PLDC - Ali Fathollahzadeh resigned as general manager of Esteghlal on Saturday due to the dire economic conditions of the club.
He announced his resignation in a post on his official Instagram account on Saturday.
The resignation comes as according to reports, the team has failed to clear its debts to some of its former staff and players, including Italian coach Andrea Stramaccioni. The deadline for settling the financial issues was Friday so that the team could receive a license to participate in the 2023 AFC Champions League.
According to the AFC laws, the participating teams in the continental event should not have any debts, otherwise, they will not receive the required license.
Fathollahzadeh blamed former managers of the club for the remained debts, saying that he was “alone” in the past six months in settling the heavy debts.
He also turned off comments in a move that some Iranian media see as an escape from fans’ anger. This is the second year in a row that Estaghlal fails to compete in the continental event.
Esteghlal, along with archrival Persepolis, also failed to receive the license for last year’s AFC Champions League as the Asian football governing body had challenged the "joint ownership" of the two Iranian clubs by the Ministry of Sports and Youth.
Fathollahzadeh has managed Esteghlal in separate tenures. Under his management, the team won two league titles, four Hazfi Cup trophies, and a runner-up in the Asian club championship.
Esteghlal stands second in the league after Sepahan.