Rahman Rezaei
Encyclopedia
Rahman Rezaei is an Iranian football
player who currently plays for Paykan in the Iran Pro League. He is also a former member of the Iran national football team
and usually plays in the centre back position.
. Rezaei played for F.C. Zob Ahan in Isfahan for three seasons. After impressive performances for the club and the national team, he was transferred to Perugia
for €150,000 euros and then to Messina
.
Rahman Rezaei is currently the most successful Asia
n defender in Europe
. In the 2003/2004 season, he helped Messina gain promotion to Serie A
. He had been one of Messina's most consistently used players with 36 appearances in their 2004-05
mid-table finish. After steadily playing for his club for three seasons, at the end of August 2006 Rezaei signed with another Serie A club, Livorno.
He has won numerous plaudits in Italy and has been dubbed "The Flying Carpet". In addition, his fans in Messina have named him the "Secretary of Defense". In January 2006, he acquired Italian citizenship through his marriage to an Italian-Iranian Helia Hashemi.
In January 2008 Rahman's agent stated that Torino is interested in Rezaei and there may be a future move.
In July 2008, an Iranian newspaper reported Iranian giants Persepolis F.C. were holding talks with Rezaei. However, in mid-July, Afhsin Ghotbi was re-appointed manager of Persepolis and cut the talks with Rezaei, stating that the club were not looking for a centre-back player at that moment in time.
On 10 August 2009 Rezaei signed a 1-year, $700 thousand dollar contract with Qatar
i side Al-Ahli.
|-
|1995–96 ||rowspan="1"|Rah Ahan ||rowspan="1"|Second Division ||||7|||||||-||-||||
|-
|1996-97||rowspan="5"|Zob Ahan||rowspan="5"|Azadegan League ||||||||||-||-||||
|-
|1997-98||||||||||-||-||||
|-
|1998-99||||||-||-||-||-||||
|-
|1999-00||||||||||-||-||||
|-
|2000-01||||2||||||-||-||||
|-
|-
|2001–02 ||rowspan="2"|Perugia
||rowspan="2"|Serie A
||25||2|||||||-||-||||
|-
|2002–03||13||3||||||-||-||||
|-
|2003–04 ||rowspan="3"|Messina ||rowspan="1"|Serie B
||37||2||||||-||-||||
|-
|2004–05 ||rowspan="4"|Serie A
||37||0||||||-||-||||
|-
|2005–06||34||0||||||-||-||||
|-
|2006–07 ||rowspan="2"|Livorno ||16||1||1||0||3||0||20||1
|-
|2007–08||5||0||||||-||-||||
|-
|-
|2008–09 ||rowspan="1"|Persepolis ||rowspan="1"|Persian Gulf Cup ||13||0||3||0||4||0||20||0
|-
|-
|2011–12 ||rowspan="1"|Persepolis ||rowspan="1"|Persian Gulf Cup ||13||0||3||0||4||0||20||0
|-
|2009–10 ||rowspan="1"|Shahin
||rowspan="2"|Persian Gulf Cup ||6||0||0||0||-||-||6||0
|-
|2010–11 ||rowspan="1"|Paykan||12||1||0||0||-||-||12||1
|-
||||||||4||0||||
169||8||||||3||0||||
9||1||||||0||0||||
||||||||7||0||||
in July 2001 against Bosnia
. He has been the most consistent defender for the team ever since.
In European football, Rahman Rezaei is considered a solid defender well inclined to launch devastating counter attacks. However his role is different in the Iranian national football team
, where he is a straight defensive centre back. He was formerly a forward, but has proved to be an indispensable defensive stalwart for an Iranian side considered top-heavy in attacking players.
He was among the key players for Iran in World Cup 2006, but he did not perform as well as everyone had hoped. He received some criticism following a couple mistakes which led to goals being scored against the team.
On April 6, 2007 Rezaei stated he will retire from international football after the 2007 Asian Cup., but in another interview in December 2007 he expressed his intention to return to the national team.
Rezaei was given his #5 jersey and was selected for Team Melli's 2010 World Cup Qualification matches.
|-
|2001||16||0
|-
|2002||3||1
|-
|2003||5||0
|-
|2004||10||0
|-
|2005||6||1
|-
|2006||8||1
|-
|2007||6||0
|-
!Total||54||3
|}
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...
player who currently plays for Paykan in the Iran Pro League. He is also a former member of the 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...
and usually plays in the centre back position.
