2015–16 Persian Gulf Pro League


The 2015–16 Persian Gulf Pro League was the 33rd season of Iran's Football League and 15th as Persian Gulf Pro League since its establishment in 2001. Sepahan were the defending champions. The season featured 14 teams from the 2014–15 Persian Gulf Cup and two new teams promoted from the 2014–15 Azadegan League: Siah Jamegan and Esteghlal Ahvaz. The league started on 30 July 2015 and ended on 13 May 2016. Esteghlal Khuzestan won the Pro League title for the first time in their history.

Teams

Stadia and locations



Note: Table lists in alphabetical order
TeamCityVenueCapacity
EsteghlalTehranAzadi95,225
Esteghlal AhvazAhvazTakhti Ahvaz10,000
Esteghlal KhuzestanAhvazGhadir38,960
FooladAhvazGhadir38,960
GostareshTabrizBonyan Dizel12,000
MalavanAnzaliTakhti Anzali8,000
Naft TehranTehranTakhti Tehran30,122
PadidehMashhadSamen35,000
PersepolisTehranAzadi95,225
Rah AhanTehranShahr-e Qods25,000
Saba QomQomYadegar-e Emam10,610
SaipaTehranShahid Dastgerdi8,250
SepahanIsfahanFoolad Shahr15,000
Siah JameganMashhadSamen35,000
Tractor SaziTabrizSahand66,833
Zob AhanIsfahanFoolad Shahr15,000

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.
TeamManagerCaptainKit manufacturer
Esteghlal Parviz Mazloumi Mehdi Rahmati 361 Degrees
Est. Ahvaz Siavash Bakhtiarizadeh Adel Kolahkaj Givova
Est. Khuzestan Abdollah Veisi Mohammad Tayyebi Start
Foolad Dragan Skočić Leonard Mesarić Uhlsport
Gostaresh Faraz Kamalvand Morteza Asadi Merooj
Malavan Mohammad Ahmadzadeh Pejman Nouri Givova
Naft Tehran Alireza Mansourian Alireza Ezzati Uhlsport
Padideh Mohammad Reza Mohajeri Hossein Badamaki Peak
Persepolis Branko Ivanković Alireza Nourmohammadi Uhlsport
Rah Ahan Ioannis Topalidis Bahador Abdi Givova
Saba Qom Ali Daei Abolfazl Ebrahimi Daei Sport
Saipa Saeid Rajabi Ebrahim Sadeghi Givova
Sepahan Ghasem Zaghinejad Moharram Navidkia Joma
Siah Jamegan Farhad Kazemi Reza Enayati Givova
Tractor Sazi Amir Ghalenoei Mehdi Kiani Kelme
Zob Ahan Yahya Golmohammadi Mehdi Rajabzadeh Legea

Managerial changes

Foreign players

The number of foreign players is restricted to four per Iran Pro League team, including a slot for a player from AFC countries. A team can use four foreign players on the field in each game, including at least one player from the AFC country.
ClubPlayer 1Player 2Player 3Asian Player
Esteghlal Hrayr Mkoyan Pero Pejić Adil Chihi
Esteghlal Ahvaz Luiz Fernando Sandi Šahman
Esteghlal Khuzestan Fernando Moussa Coulibaly Eduardo Ferreira Fellipe Bertoldo
Foolad Leonard Mesarić Mathias Chago Dorge Kouemaha
Gostaresh Magno Batista Leo Pimenta Georgi Georgiev
Malavan
Naft Tehran
Padideh
Persepolis Luka Marić Michael Umaña Jerry Bengtson Alexander Lobanov
Rah Ahan Athos Solomou Sebastian Strandvall
Saba Qom Filipe Machado
Saipa Ratko Dujković
Sepahan Leandro Padovani Luciano Pereira Senijad Ibričić Fozil Musaev
Siah Jamegan Kyle Konwea Alagie Sosseh Korede Aiyegbusi
Tractor Sazi Augusto Carlos Cardoso Aloys Nong
Zob Ahan Ali Hamam Walid Ismail

