Malavan F.C.

Malavan Bandar Anzali Football Club (Persian: باشگاه فوتبال ملوان بندر انزلى) is an Iranian football club based in Bandar-e Anzali, Iran. It currently plays in Iran's second football league, the Azadegan League after they were relegated in 2015–16 season. The team is known to have some of the most passionate fans in Iranian football, and is one of the successful teams that is not based in Tehran. This team is one of the most proud Iranian teams in the Hazfi Cup . The Malavan has entered the 7th Hazfi Cup finals and has 3 titles.

Malavan
ملوان
Full nameMalavan Bandar Anzali Football Club
Nickname(s)Ghou-ye Sepid (White Swan قوي سپيد)
Malavan of rain city
Malavanan (Sailors)
Founded1969; 51 years ago
GroundTakhti Stadium
Capacity8,000
ChairmanPejman Nouri
ManagerMaziar Zare
LeagueAzadegan League
2019–20Azadegan League, 15th
WebsiteClub website

The club is owned by Iranian businessman Mohsen Mirabi and forms the football part of the multisport Malavan Sport and Cultural Club. Malavan traditionally was owned by Iranian Navy.

History

Establishment

Bahman Salehnia created the team in 1968 along with some young athletes from the port city of Anzali. After some time, the Iranian Navy decided to become the team's main sponsor and owner.

Early years

The club never really had great success in the league but they were able to become the best non-Tehran based club and finishing third in the 1977 and 1989. Malavan has won the Hazfi Cup on 3 occasions. In 1988 Malavan participated in Asian Club Championship but after beating Saunders SC in first round they withdrew from tournament due to the Iran–Iraq War.

Iran Pro League

In 2003 Malavan was relegated to the Azadegan League, they only stayed one year in the lower league as they were immediately promoted back to the Iran Pro League. Since then, they have been one of the most stable teams of the league in recent years where they only had few coaches during their history and always finished in mid table and challenge the big teams. They finished 12th in the 2008–09 and 2009–10 season. In 2010–11 season they finished 8th and reached the final of Hazfi Cup but lost to Persepolis. In the 2013–14 Iran Pro League season Malavan achieved a surprising 7th-place finish in the league, their highest ever.

Relegation

In July 2015 Malavan hired famous Iranian coach Amir Ghalenoi who had won several league titles with Esteghlal and Sepahan. Player such as Arash Afshin, Hossein Mahini and Shahab Karami joined the squad to serve their conscription period. In Ghalenoi's first game in charge, Malavan defeated the Hazfi Cup holders, Zob Ahan 1–0. After only three games Ghalenoi left the club and was replaced by former Persepolis manager Hamid Estili.

On 13 May 2016 after a 2–0 loss to Siah Jamegan, who were behind Malavan before the match started, the clubs was relegated to the Azadegan League for the second time in their history.

Before the start of the 2016–17 season it was announced that controversial manager Mohammad Mayeli Kohan had been named Malavan's manager. Despite achieving good results and being in or near a promotion spot the entire season, Mayeli Kohan was involved in several confrontations with the supporters, which led to many supporters boycotting the team's games.

El Gilano

The match between Malavan and Damash or Sepidrood is known as the Gilan Derby or El Gilano. This match is one of Iran's most important and heated derby's. Malavan hold the record for most wins in the derby with four since the start of the Iran Pro League in 2001. Malavan also holds the largest margin of victor when they defeated Damash 3–0 in 2005 and again in 2013. The derby is also known for its fan violence.

Fans

Fans of Malavan in play of Malavan & Esteghlal semi-final in 2010–11 Hazfi Cup

Malavan fans are among Iran's most passionate and loyal fans. People's daily life is tied with Malavan matches . Most businesses are closed during Malavan games.

Season-by-season

The table below chronicles the achievements of Malavan in various competitions since the beginning of Iranian Pro league in 2001.

Year Division Position Hazfi Cup
2001–02 Pro League 12th 1/8 Final
2002–03 Pro League 14th 1/4 Final
2003–04 Azadegan League 2nd 1/8 Final
2004–05 Pro League 7th 1/8 Final
2005–06 Pro League 11th Quarter final
2006–07 Pro League 14th 1/8 Final
2007–08 Pro League 16th 1/16 Final
2008–09 Pro League 12th 1/8 Final
2009–10 Pro League 12th 1/8 Final
2010–11 Pro League 8th Final
2011–12 Pro League 15th Fourth Round
2012–13 Pro League 13th 1/16 Final
2013–14 Pro League 7th 1/8 Final
2014–15 Pro League 13th 1/16 Final
2015–16 Pro League 14th 1/8 Final
2016–17 Azadegan League 4th 1/8 Final
2017–18 Azadegan League 6th 1/8 Final

For details on seasons, see List of Malavan F.C. seasons

Honours & Individual records

National titles

Winners (3): 1975–76, 1986–87, 1990–91
Runner-up (4): 1987–88, 1988–89, 1991–92, 2010–11
Runner-up (1): 2003–04

Minor titles

Third Place (1): 1982
Runner-up (1): 1974

Top scorers of the club in the Iran Pro League era, bold indicates present player.