Club career
He was originally discovered by Iranian manager, Nasser HejaziNasser Hejazi
Nasser Hejazi nicknamed "Ostureh" ; was an Iranian football player and coach who most notably played for Esteghlal Tehran....
. Rezaei played for F.C. Zob Ahan in Isfahan for three seasons. After impressive performances for the club and the national team, he was transferred to Perugia
Perugia Calcio
Associazione Calcistica Perugia Calcio is an Italian association football club based in Perugia, Umbria, direct heir of the old Perugia Calcio and A.C. Perugia, excluded from Italian football because of financial troubles....
for €150,000 euros and then to Messina
F.C. Messina Peloro
Associazione Calcio Rinascita Messina is an Italian football club based in Messina, Sicily. It currently plays in Serie D.- Brief history :The origins of the team go back to 1900 when Messina F.C was founded in the city. The club has spent most of its history in the lower Italian football leagues...
.
Rahman Rezaei is currently the most successful Asia
Asia
Asia is the world's largest and most populous continent, located primarily in the eastern and northern hemispheres. It covers 8.7% of the Earth's total surface area and with approximately 3.879 billion people, it hosts 60% of the world's current human population...
n defender in Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
. In the 2003/2004 season, he helped Messina gain promotion to Serie A
Serie A
Serie A , now called Serie A TIM due to sponsorship by Telecom Italia, is a professional league competition for football clubs located at the top of the Italian football league system and has been operating for over eighty years since 1929. It had been organized by Lega Calcio until 2010, but a new...
. He had been one of Messina's most consistently used players with 36 appearances in their 2004-05
Serie A 2004-05
In the 2004–05 season, the Serie A, the highest professional football league in Italy, was composed of 20 teams for the first time in several years....
mid-table finish. After steadily playing for his club for three seasons, at the end of August 2006 Rezaei signed with another Serie A club, Livorno.
He has won numerous plaudits in Italy and has been dubbed "The Flying Carpet". In addition, his fans in Messina have named him the "Secretary of Defense". In January 2006, he acquired Italian citizenship through his marriage to an Italian-Iranian Helia Hashemi.
In January 2008 Rahman's agent stated that Torino is interested in Rezaei and there may be a future move.
In July 2008, an Iranian newspaper reported Iranian giants Persepolis F.C. were holding talks with Rezaei. However, in mid-July, Afhsin Ghotbi was re-appointed manager of Persepolis and cut the talks with Rezaei, stating that the club were not looking for a centre-back player at that moment in time.
On 10 August 2009 Rezaei signed a 1-year, $700 thousand dollar contract with Qatar
Qatar
Qatar , also known as the State of Qatar or locally Dawlat Qaṭar, is a sovereign Arab state, located in the Middle East, occupying the small Qatar Peninsula on the northeasterly coast of the much larger Arabian Peninsula. Its sole land border is with Saudi Arabia to the south, with the rest of its...
i side Al-Ahli.
Club Career Statistics
Last Update May 20, 2011|-
|1995–96 ||rowspan="1"|Rah Ahan ||rowspan="1"|Second Division ||||7|||||||-||-||||
|-
|1996-97||rowspan="5"|Zob Ahan||rowspan="5"|Azadegan League ||||||||||-||-||||
|-
|1997-98||||||||||-||-||||
|-
|1998-99||||||-||-||-||-||||
|-
|1999-00||||||||||-||-||||
|-
|2000-01||||2||||||-||-||||
|-
|-
|2001–02 ||rowspan="2"|Perugia
Perugia Calcio
Associazione Calcistica Perugia Calcio is an Italian association football club based in Perugia, Umbria, direct heir of the old Perugia Calcio and A.C. Perugia, excluded from Italian football because of financial troubles....
||rowspan="2"|Serie A
Serie A
Serie A , now called Serie A TIM due to sponsorship by Telecom Italia, is a professional league competition for football clubs located at the top of the Italian football league system and has been operating for over eighty years since 1929. It had been organized by Lega Calcio until 2010, but a new...
||25||2|||||||-||-||||
|-
|2002–03||13||3||||||-||-||||
|-
|2003–04 ||rowspan="3"|Messina ||rowspan="1"|Serie B
Serie B
Serie B, currently named Serie bwin due to sponsorship reasons, is the second-highest division in the Italian football league system after the Serie A. It is contested by 22 teams and organized by the Lega Serie B since July 2010, after the split of Lega Calcio that previously took care of both the...
