Amir Ghalenoei
Encyclopedia
Amir Ghalenoei is an Iran
ian football
coach and former player. He is currently the head coach of Tractor Sazi. He has been the most successful coach in Iran Pro League and managed several clubs, including Esteghlal
, Mes Kerman
, Sepahan
and Tractor Sazi, with 2 of which he won a total of 4 championships and 2 Hazfi Cup
s. He was also the head coach of Iran national football team
from August 2006 to July 2007.
in South Tehran
, Iran
. His father was a Taxi
and died in 1971 when he was only seven years old. He begin working when he was 13 and started his football career at the same time.
in 1986 when Ebrahimi became Shahin's head coach. In first and second year of his playing at Shahin with Ebrahimi was stressful. He left the club in 1988 for Al-Sadd Qatar. After one year, Ghalenoei was transferred to Esteghlal F.C. in 1988, where he spent the rest of his football career, until retirement. He became captain of Esteghlal in 1993 and retired in 1995.
in 1990 and showed a reasonable performance. He was invited to Iran national football team
in 1993 by Ali Parvin
. He made his debut on September 12, 1993 against Bosnia and Herzegovina
. He retired from the national team when he was injured in a match against Qatar
.
football club six month earlier.
In 2005–06 season, he led Esteghlal FC
, which he had once played for, to the championship in Iran's Premier Football League. IRIFF Chair Qumars Hashemi, appointed Ghalenoei as manager of the Iran national football team on July 17, 2006 to succeed Branko Ivanković
. After a quarterfinals finish during the 2007 Asian Cup, Ghalenoei was heavily criticized for substituting the goalkeeper just prior to the shoot-out, where Iran lost to South Korea in a penalty shoot-out. He was ultimately sacked upon a period of negotiation, after which the Team Melli was left with a caretaker manager for several months.
Despite being in negotiations with Uzbek League
champions FC Pakhtakor Tashkent
on January 1, 2008, Ghalenoei signed a contract until the end of the 2007–08 season with Iran Pro League side Mes Kerman F.C.. where he led the club to finish among the top teams by the end of season, even though it was at the bottom of the table when he accepted the job.
In 2008 he signed a one-year deal with Esteghlal F.C.. He won one Hazfi Cup
and on League for Esteghlal in 12 months but had a hard time in ACL
where he could not advance to knockout stages and left the club due to problems and conflicts with the chairman which hurt many of Esteghlal fans.
He signed for Sepahan in summer 2009. Where he won the Persian Gulf Cup for the second time in a row and also failing to qualify for last 16 in AFC Champions League
for the second time in the row again. Ghalenoei renewed his contract with Sepahan for one billion Iranian toman
salary for the upcoming season, where he won the league for the third time in the row and second time with Sepahan. He resigned as Head Coach of Sepahan on June 4, 2011. even though he had led the club to the knockout stage of the AFC Champions League
as the best team of the west Asian division, for the first time in his managerial career. On June 13, 2011, he was named as new Tractor Sazi F.C. head coach to manage team in 2011–12 Persian Gulf Cup
and 2011–12 Hazfi Cup
. His title is General and Amir Pasha. (Əmir Paşa in Azerbaijani)
Iran
Iran , officially the Islamic Republic of Iran , is a country in Southern and Western Asia. The name "Iran" has been in use natively since the Sassanian era and came into use internationally in 1935, before which the country was known to the Western world as Persia...
ian football
Football (soccer)
Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a sport played between two teams of eleven players with a spherical ball...
coach and former player. He is currently the head coach of Tractor Sazi. He has been the most successful coach in Iran Pro League and managed several clubs, including Esteghlal
Esteghlal
Esteghlal is an Arabic word means independence. the name held by many Iranian football clubs and Armenian football clubs. This includes:*Esteghlal F.C.— Iranian football club*Esteghlal Ahvaz F.C...
, Mes Kerman
Mes Kerman
Mes Kerman Football Club is an Iranian football team based in Kerman, Iran.They were promoted to Iran's top league, the IPL, in the 2005-06 season. The team is named after and sponsored by Kerman's copper industries.Mes Kerman F.C...
