Malavan F.C.

Malavanملوان
Full nameMalavan Bandar Anzali Football Club
NicknamesGhou-ye Sepid (The White Swan)Malavānān (The Sailors)
Short nameMalavan
Founded1969 (1969)
GroundGhayeghran Stadium
Capacity9,000[1]
ChairmanAshkan Pourrashid
ManagerMaziar Zare
LeaguePersian Gulf Pro League
2024–25Persian Gulf Pro League, 7th of 16
Websitehttp://malavanfc.com

Malavan Bandar Anzali Football Club (Persian: باشگاه فوتبال ملوان بندر انزلى, Bāšgāh-e Futbāl-e Malavān-e Bandar-e Anzali) is an Iranian football club based in Bandar-e Anzali, Iran. It won Iran's second league, the Azadegan League and came back to Persian Gulf Pro League after being relegated in the 2015–16 season. The team is known for having some of the most passionate fans in Iranianfootball, and is one of the country's most successful teams based outside Tehran. It is one of the most successful Iranian teams in the Hazfi Cup, reaching the final 7 times and winning 3 titles.

The club forms the football part of the multisport Malavan Sport and Cultural Club. Malavan was previously owned by the Iranian Navy.

History

Establishment

Bahman Salehnia created the team in 1968 along with some young athletes from the port city of Anzali. After some time, the Iranian Navy decided to become the team's main sponsor and owner.

Early years

The club never really had great success in the league but they were able to become the best non-Tehran based club and finishing third in the 1977 and 1989. Malavan has won the Hazfi Cup on 3 occasions. In 1986 Malavan participated in Asian Club Championship but after beating Saunders SC in first round they withdrew from tournament due to the Iran–Iraq War.

Iran Pro League

In 2003 Malavan was relegated to the Azadegan League, they only stayed one year in the lower league as they were immediately promoted back to the Iran Pro League. Since then, they have been one of the most stable teams of the league in recent years where they only had few coaches during their history and always finished in mid table and challenge the big teams. They finished 12th in the 2008–09 and 2009–10 season. In 2010–11 season they finished 8th and reached the final of Hazfi Cup but lost to Persepolis. In the 2013–14 Iran Pro League season Malavan achieved a surprising 7th-place finish in the league, their highest ever.

Relegation

In July 2015 Malavan hired famous Iranian coach Amir Ghalenoi who had won several league titles with Esteghlal and Sepahan. Player such as Arash Afshin, Hossein Mahini and Shahab Karami joined the squad to serve their conscription period. In Ghalenoi's first game in charge, Malavan defeated the Hazfi Cup holders, Zob Ahan 1–0. After only three games Ghalenoi left the club and was replaced by former Persepolis manager Hamid Estili.

On 13 May 2016 after a 2–0 loss to Siah Jamegan, who were behind Malavan before the match started, the clubs was relegated to the Azadegan League for the second time in their history.

Before the start of the 2016–17 season it was announced that controversial manager Mohammad Mayeli Kohan had been named Malavan's manager. Despite achieving good results and being in or near a promotion spot the entire season, Mayeli Kohan was involved in several confrontations with the supporters, which led to many supporters boycotting the team's games.

Return to Pro League with Zare

2020-2021 season marked the return of two retired homegrown players, Maziar Zare and Pejman Nouri, the former as the new head coach and the latter as the general manager of the club. In his first season, Zare lead the team to the semi-final of the domestic cup, despite failing to win promotion. In the 2021-2022 season, Zare led the team back to the Pro League by winning the Azadegan League with record points, marking the return of Malavan to the top flight after six years.

El Gilano

The match between Malavan and Damash or Sepidrood is known as the Gilan Derby or El Gilano. This match is one of Iran's most important and heated derby's. Malavan hold the record for most wins in the derby with four since the start of the Iran Pro League in 2001. Malavan also holds the largest margin of victory when they defeated Damash 3–0 in 2005 and again in 2013. The derby is also known for its fan violence.

Fans of Malavan in play of Malavan & Esteghlal semi-final in 2010–11 Hazfi Cup

Season-by-season

The table below chronicles the achievements of Malavan in various competitions since the beginning of Iranian Pro league in 2001.

Year Division Position Hazfi Cup
2001–02Pro League12th Quarter-finals
2002–03Pro League14th Relegated to the Azadegan LeagueRound of 16
2003–04Azadegan League2nd Promoted to the Iran Pro LeagueQuarter-finals
2004–05Pro League7th Quarter-finals
2005–06Pro League11th Quarter-finals
2006–07Pro League14th Quarter-finals
2007–08Pro League16th Round of 16
2008–09Pro League12th Quarter-finals
2009–10Pro League12th Quarter-finals
2010–11Pro League8th Final
2011–12Pro League15th Fourth Round
2012–13Pro League13th Round of 16
2013–14Pro League7th Quarter-finals
2014–15Pro League13th Round of 16
2015–16Pro League14thRelegated to the Azadegan LeagueQuarter-finals
2016–17Azadegan League4th Quarter-finals
2017–18Azadegan League6th Quarter-finals
2018–19Azadegan League11th Fourth Round
2019–20Azadegan League15th Third Round
2020–21Azadegan League11th Semi-finals
2021–22Azadegan League1st Promoted to the Iran Pro LeagueThird Round
2022–23Pro League12th Round of 16

