 22 |
13 | Habib Dehghani | Sanat Naft | 6 | 34 |
13 | Hamed Fallahzadeh | Naft Tehran | 6 | 12 |
13 | Luiz Fernando | Aluminium | 6 | 20 |
13 | Mojtaba Roshangar | Aluminium | 6 | 18 |
13 | Shahram Mehraban | Gahar | 6 | 43 |
13 | Mehdi Sabeti | Tractor Sazi | 6 | 14 |
19 | Farshid Karimi | Rah Ahan | 5 | 24 |
19 | Milad Farahani | Damash Gilan | 5 | 25 |
19 | Mohammad Mohammadi | Rah Ahan | 5 | 9 |
19 | Hassan Roudbarian | Damash Gilan | 5 | 22 |
23 | Ali Hassani Sefat | Malavan | 4 | 11 |
Last Update: 10 May 2013
Scoring
- First goal of the season: Mehdi Nazari for Fajr against Zob Ahan
- Fastest goal of the season: 12 seconds, Gholamreza Rezaei for Persepolis against Fajr Sepasi
- Latest goal of the season: 96 minutes and 12 seconds, Karim Ansarifard for Persepolis against Zob Ahan
- Largest winning margin: 6 goals
- *Persepolis 6–0 Paykan
- *Fajr 6–0 Aluminium
- *Zob Ahan 6–0 Sanat Naft
- Highest scoring game: 8 goals
- *Damash 5–3 Paykan
- *Sanat Naft 2–6 Naft Tehran
- Most goals scored in a match by a single team: 6 goals
- *Sanat Naft 2–6 Naft Tehran
- *Fajr 6–1 Damash
- *Persepolis 6–0 Paykan
- *Fajr 6–0 Aluminium
- Most goals scored in a match by a losing team: 3 goals
- *Damash 5–3 Paykan
- *Naft Tehran 3–4 Sepahan
- *Sepahan 4–3 Zob Ahan
Hat-tricks
Awards
Team of the Tournament
Goalkeeper: Mehdi RahmatiDefence: Mehrdad Jama'ati, Pejman Montazeri, Amir Hossein Sadeghi, Khosro Heydari
Midfield: Reza Haghighi, Bakhtiar Rahmani, Moharram Navidkia, Yaghoub Karimi
Attack: Jalal Rafkhaei, Mohammad Reza Khalatbari
Player of the Tournament
was awarded as the best player of the season among Mehdi Rahmati and Pejman Montazeri became second and third. Saeid Ezzatollahi was also awarded as the best young player of the season and Alireza Jahanbakhsh was ranked second.Other awards
was awarded as the best coach of the season, Zlatko Kranjčar becomes second and Hossein Faraki third. Saeid Mozafarizadeh awarded best referee, Fair Play Award was given to the Fajr Sepasi and Esteghlal was the team of the season. Mehdi Mahdavikia, Ali Parvin, Homayoun Behzadi and Ali Jabari were also awarded for their service to the Iranian football.Attendances
Average home attendances
Highest attendances
Notes:Updated to games played on 10 May 2013. Source:
Team season articles
- 2012–13 Persepolis F.C. season
- 2012–13 Sepahan F.C. season
- 2012–13 Esteghlal F.C. season
- 2012–13 Saba Qom F.C. season
- 2012–13 S.C. Damash season
- 2012–13 Fajr Sepasi F.C. season