League table

Results

Positions by round

Clubs season-progress

Season statistics

Top Goalscorers

RankPlayerClubGoals
1 Mehdi TaremiPersepolis16
2 Mohammad EbrahimiGostaresh Foulad11
3 Omid EbrahimiEsteghlal10
3 Mehrdad MohammadiRah Ahan10
5 Sasan AnsariFoolad9
5 Hassan Beyt SaeedEsteghlal Khuzestan9
7 Jaber AnsariEsteghlal7
7 Jerry BengtsonPersepolis7
7 Mohammad IranpourianTractor Sazi7
7 Aloys NongTractor Sazi7
7 Gholamreza RezaeiSaipa7
7 Sajjad ShahbazzadehEsteghlal7
7 Morteza TabriziZob Ahan7
7 Mohsen YousefiPadideh7
7 Rahim ZohaiviEsteghlal Khuzestan7

Last updated: 13 May 2016
Source:
Source:

Hat-tricks

PlayerClubAgainstResultDate
Mohammad EbrahimiGostareshZob Ahan4–331 3 2016
Sasan AnsariFooladEst. Ahvaz3–230 4 2016

Top Assistants

RankPlayerClubAssists
1 Omid AlishahPersepolis7
2 Mohammad EbrahimiGostaresh Foulad6
2 Mehdi RajabzadehZob Ahan6
4 Farshad AhmadzadehPersepolis5
4 Khosro HeydariEsteghlal5
4 Mohammad Reza KhalatbariSepahan5
4 Soroush RafieiTractor Sazi5
4 Sajjad ShahbazzadehEsteghlal5
4 Mehdi TorabiSaipa5
4 Mohsen YousefiPadideh5
11 Jaber AnsariEsteghlal4
11 Ali HamamZob Ahan4
11 Mohammad IranpourianTractor Sazi4
11 Farid KarimiSaba Qom4
11 Mehdi TaremiPersepolis4

Last updated: 13 May 2016
Source:
Source:

Clean Sheets

RankPlayerClubClean Sheets
1 Fernando de JesusEsteghlal Khuzestan17
2 Mohammad Rashid MazaheriZob Ahan13
3 Mohammadreza AkhbariTractor Sazi12
4 Mehdi RahmatiEsteghlal11
5 Alireza BeiranvandNaft Tehran9
6 Hamed LakSaba Qom8
6 Sosha MakaniPersepolis8
6 Mojtaba RoshangarPadideh8
9 Mohsen ForouzanRah Ahan7
9 Georgi GeorgievGostaresh Foulad7
11 Hamed FallahzadehSaipa6
11 Shahab GordanSepahan6
11 Serghei PașcencoMalavan6

Last Update: 13 May 2016
Source:

Scoring

  • First goal of the season: Sajjad Shahbazzadeh for Esteghlal against Siah Jamegan
  • Fastest goal of the season: 56 seconds, Jalaleddin Alimohammadi for Saba Qom against Naft Tehran
  • Latest goal of the season: 96 minutes, Mohammad Ghazi for Saba Qom against Esteghlal Khuzestan
  • Largest winning margin: 5 goals
  • *Rah Ahan 5–0 Esteghlal Ahvaz
  • *Tractor Sazi 5–0 Esteghlal Ahvaz
  • Highest scoring game: 8 goals
  • *Tractor Sazi 4–4 Zob Ahan
  • Most goals scored in a match by a losing team: 3 goals
  • *Gostaresh Foulad 4–3 Zob Ahan

    Awards

Team of the Tournament

Goalkeeper: Mohammad Rashid Mazaheri

Defence: Sadegh Moharrami, Majid Hosseini, Jalal Hosseini, Mohammad Ansari

Midfield: Server Djeparov, Omid Ebrahimi, Mohammad Reza Hosseini

Attack: Mehdi Torabi, Ali Alipour, Vahid Amiri

Player of the Tournament

was awarded as the best player of the season. Ali Gholizadeh was also awarded as the best young player of the season.

Other awards

was awarded as the best coach of the season.
Mohammad Rashid Mazaheri won the best Goalkeeper award.
Jalal Hosseini won the best Defender award.
Omid Ebrahimi won the best Midfielder award.
Ali Alipour won the best Striker award.

Attendances

Average home attendances

Attendances by round

Notes:
Updated to games played on 13 May 2016. Source:
Matches with spectator bans are not included in average attendances
Esteghlal Ahvaz played their matches against Esteghlal and Siah Jamegan at Ghadir
Foolad played their match against Gostaresh at Takhti Ahvaz
Gostaresh played their matches against Persepolis and Tractor Sazi at Sahand
Rah Ahan played their match against Esteghlal at Azadi
Saipa played their match against Esteghlal at Takhti Tehran
Saipa played their match against Persepolis at Azadi

Highest attendances

Notes:
Updated to games played on 13 May 2016. Source: