Hassan Habibi, one of the Iranian football legends and captain of the national team during its first Asian championship in 1968 victory, passed away on Monday evening—just one day after the death of Hamid Alidoosti.
In 1969, he was named "Footballer of the Year" in Iran by Kayhan Varzeshi magazine, and he later managed the national team during the 1980 Olympic Games and the 1980 AFC Asian Cup. Born in Kerman in 1939, Habibi began his football career with the Shahin Tehran club. He subsequently moved to Taj, and later—alongside Mohammad Ranjbar and Heshmat Mohajerani—joined Pas, where he played until 1970.
He joined the national team in 1959 at the age of 20, and made his final appearance in 1970, playing as a defender and serving as team captain. During his time as a player for the national team, he helped the squad qualify for the 1964 Tokyo Olympics and win the 1968 AFC Asian Cup. Habibi later transitioned into coaching, with stints at clubs including Pas, Ararat, and Bargh Shiraz.
He was the first Iranian football coach to obtain an international coaching certification. Furthermore, he served as the first head coach of the Iranian national football team following the 1979 Revolution, leading the squad to a third-place finish in the 1980 AFC Asian Cup. Hassan Habibi managed the Iranian national U-23 team between 1992 and 1996; players such as Khodadad Azizi, Yahya Golmohammadi, Reza Shahroudi, Afshin Peyrovani, Javad Manafi, Hossein Khatibi, Karim Bagheri, Mehdi Mahdavikia, Mehrdad Minavand, and Nima Nakisa were among those who played under him.
May God bless his soul.
QUICK FACTS
Club: Shahin , Taj & Pas
D.O.B: 07 Feb 1939
Born: Kerman
Height: 173 cm
Weight: 70 kg
International Debut: India – 06 Jun 1964
Final International Match: Korea Rep. – 11 Dec 1970
Post: Defender