, Sepahan
Sepahan
Sepahan Esfahan is an Iranian football club based in Isfahan, Iran. They compete in Iran's top flight known as Persian Gulf League and hold most of the records in the PGL under their belt. Sepahan are the latest champions of the PGL in 2010–11 season for the record third time in the ten-year PGL...
and Tractor Sazi, with 2 of which he won a total of 4 championships and 2 Hazfi Cup
Hazfi Cup
The Hazfi Cup is a knockout cup competition in Iranian football, run by the Iranian Football Federation. The competition wasn't regarded important by clubs until the IRIFF decided to award one of Iran's four AFC Champions League spots to the champion....
s. He was also the head coach of Iran national football team
Iran national football team
The national football team of Iran represents Iran in international football competitions and is controlled by the Football Federation Islamic Republic of Iran...
from August 2006 to July 2007.
Early life
He was born on July 9, 1964 in Nazi AbadNazi Abad
Nazi Abad is a neighborhood to the south of the central district of the city of Tehran in Iran. Although the south part of Tehran is poorer than the north part, Nazi Abad is one of the best neighborhoods.High crime rate and over population is the feature of this district.From "Bazar Avval" to...
in South Tehran
Tehran
Tehran , sometimes spelled Teheran, is the capital of Iran and Tehran Province. With an estimated population of 8,429,807; it is also Iran's largest urban area and city, one of the largest cities in Western Asia, and is the world's 19th largest city.In the 20th century, Tehran was subject to...
, Iran
Iran
Iran , officially the Islamic Republic of Iran , is a country in Southern and Western Asia. The name "Iran" has been in use natively since the Sassanian era and came into use internationally in 1935, before which the country was known to the Western world as Persia...
. His father was a Taxi
Taxicab
A taxicab, also taxi or cab, is a type of vehicle for hire with a driver, used by a single passenger or small group of passengers, often for a non-shared ride. A taxicab conveys passengers between locations of their choice...
and died in 1971 when he was only seven years old. He begin working when he was 13 and started his football career at the same time.
Club career
He was chosen to play in Rah Ahan B in 1980 by his friend's father. Then Rah Ahan coach, Nasser Ebrahimi, moved him to the main Rah Ahan team. He was moved to ShahinShahin F.C.
Shahin Tehran Football Club was an Iranian football club based in Tehran, Iran that existed until the early 1990s. Shahin A.C. is located at Narmak, Golestan Street. They currently compete in the 2011–12 Iran Football's 3rd Division.-History:...
in 1986 when Ebrahimi became Shahin's head coach. In first and second year of his playing at Shahin with Ebrahimi was stressful. He left the club in 1988 for Al-Sadd Qatar. After one year, Ghalenoei was transferred to Esteghlal F.C. in 1988, where he spent the rest of his football career, until retirement. He became captain of Esteghlal in 1993 and retired in 1995.
International career
He was invited to Iran national under-23 football teamIran national under-23 football team
Iran national under-23 football team represents Iran in international football competitions in Olympic Games and Asian Games, as well as any other under-23 international football tournaments...
in 1990 and showed a reasonable performance. He was invited to Iran national football team
Iran national football team
The national football team of Iran represents Iran in international football competitions and is controlled by the Football Federation Islamic Republic of Iran...
in 1993 by Ali Parvin
Ali Parvin
Ali Parvin , born September 25, 1947 in Tehran) is a retired Iranian football player, coach and a current administrator. He is one of the most famous footballers ever to play in Iran, and is regarded as one of the best from Iran.-Club career:...
. He made his debut on September 12, 1993 against Bosnia and Herzegovina
Bosnia and Herzegovina national football team
The Bosnia and Herzegovina national football team is the national football team of Bosnia and Herzegovina, governed by the Football Association of Bosnia and Herzegovina...
. He retired from the national team when he was injured in a match against Qatar
Qatar national football team
The Qatar national football team is the national team of Qatar and is controlled by the Qatar Football Association. They have never qualified for a FIFA World Cup but are hosting the 2022 FIFA World Cup. The team has also appeared in seven AFC Asian Cup tournaments and hosted the 2011 AFC Asian...
.
