Tag: Eredivisie

Alireza Jahanbakhsh to Brighton & Hove Albion !

The transfer of Erdivisie top scorer Alireza Jahanbakhsh to Brighton & Hove Albion is a certainty and a very special one for AZ . The Iranian is sold for 24 million euros and with that he is the most expensive AZ Alkmaar player of all time.

There has been lots of speculation about the destination of the Iranian , with the English Premier League being the favorites. Jahanbakhsh had a quiet World Cup in Russia and he was  bound to follow the coach defensive game plan thus limiting his effectiveness in the offensive duties. however, many clubs have been monitoring him well before the World Cup.

Star on the rise The Iranian winger has been one of the standout players in the Eredivisie in recent years and he has the potential to be an exciting capture for a Premier League team. He showed flashes of his talent during the World Cup with Iran and he is now ready to test himself at a higher level. Last season, he finished as the Eredivisie top scorer with 21 goals with one coming every 135 minutes in the competition. In addition to that, he contributed 12 assists and was regularly causing problems for opposition defences. His feats are even more impressive considering he wasn’t playing for one of the top two teams. That said, his performances allowed AZ Alkmaar to finish above Feyenoord who had won the league as recently as the 2016/17 campaign. The 24-year-old delivered consistency in the Eredivisie with 4.3 shots, 3.4 dribbles and 2.4 key passes. They are huge attacking numbers and underline the quality that he does possess. Although it is unlikely that he could reproduce these with a team like Brighton, he would represent an upgrade on their current options. Transfer Record

AZ Alkmaar old transfer record was in the name of Vincent Janssen. Tottenham Hotspur paid AZ about 22 million euros 2 years ago  for Janssen,. Jahanbakhsh, was even rumored to have had his medical with Leicester City , but Brighton, surprised everyone with this hefty offer.

 Brighton's Dutch player Davy Pröpper, commented on the transfer "The transfer of the Iranian to Brighton is almost concluded with a few minor details and will soon become official."

It was already a lucrative transfer summer for AZ. Earlier, striker Wout Weghorst was sold to VfL Wolfsburg for more than 10 million euros. Top scorer It will be a tough job to replace that pair. Alireza Jahanbakhsh became top scorer of the Eredivisie last season with 21 goals, 3 more than teammate and buddy Weghorst.

Glorious days for Iranian strikers in Europe.

Team Melli strikers in Europe, are rewriting the history and reaching feats that their predecessors did not manage or was unthinkable. 

Reza Ghoochannejad, Sardar Azmoun , Alireza Jahanbakhsh and Karim Ansarifard the four players who happened to be all playing up front in their teams have done Iran’s football pride by consistently scoring goals in the most competitive of leagues.

Reza “Gucci” Ghoochannejad , who had a torrid couple of season in the lower English League and Persian Gulf countries, gradually found his form after transferring  to SC Heereneveen in the Eredivisie. Gucci scored his 14th goal of the season yesterday in a 3-0 win against Roda JC Kerkrade .

Sardar Azmoun, the golden boy of Iran has scored 7 goals for his team in various competitions, including 4 goals in one season of the UEFA Champions League. He is the only the second Iranian player to score in this competition after Ali Daei who scored 6 goals in two seasons for Hertha Berlin in the UEFA Champions League.

Alireza Jahanbakhsh who has been playing professional in the Eredivisie for 4 seasons now although he is only 23, has enjoyed a good run with his club AZ Alkaamar. He has already doubled his tally from last season scoring 6 goals so far for the Dutch club.

Karim Ansarifard whose football career was seriously being undermined while warming the bench at segunda Division Osasuna in Spain, made it good after transferring to the Greek league. With Panionios he scored 14 goals in one a half season before being grabbed by the league leader Olympiakos Piraeus in the winter transfer window. Karim already opened his account with Olympiakos by scoring a brace in UEFA Europa league against Turkish side Osmanlispor.

.It has never been so good for Iranian players in European leagues. Household names such as Ali  Daei, Mehdi Mahdavikia, Ali Karimi , Vahid Hashemian, Karim Bagheri and host of other Iranian players played in Europe especially after that famous FIFA 1998 World Cup. However, despite the relative success , it is definitely not comparable to the success that the current group is enjoying in Europe despite Team Melli lack of success or achievement.