Top scorers

Player Goals Years
Jalal Rafkhaei 68 2005–10, 2011–16
Mohammad Nozhati 23 2004–05, 2007–13
Mehrdad Oladi 20 2009–11, 2012–13, 2014
Pejman Nouri 18 2001–03, 2009–11, 2012–13, 2014–16
Mehdi Daghagheleh 16 2010–12, 2013–14

Club officials

Presidents

Sources:[1][2]

 
Name Years
Rashid Sazmand 1996–06
Saadollah Pourtahmasbi 2006–09
Ardeshir Pournemat 2009–11
Bahman Salehnia 2011–12
Sadegh Deroudgar 2012–14
Hossein Gholami 2014–15
Ahmad Donyamali 2015–17
Mehran Nasiri 2017–18

Current coaching staff

Source:[3]

PositionName
Head coach Maziar Zare
Assistant coach
Goalkeeping coach Mohammad Ali Hassani Sefat
Doctor Babak Sayyad
Technical director Ghafour Jahani
Team manager Hossein Gholami

Head coaches

Below is a list of Malavan coaches from 1968 until the present day. Firouz Karimi carries the honor of being the first Iranian head coach to assume the title without rising from the Malavan football school.

 
Name Nationality Years
Bahman Salehnia 20 May 1968 – 5 February 1997
Nosrat Irandoost 5 February 1997 – 15 December 2000
Mohammad Ahmadzadeh 15 Dec 2000 – 2 July 2002
Bahman Salehnia 15 May 2002 – 2 July 2004
Nosrat Irandoost 2 July 2004 – 5 July 2006
Mohammad Ahmadzadeh 5 July 2006 – 1 January 2010
Farhad Pourgholami 1 January 2010 – 29 September 2012
Mohammad Ahmadzadeh 29 September 2012 – 28 May 2013
Dragan Skočić 28 May 2013 – 1 June 2014
Nosrat Irandoost 1 June 2014 – 8 October 2014
Stevan Mojsilović 8 October 2014 – 5 December 2014
Firouz Karimi 6 December 2014 – 1 June 2015
Hamid Estili 10 August 2015 – 20 February 2016
Mohammad Ahmadzadeh 1 March 2016 – 15 July 2016
Mohammad Mayeli Kohan 22 July 2016 – 27 May 2017
Nader Dastneshan 28 May 2017 – 1 June 2018
Farhad Pourgholami 1 June 2018 – 28 October 2018
Mohammad Ahmadzadeh 31 October 2018 – 7 June 2020
Akbar Misaghian 7 June 2020 – 1 September 2020
Maziar Zare 1 September 2020 Present

Players

First-team squad

As of 13 March 2019[4]

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

No. Pos. Nation Player
28 MF  IRN Khashayar Zabarjad
4 DF  IRN Mahyar Nouri
5 DF  IRN Saeb Mohebi
6 DF  IRN Mehdi Karbalaei
8 MF  IRN Pejman Nouri (Captain)
10 FW  IRN Shahriar Moghanlou U23
11 FW  IRN Babak Moradi
12 FW  IRN Mohammadreza Naghdipour
14 FW  IRN Ali Fatemi
15 MF  IRN Mohammad Bakhtiari
16 MF  IRN Mohammad Pour Rahmatollah
17 MF  IRN Pouria Gholami U23
No. Pos. Nation Player
19 MF  IRN Abbas Amraei
24 MF  IRN Hesam SoltanpourU21
26 DF  IRN Mahyar Zahmatkesh U23
31 GK  IRN Hojjat Sedghi
32 DF  IRN Amin Jahan Kohan
34 MF  IRN Iman Basafa
46 FW  IRN Mersad YousefzadehU23
70 FW  IRN Bahman Salari
77 FW  IRN Milad Ahmadi
99 DF  IRN Mehdi Rostami
DF  IRN Danial Mahini
FW  IRN Hamid Khodabandelou

Loan list

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

No. Pos. Nation Player

For recent transfers, see List of Iranian football transfers summer 2017.

Notable players

Honours

National titles

Winners (3): 1975–76, 1986–87, 1990–91
Runner-up (4): 1987–88, 1988–89, 1991–92, 2010–11
Runner-up (1): 2003–04

Minor titles

Third Place (1): 1982
Runner-up (1): 1974

Notes

  1. "Salehnia return to Malavan". PersianLeague.com. 13 July 2002. Retrieved 19 July 2016.
  2. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 25 January 2020. Retrieved 27 July 2011.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  3. حمید استیلی قراردادش را امضا کرد/ پایان رافت در کادرفنی ملوان (in Persian). Mehr News Agency. Retrieved 12 August 2015.
  4. "Malavan ملوان انزلی – IPL 2012–2013". PersianLeague.com. 16 May 2016. Archived from the original on 5 July 2012. Retrieved 19 July 2016.

References

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