International goals
| Date | Venue | Opponent | Result | Competition | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1992-10-18 | Kuwait City Kuwait City -Suburbs:Although the districts below are not usually recognized as suburbs, the following is a list of a few areas surrounding Kuwait city:Al-Salam ""السلام"" -Economy:... , Kuwait Kuwait The State of Kuwait is a sovereign Arab state situated in the north-east of the Arabian Peninsula in Western Asia. It is bordered by Saudi Arabia to the south at Khafji, and Iraq to the north at Basra. It lies on the north-western shore of the Persian Gulf. The name Kuwait is derived from the... |
1–1 | Friendly | 1 | |
Managerial career
Ghalenoei is the first Iranian football manager who passed Manchester United managerial class when he was 40 after taking Europe grade C at Bayer LeverkusenBayer Leverkusen
Bayer 04 Leverkusen is a German football club based in Leverkusen, North Rhine-Westphalia. It is the most well-known department of TSV Bayer 04 Leverkusen, a sports club whose members also participate in athletics, gymnastics, basketball and other sports.-Origins and early years:On 27 November...
football club six month earlier.
In 2005–06 season, he led Esteghlal FC
Esteghlal FC
Esteghlal Cultural and Athletic Club is an Iranian sports club most widely known for its professional football team based in Tehran. It was founded as Taj , meaning 'Crown' in Persian and renamed after the Islamic Revoloution in 1979...
, which he had once played for, to the championship in Iran's Premier Football League. IRIFF Chair Qumars Hashemi, appointed Ghalenoei as manager of the Iran national football team on July 17, 2006 to succeed Branko Ivanković
Branko Ivankovic
Branko Ivanković is a Croatian football coach and former player. After a 12-year playing career at Varteks Varaždin, Ivanković started his coaching career at the same club in 1991. He led the Iranian national football team at the 2006 World Cup...
. After a quarterfinals finish during the 2007 Asian Cup, Ghalenoei was heavily criticized for substituting the goalkeeper just prior to the shoot-out, where Iran lost to South Korea in a penalty shoot-out. He was ultimately sacked upon a period of negotiation, after which the Team Melli was left with a caretaker manager for several months.
Despite being in negotiations with Uzbek League
Uzbek League
The Uzbekistan Professional Football League , is the top division of football in Uzbekistan, and is operated under the auspices of the Uzbekistan Football Federation.-Soviet time champions:*1926 : FC Tashkent*1927 : FC Tashkent*1928 : FC Fergana...
champions FC Pakhtakor Tashkent
FC Pakhtakor Tashkent
FC Pakhtakor Tashkent is an Uzbek professional football club, based in the capital Tashkent. Pakhtakor means cotton-grower in English.Playing in the Uzbek League since 1992, the club has been the undisputed powerhouse in Uzbekistan since the fall of the Soviet Union, winning eight Uzbek League...
on January 1, 2008, Ghalenoei signed a contract until the end of the 2007–08 season with Iran Pro League side Mes Kerman F.C.. where he led the club to finish among the top teams by the end of season, even though it was at the bottom of the table when he accepted the job.
In 2008 he signed a one-year deal with Esteghlal F.C.. He won one Hazfi Cup
Hazfi Cup
The Hazfi Cup is a knockout cup competition in Iranian football, run by the Iranian Football Federation. The competition wasn't regarded important by clubs until the IRIFF decided to award one of Iran's four AFC Champions League spots to the champion....
and on League for Esteghlal in 12 months but had a hard time in ACL
AFC Champions League
The AFC Champions League is the premier Asian club football competition hosted annually by Asian Football Confederation . The tournament is contested among the top thirty-two clubs from the top 10 Asian leagues, two of which must qualify through the playoffs...
where he could not advance to knockout stages and left the club due to problems and conflicts with the chairman which hurt many of Esteghlal fans.
He signed for Sepahan in summer 2009. Where he won the Persian Gulf Cup for the second time in a row and also failing to qualify for last 16 in AFC Champions League
AFC Champions League
The AFC Champions League is the premier Asian club football competition hosted annually by Asian Football Confederation . The tournament is contested among the top thirty-two clubs from the top 10 Asian leagues, two of which must qualify through the playoffs...
for the second time in the row again. Ghalenoei renewed his contract with Sepahan for one billion Iranian toman
Iranian toman
The toman , is a superunit of the official currency of Iran, the rial. Toman, derived from a Mongolian word meaning ten thousand , was the currency of Iran until 1932. It was divided into 10,000 dinar. Between 1798 and 1825, the toman was also subdivided into 8 rial, each of 1250 dinar...