For details on seasons, see List of Malavan F.C. seasons

Honours

National titles

Minor titles

Club officials

Presidents

Sources:[2][3]

Name Years
Rashid Sazmand1996–06
Saadollah Pourtahmasbi 2006–09
Ardeshir Pournemat 2009–11
Bahman Salehnia 2011–12
Sadegh Deroudgar 2012–14
Hossein Gholami 2014–15
Ahmad Donyamali2015–17
Mehran Nasiri 2017–18
Pejman Nouri2019–23
Arash Fahmide 2023–present

Current coaching staff

Source:[4]

PositionName
Head coachIranMaziar Zare
Assistant coachPortugal Eurico Pinhal
Goalkeeping coachIran Mohammad Ali Hassani Sefat
DoctorIran Babak Sayyad
Technical directorIranGhafour Jahani
Team managerIran Hossein Gholami

Head coaches

Below is a list of Malavan coaches from 1968 until the present day. Firouz Karimi carries the honor of being the first Iranian head coach to assume the title without rising from the Malavan football school.

Name Nationality Years
Bahman SalehniaIranIran20 May 1968 – 5 February 1997
Nosrat IrandoostIran5 February 1997 – 15 December 2000
Mohammad AhmadzadehIran15 Dec 2000 – 2 July 2002
Bahman SalehniaIran15 May 2002 – 2 July 2004
Nosrat IrandoostIran2 July 2004 – 5 July 2006
Mohammad AhmadzadehIran5 July 2006 – 1 January 2010
Farhad PourgholamiIran1 January 2010 – 29 September 2012
Mohammad AhmadzadehIran29 September 2012 – 28 May 2013
Dragan SkočićCroatia28 May 2013 – 1 June 2014
Nosrat IrandoostIran1 June 2014 – 8 October 2014
Stevan MojsilovićSerbia8 October 2014 – 5 December 2014
Firouz KarimiIran6 December 2014 – 1 June 2015
Hamid EstiliIran10 August 2015 – 20 February 2016
Mohammad AhmadzadehIran1 March 2016 – 15 July 2016
Mohammad Mayeli KohanIran22 July 2016 – 27 May 2017
Nader DastneshanIran28 May 2017 – 1 June 2018
Farhad PourgholamiIran1 June 2018 – 28 October 2018
Mohammad AhmadzadehIran31 October 2018 – 7 June 2020
Akbar MisaghianIran7 June 2020 – 1 September 2020
Maziar ZareIran1 September 2020 – 18 May 2023
Mehdi TartarIran26 June 2023 – present

Players

First-team squad

As of 23 January 2026

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules; some limited exceptions apply. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

No.Pos.Nation Player
4 DF IRNAmir Reza Afsordeh
5 DF IRNSaeed Karimi
6 MF IRNSina Khadempour
7 MF IRNSajjad Ashouri
8 MF IRNGholamreza Sabet Imani
10 MF IRNGhaem Eslamikhah
11 FW IRNMehdi Abdi(on loan from Tractor)
12 GK IRNAfshar SedaghatU25
13 MF IRNMohammad Alinejad
15 DF IRNMohammad Reza KhosraviU23
16 DF IRNYounes Akbarpour
19 FW IRNSeyed Ali Yahyazadeh
20 DF IRNMohammad Papi
No.Pos.Nation Player
21 MF IRNAbbas HabibiU21(on loan from Sepahan)
23 MF IRNParham MovaghariU25
24 DF IRNDanial EiriU23(on loan from Zob Ahan)
26 DF IRNMahyar Zahmatkesh(Captain)
27 DF IRNJafar Salmani
29 MF IRNAmir SavaedU23
47 FW IRNMojtaba FakhrianU23(on loan from Persepolis)
72 FW IRNIssa AlekasirINJ
77 MF IRNAbouzar Safarzadeh
80 MF IRNIliya ImaniU23
81 GK IRNParham GhanadU23
90 MF IRNHossein Sadeghi
98 GK IRNFarzad Tayebipour
99 MF IRNAlireza Ramezani

Reserve Squad

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules; some limited exceptions apply. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

No.Pos.Nation Player
28 MF IRNAmirreza KarimiU17
30 MF IRNMahan BeheshtiU17
35 MF IRNMahan SadeghiU21
No.Pos.Nation Player
55 DF IRNHamidreza ShamsipourU21
78 FW IRNFarjad FayazU21
88 MF IRNFarhan JafariU21

Notes

  1. ^"مدیرعامل ملوان:ورزشگاه تختی انزلی ظرفیت هواداران پرشور را ندارد". 11 April 2016. Archived from the original on 29 October 2023. Retrieved 29 October 2023.
  2. ^"Salehnia return to Malavan". PersianLeague.com. 13 July 2002. Archived from the original on 4 October 2012. Retrieved 19 July 2016.
  3. ^"صفحه پیدا نشد - ملوان نیوز". Archived from the original on 25 January 2020. Retrieved 27 July 2011.
  4. ^حمید استیلی قراردادش را امضا کرد/ پایان رافت در کادرفنی ملوان (in Persian). Mehr News Agency. 11 August 2015. Archived from the original on 7 November 2017. Retrieved 12 August 2015.

References

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