Sepahan look to end Iranian drought

AFCCL - Having become the first club from outside Tehran to win the Iranian league four years ago, Sepahan now find themselves on the verge of making history once again after becoming the first Iranian side to reach the AFC Champions League final.

The club from Esfahan have long lived in the shadow of Tehran giants Esteghlal and Persepolis but their 3-1 aggregate victory over Al Wahda of the United Arab Emirates in the semi-finals last month has given them the opportunity to end the country’s 14-year drought in Asia’s continental club competitions.

Since Pas beat Saudi Arabia’s Al Shabab to win the 1992 Asian Club Championship, Iranian clubs have failed to deliver an Asian title although Esteghlal did go close in 1999 when they lost 2-1 to Japanese side Jubilo Iwata in the Asian Club Championship final.

The drought has worsened since the establishment of the AFC Champions League in 2002 with only Pas, in 2005, successfully negotiating the group stage before going out on away goals to Al Ain in the quarter-finals.

But after narrowly failing to reach the last eight on two occasions, Sepahan have managed to put Iranian club football on the map this year with a spirited run that has included memorable wins against Al Shabab of Saudi Arabia, Kawasaki Frontale of Japan and Al Wahda of the United Arab Emirates.

It is a tremendous achievement for a team that few football fans outside of Iran had probably heard of prior to their first Iran Pro League championship in 2003.

Formed in 1953 and named after the old Persian word for Esfahan, Sepahan competed in the Esfahan league until becoming members of Iran’s top flight, the Azadegan League, in 1993.

The club enjoyed little success in the national league prior to their acquisition by steelmakers Foolad Mobarekeh in 2000 and when the Iranian league became professional in the 2001/02 season, Sepahan still made little impression, finishing ninth out of 14 teams during the inaugural season, 17 points behind champions Persepolis.

It would prove to be a very different story though the following year as Sepahan won nine of their first 10 games of the season to surge to the top of the league. Their form cooled off as the season progressed but they were still able to claim the league title with three games to spare, finishing seven points ahead of runners-up Pas.

Playing in the AFC Champions League for the first time in 2004, Sepahan trounced Neftchi of Uzbekistan 4-0 in their opening match and were only denied a place in the last eight by eventual winners Al Ittihad, who finished the group stage level on points with the Iranian side but progressed on the basis of better head-to-head results.

Sepahan’s 5-2 aggregate victory over Esteghlal in the 2004 Hazfi Cup final earned them another shot at the AFC Champions League in 2005 but once again, they would be denied a spot in the quarter-finals after a 3-2 loss at Al Ain in their final group game.

While Sepahan have failed to mount a sustained challenge for the league since their 2003 title, their form in the Hazfi Cup in recent seasons has been remarkable.

They beat Persepolis 4-2 on penalties to win the cup for a second time in 2006 and their 4-0 aggregate win over Saba Battery in June for their third cup victory in four seasons means that they will play in the AFC Champions League again in 2008 regardless of what happens in the final against Urawa Reds.

But given the opportunity to make history once again, there is little doubt that the club from Esfahan will be making every effort against the Japanese side to ensure an end to Iran’s long drought in Asian club competition.