||37||2||||||-||-||||
|-
|2004–05 ||rowspan="4"|Serie A
Serie A
Serie A , now called Serie A TIM due to sponsorship by Telecom Italia, is a professional league competition for football clubs located at the top of the Italian football league system and has been operating for over eighty years since 1929. It had been organized by Lega Calcio until 2010, but a new...
||37||0||||||-||-||||
|-
|2005–06||34||0||||||-||-||||
|-
|2006–07 ||rowspan="2"|Livorno ||16||1||1||0||3||0||20||1
|-
|2007–08||5||0||||||-||-||||
|-
|-
|2008–09 ||rowspan="1"|Persepolis ||rowspan="1"|Persian Gulf Cup ||13||0||3||0||4||0||20||0
|-
|-
|2011–12 ||rowspan="1"|Persepolis ||rowspan="1"|Persian Gulf Cup ||13||0||3||0||4||0||20||0
|-
|2009–10 ||rowspan="1"|Shahin
Shahin Bushehr F.C.
Shahin Pars Junubi Bushehr Football Club is an Iranian football club based in Bushehr, Iran. They compete in the Iranian Premier League and hold home games at Shahid Beheshti Stadium.-Shahin F.C. :Shahin F.C...
||rowspan="2"|Persian Gulf Cup ||6||0||0||0||-||-||6||0
|-
|2010–11 ||rowspan="1"|Paykan||12||1||0||0||-||-||12||1
|-
||||||||4||0||||
169||8||||||3||0||||
9||1||||||0||0||||
||||||||7||0||||
- Assist Goals
Season Team Assists 09–10 2009–10 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...Shahin Shahin Bushehr F.C.Shahin Pars Junubi Bushehr Football Club is an Iranian football club based in Bushehr, Iran. They compete in the Iranian Premier League and hold home games at Shahid Beheshti Stadium.-Shahin F.C. :Shahin F.C...0
International career
Rahman Rezaei made his first appearance for IranIran 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 July 2001 against Bosnia
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 has been the most consistent defender for the team ever since.
In European football, Rahman Rezaei is considered a solid defender well inclined to launch devastating counter attacks. However his role is different in the Iranian 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...
, where he is a straight defensive centre back. He was formerly a forward, but has proved to be an indispensable defensive stalwart for an Iranian side considered top-heavy in attacking players.
He was among the key players for Iran in World Cup 2006, but he did not perform as well as everyone had hoped. He received some criticism following a couple mistakes which led to goals being scored against the team.
On April 6, 2007 Rezaei stated he will retire from international football after the 2007 Asian Cup., but in another interview in December 2007 he expressed his intention to return to the national team.
Rezaei was given his #5 jersey and was selected for Team Melli's 2010 World Cup Qualification matches.
|-
|2001||16||0
|-
|2002||3||1
|-
|2003||5||0
|-
|2004||10||0
|-
|2005||6||1
|-
|2006||8||1
|-
|2007||6||0
|-
!Total||54||3
|}
International goals
- Scores and results list Iran's goal tally first.
# Date Venue Opponent Score Result Competition 1 3 June 2005 Azadi Stadium Azadi StadiumThe Azadi Stadium formerly Aryamehr Stadium is Iran's national stadium and the largest in the country. The Azadi stadium officially has a capacity of 100,000 people and was built to host the 1974 Asian Games...
, TehranTehranTehran , 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...
1-0 1-0 2006 FIFA World Cup qualification 2006 FIFA World Cup qualificationA total of 197 teams entered the qualification process for the 2006 FIFA World Cup, competing for a total of 32 spots in the final tournament. Germany, as the host, qualified automatically, leaving 31 spots open for competition...2 28 May 2006 Azadi Stadium Azadi StadiumThe Azadi Stadium formerly Aryamehr Stadium is Iran's national stadium and the largest in the country. The Azadi stadium officially has a capacity of 100,000 people and was built to host the 1974 Asian Games...
, TehranTehranTehran , 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...
2-2 5-2 Friendly 3 7 February 2007 Azadi Stadium Azadi StadiumThe Azadi Stadium formerly Aryamehr Stadium is Iran's national stadium and the largest in the country. The Azadi stadium officially has a capacity of 100,000 people and was built to host the 1974 Asian Games...
, TehranTehranTehran , 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...
2-0 2-2 Friendly