salary for the upcoming season, where he won the league for the third time in the row and second time with Sepahan. He resigned as Head Coach of Sepahan on June 4, 2011. even though he had led the club to the knockout stage of the AFC Champions League
AFC Champions League
The AFC Champions League is the premier Asian club football competition hosted annually by Asian Football Confederation . The tournament is contested among the top thirty-two clubs from the top 10 Asian leagues, two of which must qualify through the playoffs...
as the best team of the west Asian division, for the first time in his managerial career. On June 13, 2011, he was named as new Tractor Sazi F.C. head coach to manage team in 2011–12 Persian Gulf Cup
2011–12 Persian Gulf Cup
The 2011–12 Persian Gulf Cup will be the eleventh season of the Iran Pro League and the sixth under the name Persian Gulf Cup. Sepahan are the defending champions. The regular season started on 2 August 2011.- Stadia and locations :...
and 2011–12 Hazfi Cup
2011–12 Hazfi Cup
The 2011–12 Hazfi Cup will be the 25th season of the Iranian football knockout competition. Persepolis is the defending champion. The competition starts in the middle of September, 2011.-Participating teams:...
. His title is General and Amir Pasha. (Əmir Paşa in Azerbaijani)
| Team | From | To | Record | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| G | W | D | L | Win % | GF | GA | +/- | |||
| Esteghlal | July 2003 | July 2006 | 86 | 46 | 30 | 10 | 55% | 141 | 83 | |
| Iran | August 2006 | July 2007 | 17 | 10 | 6 | 1 | 58.8% | 30 | 12 | |
| Esteghlal | April 2008 | July 2009 | 42 | 20 | 14 | 8 | 48% | 86 | 45 | |
| Sepahan | June 2009 | June 2011 | 76 | 40 | 24 | 12 | 52% | 131 | 65 | |
| Tractor Sazi | July 2011 | Present | 14 | 7 | 3 | 4 | 55% | 29 | 22 | |
| Total | 235 | 123 | 77 | 34 | 60% | 417 | 227 | +190 | ||
Player
- Qods League
- Winner:1
- 1989/90
- Winner:1
- AFC Champions LeagueAFC Champions LeagueThe AFC Champions League is the premier Asian club football competition hosted annually by Asian Football Confederation . The tournament is contested among the top thirty-two clubs from the top 10 Asian leagues, two of which must qualify through the playoffs...
- Winner:1
- 1990
- Winner:1
- Tehran LeagueTehranTehran , sometimes spelled Teheran, is the capital of Iran and Tehran Province. With an estimated population of 8,429,807; it is also Iran's largest urban area and city, one of the largest cities in Western Asia, and is the world's 19th largest city.In the 20th century, Tehran was subject to...
- Winner:1
- 1991
- Winner:1
- Tehran Super CupSuper CupA Super Cup is a competition, usually but not exclusively in football, which often forms the curtain-raiser to a season. Most Super Cups are one-off fixtures between the League Champions and major Cup Winners of the previous season. Sometimes these are two-legged affairs, with a match played at...
- Winner:1
- 1994
- Winner:1
- Hazfi CupHazfi CupThe Hazfi Cup is a knockout cup competition in Iranian football, run by the Iranian Football Federation. The competition wasn't regarded important by clubs until the IRIFF decided to award one of Iran's four AFC Champions League spots to the champion....
- Winner:1
- 1996
- Winner:1
Coach
- Iran Pro League
- Winner: 4
- 2005–06 with Esteghlal
- 2008–09 with Esteghlal
- 2009–102009–10 Persian Gulf CupThe 2009–10 Persian Gulf Cup began on August 8, 2009 and ended on May 19, 2010. This was the ninth Iran Pro League season since its establishment...
with Sepahan - 2010–112010–11 Persian Gulf CupThe 2010–11 Persian Gulf Cup was the tenth season of the Iran Pro League and the fifth under the name Persian Gulf Cup. It began on 26 July 2010 and ended on 20 May 2011. Sepahan, the defending champion, repeated their title in this season...
with Sepahan
- Runner up: 1
- 2003–04 with Esteghlal
- Winner: 4
- Hazfi CupHazfi CupThe Hazfi Cup is a knockout cup competition in Iranian football, run by the Iranian Football Federation. The competition wasn't regarded important by clubs until the IRIFF decided to award one of Iran's four AFC Champions League spots to the champion....
- Winner: 2
- 2002 with Esteghlal
- 2008 with Esteghlal
- Runner up: 1
- 2004 with Esteghlal
- Winner: 2