 

Alireza Jahanbakhsh: The eye-catching Iranian, in name and style

The 60-second story

Born in the tiny town of Jirandeh in the mountainous Armalu District in northern Iran, Alireza Jahanbakhsh’s career started in humble surrounds when he joined the youth academy of local club Damash Gilan.

 

FACTBOX

  • Date of birth: August 11, 1993
  • Place of birth: Jirandeh, Iran
  • Height: 1.80m
  • Position: Attacking midfielder
  • Current club: AZ Alkmaar

After a brief spell with Damash Tehran, an affiliate of Gilan, he returned to his parent club in 2011 and made his Iranian Pro League debut as a 17-year-old in a 1-1 draw against Mes Kerman, making him one of the youngest players in the club’s history.

Ten goals in 42 appearances for Damash Gilan, along with a number of eye-catching performances for Iran’s under-20 and under-23 national teams, including five goals in four games in the qualification for the 2012 AFC Under-19 Championships, caught the attention of Dutch side N.E.C.

The talented winger was promptly signed to a three-year deal in July 2013.

 
The youngster has impressed during his time in Holland.

While the club struggled on the pitch and was ultimately relegated at season’s end, Jahanbakhsh excelled, scoring six times and providing five assists in 33 matches.

Playing in the second-tier Eerste Divisie only hastened his development as he helped N.E.C. gain promotion back to the Eredivisie with 12 goals in 28 matches, which caught the attention of some of Holland’s bigger clubs.

A move to AZ Alkmaar on a five-year contract was sealed in August last year, and while he struggled for a spot in the side at the start of this season, he has since established himself as a regular for the two-time Eredivisie champions. He already has 19 appearances and scored two goals, his first coming in January this year against his former club N.E.C.

Iran exited last year's Asian Cup in a quarter-final defeat to Iraq

Why you need to know him

Alongside fellow whiz-kid Sardar Azmoun, Jahanbakhsh will be the star of the Iranian national team for the next decade. In a country that demands success and entertaining football, the pacy winger has all the attributes to be a long-term standout for Team Melli, with some likening him to former Iranian legend and 2003 Asian Player of the Year Mehdi Mahdavikia.

As the top-ranked team in Asia, Iran will be expecting to qualify for their second consecutive FIFA World Cup and after playing only a bit-part in Brazil (44 minutes in total), the 22-year-old Jahanbakhsh will want to play a leading role on the road to Russia, and in the tournament itself if Iran qualifies.

Strengths

Fellow national team youngster Sardar Azmoun is thrilled by the prospect of playing alongside him for the next decade

Like the aforementioned Mahdavikia, Jahanbakhsh has pace to burn on the flanks, primarily on the right, but is far from being a one-trick-pony. He knows how to finish and has both an excellent crossing ability, the avenue of a lot of his assists, and the ability to find the back of the net, with a calmness in front of goal. With poise that belies his tender age, he has great game awareness and knows what to do in the right moments.

And for a player who only stands at 180cm, his aerial ability is surprisingly strong, making him a weapon all over the park.

Weaknesses

While he is strong in the air for his small stature, his small physique can see him bumped off the ball too easily at times against more physical defenders. To make up for this he can commit quite a few fouls, with five yellow cards already this season for AZ following on from nine yellows and one red card in his two seasons with N.E.C.

Jahanbakhsh has drawn comparisons with Iranian great Mehdi Mahdavikia. Photo: iranfootballteam.com

They said

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 by Jahanbakhsh, fellow national team youngster Azmoun, who is generating just as much excitement in Tehran, is also thrilled by the prospect of playing alongside the winger for Team Melli for the next decade.
“Jahanbakhsh and me have been doing well. We are great friends and hope to serve the country for a long period of time.”

Did you know?

Mahdavikia, the player some Iranian fans think Jahanbakhsh can emulate, was partly responsible for the then 20-year-old making the move to Europe. He encouraged the young star, who was his teammate at Damash Gilan in 2011-12, to take the plunge and ignore more lucrative offers from the likes of Iranian giants Persepolis, even visiting him in Holland to ensure he had settled in.

