PLDC - Iran has done a tremendous to make football an integral part of their lifestyle over the past decade. Football is the biggest sport and being a successful international team brings any country in the spotlight. Take Costa Rica for example, a small nation that is most talked about for its impressive performances in the World Cup whenever they participate.
The restructuring of football in Iran has been a long process and they have been rewarded with a place in the last two World Cup finals. On a fundamental level it has been very helpful in digging up talent from all over the country. But financially Iran’s domestic football is still lagging behind the top European countries.
The true mark of development in modern football is financial resources. The revenues earned from TV deals and winning prizes, the valuation of the club and player salaries are proof of any sports popularity in a country. Some high earning players have amassed so much wealth that they now own sports teams of their own.
Here we bring you the list of highest paid Iranian footballers playing in European leagues.
Alireza Jahanbaksh
Alireza Jahanbaksh started his senior career in Iran and was bought by Dutch team NEC in 2013. His impressed in his two years at NEC and when AZ Alkmaar came calling he could not refuse the offer. AZ offered him a huge contract of over five and half million Euro and he duly repaid that faith.
In his first season at AZ he was named the 2nd greatest young talent. In his final season, before moving to Brighton & Hove Albion in 2018, he scored 21 goals thus becoming the first Asian golden boot winner in a top European league.
Reza Ghoochan Nejad
The Iranian born Reza immigrated to the Netherlands at the age of four. His formative years were a bit rocky in Dutch football. He spent five years in SC Heerenveen’s academy and got promoted to the first team in 2005. He spent the next four year on loan in two clubs and was sold in 2009. If the beginning of his career was difficult his senior career was no different.
But his most impressive stint came with his boyhood club where he returned in 2016. He scored 27 goals in two seasons and earned a good three million Euro.
Sardar Azmoun
He is undoubtedly the most exciting Iranian player right now. He began his senior career in 2011 with Sepahan where he failed to make even a single appearance in two years. Rubin Kazan bought him in 2013 and loaned out to Rostov the next year. Impressed by his twelve goal return in that loan spell Rostov made his deal permanent. They paid him a staggering 11mn Euro in wages. After another successful season with Rostov, Rubin Kazan bought him back at the beginning of this season.
As more and more Iranian players make their name in the top European leagues it will ultimately benefit Iran in their pursuit of becoming a footballing country.