Farhad Majidi

Farhad Majidi

Majidi in Azadi Stadium, 8 May 2016
Personal information
Full name Farhad Majidi Ghadikolaei[1]
Date of birth (1976-06-03) 3 June 1976
Place of birth Tehran, Iran
Height 1.77 m (5 ft 9 1⁄2 in)
Playing position Attacking midfielder / Striker
Youth career
Parchin Industries
Keshavarz
Bahman
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1995–1997 Bahman (7)
1997–1999 Esteghlal
1999–2000 Rapid Wien 12 (2)
2000 Esteghlal 6 (0)
2000–2006 Al-Wasl (68)
2003 → Al-Ain (loan) 0 (0)
2006 → Al-Ahli (loan) (6)
2006–2007 Al-Nasr 15 (3)
2007 → Al-Ahli (loan) 5 (1)
2007–2013 Esteghlal 138 (46)
2011–2012 → Al Gharrafa (loan) 15 (6)
National team
1996–2011 Iran 45 (10)

* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only.


Farhad Majidi (Persian: فرهاد مجیدی‎‎, born 3 June 1976) is a retired Iranian professional footballer who mostly played as an attacking midfielder. He was also a member of Iran national football team. In 2010, he was nominated for the Asian Footballer of the Year award which finished second in voting.

Club career

Having played for Esteghlal for several seasons, Majidi's performance attracted Rapid Vienna to recruit him for one season. However, the offer for a permanent transfer to Austria was not accepted by the Austrians, and they released Majidi who joined Al-Wasl in the UAE.

In the UAE League and in combination with his compatriot Alireza Vahedi Nikbakht, Majidi scored a handful of goals and topped the league chart with Al Wasl. Majidi was unlucky with injuries and was out of action for quite a few matches. One of the highlights of Majidi's career was his short loan to Al-Ain. Majidi was the star of the 2002–03 AFC Champions League semi-final game against Dalian Shide. His goal helped Al Ain to reach the AFC Champions League final match, eventually winning the trophy for the first time in the club's history.

All together in the five years Majidi played for Al Wasl FC, he scored over 100 goals.[2] He left Al Wasl in 2006, joining another UAE club, Al-Nasr.

On 10 February 2007, Majidi signed a contract until the end of the season with Al-Ahli. At the end of the season, Majidi signed a season-long contract with Esteghlal tehran. He extended his contract with Esteghlal tehran for two more season and he was mostly used as the attacking midfielder in 2008–09 season which ended up in winning the league. He had a very good season in 2009–10 season where he was the top scorer of the team and one of the top scorers of ACL.

On 21 December 2011, Majidi left Esteghlal due to personal problems and joined the Qatari side Al Gharrafa.[3] He played until the end of the season at Al Gharafa and his contract was expired on 1 July 2012. Majidi announced his retirement from football on 28 September 2012 after Esteghlal refused to offer him a contract extension.[4][5] but upon request of Esteghlal fans and management, he later withdrew his decision and rejoined the team with an 18-months contract on 18 December 2012.[6] He then won the league title with the team and scored six goals. Finally, Majidi retired for the second time as a football player on 29 October 2013 after Esteghlal was unable to qualified to the finals of the 2013 AFC Champions League.

Club career statistics

Source:[2]
Club performance League Cup Continental Total
Season Club League Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals
Iran League Hazfi Cup Asia Total
1995–96BahmanAzadegan
1996–97
1997–98Esteghlal 5 0– 5
1998–99 6 0 1 7
1999 4 07 11
Austria League Austrian Cup Europe Total
2000Rapid WienBundesliga122
Iran League Hazfi Cup Asia Total
2000EsteghlalAzadegan34 0266
United Arab Emirates League President's Cup Asia Total
2001Al WaslUAE League
2001–02–
2002–03–
→ Al Ain–4141
2003–04Al Wasl–
2004–05–
2005–06–
→ Al Ahli6–6
2006–07Al Nasr1531–4
→ Al Ahli5130–81
Iran League Hazfi Cup Asia Total
2007–08EsteghlalPro League 22762–289
2008–092332150304
2009–10301011753816
2010–11261021653416
2011–121692000189
Qatar League Emir of Qatar Cup Asia Total
2011–12→ Al-GharafaStars League1563140227
Iran League Hazfi Cup Asia Total
2012–13EsteghlalPro League1131063186
2013–141040040144
Total Iran
Austria 122
United Arab Emirates
Qatar 1563140227
Career total
SeasonTeamAssists
07–08Esteghlal2
08–09Esteghlal3
09–10Esteghlal2
10–11Esteghlal5
11–12Esteghlal8
11–12Al-Gharafa5
12–13Esteghlal1
13–14Esteghlal1

International career

He made his debut for Iran national football team in December 1996 in the 1996 Asian Cup match against Saudi Arabia. He was occasionally getting called up but never became a regular starter till the arrival of Branko Ivankovic where he was experiencing the top of his football. He was mostly benched by Ivankovic because of Ali Daei and Arash Borhani and decided to leave Team Melli camp in 2004 just before the 2004 AFC Asian Cup where Iran lost the 2006 FIFA World Cup qualification match against Jordan in Tehran and he was benched for the whole match. Before the 2006 FIFA World Cup, he was called for a few friendlies but could not break it through to the tournament. He was invited by Amir Ghalenoei and Afshin Ghotbi in 2006 and 2009 for the 2007 AFC Asian Cup qualification and 2011 AFC Asian Cup qualification for a couple of matches and was used as the substitute. He was called for few friendlies three months before 2011 AFC Asian Cup but decided to announce his retirement. He was again invited on 23 August 2011 by Carlos Queiroz. He was the oldest player in the Iran national team since he had been a member of the team since 1996, however he does not have many international caps. Farhad Majidi and the Persepolis captain, Ali Karimi, were considered two of the fans' favorite players during the 2014 FIFA World Cup qualification. On 27 September 2011, Majidi announced his retirement from national playing.[7]

International goals

Scores and results list Iran's goal tally first.
# Date Venue Opponent Score Result Competition
1 4 June 1997 Abbasiyyin Stadium, Damascus  Kyrgyzstan 4–0 7–0 1998 FIFA World Cup qualification
2 16 August 2000 Azadi Stadium, Tehran  Georgia 2–1 2–1 Friendly
3 1 September 2000 Ernst Happel Stadion, Vienna  Austria 1–0 1–5 Friendly
4 24 November 2000 Takhti Stadium, Tabriz  Guam 1–0 19–0 2002 FIFA World Cup qualification
5 24 November 2000 Takhti Stadium, Tabriz  Guam 16–0 19–0 2002 FIFA World Cup qualification
6 24 November 2000 Takhti Stadium, Tabriz  Guam 18–0 19–0 2002 FIFA World Cup qualification
7 17 November 2002 Sabah Al Salem Stadium, Kuwait City  Kuwait 3–1 3–1 Friendly
8 15 August 2003 Azadi Stadium, Tehran  Cameroon 2–1 4–1 Friendly
9 26 September 2003 Al-Hassan Stadium, Amman  Jordan 2–1 2–3 2004 AFC Asian Cup qualification
10 21 June 2004 Azadi Stadium, Tehran  Syria 7–1 7–1 2004 WAFF Championship

Honours

Farhad Majidi celebrating after winning IPL title with Esteghlal

Club

Esteghlal
Al-Ain
Al-Gharafa

References

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Farhad Majidi.
Sporting positions
Preceded by
Alireza Mansourian		 Esteghlal Tehran FC captain
2008–2013 		Succeeded by
Mehdi Rahmati
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