And while he admits to some initial struggles, settle in he did. After being named behind only Memphis Depay as the best young player in the Eredivisie in the 2013-14 season, Jahanbakhsh went one better in 2014-15 when he won the Golden Ball as the player of the season in the Eerste Divisie with 12 goals and 18 assists from 28 matches.

What happens next?

With qualification for Russia a distinct possibility, he would (have) the perfect window to impress bigger clubs

Jahanbakhsh has said he prefers to stay in Holland to develop his career, knocking back offers from France and Turkey before signing with N.E.C. in 2013, and with a five-year contract with AZ Alkmaar under his belt he certainly has a chance to do that.

“I always follow my heart. I had offers from France and Turkey, but didn’t accept them. I was also close to a move to Persepolis, the biggest club in Iran, but preferred to play abroad," he said recently.

Still only 22, the right-winger has the world at his feet. With Iran about to enter into the final round of qualifying for the 2018 FIFA World Cup, Jahanbakhsh will likely play an increased role in Carlos Queiroz’s side.

With qualification for Russia a distinct possibility for Team Melli, he would be just the right age and with the perfect window to impress the bigger clubs in Europe. With reports that Celtic and Manchester United have been keeping tabs on the winger in recent years, don’t expect Jahanbakhsh to see out his five-year deal with AZ.

 

Alireza Jahanbakhsh tranfers to AZ Alkmaar

Team Melli winger Alireza Jahanbakhsh has left his club NEC on a transfer to  AZ Alkmaar. The 21-year-old attacker will undergo medical examination in Alkmaar on Tuesday 4th August

AZ said Monday on the club website that both the player and NEC has reached a verbal agreement on the transfer. Jahanbakhsh will sign for five years with the number three in the Eredivisie last season.

The Iranian had a terrific season last time out with twelve goals and seventeen assists playing an important role in the promotion of NEC to the Eredivisie League. It earned him the title of best player in the Jupiler League.

Jahanbakhsh has 15 international caps for Iran, and was in the squad for the FIFA World Cup of 2014, earlier in his career he played for two seasons with Damash Gilan in his homeland before his transfer to  NEC. In his first season he could not show his full potential despite five goals in 29 matches and suffered relegation from the Eredivisie

"Alireza was number one on our list," said AZ technical director Earnie Stewart. "We only had to wait for the opportunity to invest in him. It is very nice that it's come around this time." Thus confirming earlier rumors that the club from Alkmaar has been chasing after Jahanbakhsh for some time now.

AZ Alkmaar, under Manager John van den Brom managed to finish the last season with 62 points in 3rd position behind Champions PSV and Ajax

The club has been recently managed by high profile managers Dick Advocaat (Oct 15, 2013–June 30, 2014) followed by Marco van Basten (June 30, 2014–Sept 16, 2014) before John van den Brom took over.

AZ Alkmaar, is currently competing in the Europa league and has beaten Istanbul Basaksehir 2-0 at home and will play the return leg in Istanbul on Thursday.

JAHANBAKHSH READY TO STRIKE

the-afc.com 03 November 2014 Joe Gorman
Growing up playing on dirt pitches and in the streets outside the Iranian capital Tehran, Alireza Jahanbakhsh idolised Brazilian star Ronaldo. He grew up wanting to be a striker, and at just 21 years of age, Jahanbakhsh is now firmly established in Europe and has made several appearances for the national team under manager Carlos Queiroz. He is without a doubt one of the hottest properties in Iranian football. After several seasons in Iran, the young striker made the move to Dutch club NEC Nijmegen. According to the president of SC Damash in Iran, Jahanbakhsh’s transfer fee helped the club survive in difficult financial times, and it wasn’t long before he was helping his new club by scoring crucial goals in the battle to avoid relegation. Having being voted one of the top young talents in the Eredivisie, Jahanbakhsh has come on the radar for several English clubs, with Manchester United and Chelsea both rumoured to be interested in his services. In 2014, Jahanbakhsh was one of several exciting young players to be included in the Iran squad for the World Cup, however he didn’t start any of the games, instead coming off the bench for all three matches. Alongside Karim Ansarifard and Reza Ghoochannejhad, another young Iranian who had played in the Netherlands, Team Melli will have some of the most exciting attackers in the Asian Cup. A tall, lanky striker with speed and skill, Jahanbakhsh will be hoping help his nation win their first Asian Cup since 1976.