Tag: Feyenoord

Alireza Jahanbakhsh Seeks Revival with Surprise Move to Belgian Strugglers Dender

In a move that underscores a pivotal juncture in his career, Iranian international winger Alireza Jahanbakhsh has signed a one-year contract with Belgian Pro League club FC Dender, with an option for a further year. The signing concludes a period of unemployment for the 32-year-old after his departure from Eredivisie side Heerenveen.

A Career of Highs and Lows

The official announcement from Dender highlighted the “wealth of experience” Jahanbakhsh brings to the squad. Indeed, his career trajectory has been a rollercoaster. After making his name in the Netherlands with NEC Nijmegen, his prolific spell at AZ Alkmaar culminated in a historic achievement: becoming the first Asian player to finish as the Eredivisie’s top scorer in the 2017-18 season, netting 21 goals for AZ.

This golden boot win earned him a high-profile, multi-million euro transfer to the English Premier League’s Brighton & Hove Albion. However, his time in England was largely underwhelming, as he struggled to adapt to the pace and physicality of the league. Seeking to rediscover his form, he returned to the Netherlands, first with Feyenoord and later with Heerenveen, but was unable to consistently replicate the goal-scoring prowess of his peak years.

On the international stage, Jahanbakhsh has been a fixture for Team Melli, earning 95 caps and scoring 17 goals. He has represented Iran at two FIFA World Cups (2018 and 2022) and multiple AFC Asian Cups, often playing a key role in the team’s attacking line.

Jahanbakhsh scoring vs Oman

A Move Born of Necessity

The sporting context of this transfer is stark. FC Dender is currently in a dire situation, sitting at the very bottom of the Belgian Pro League table without a single win after 13 matches, having secured only four points from four draws. For a player of Jahanbakhsh’s former stature, a move to a club fighting relegation is a clear step down.

This decision is widely seen as a direct consequence of the intense scrutiny over his recent standing with the Iranian national team. For months, Jahanbakhsh had been selected for Team Melli by head coach Amir Ghalenoei despite being a free agent and visibly lacking match fitness and sharpness.

The Team Melli Controversy: A Note on Recent Poor Form and Selection Debate

Jahanbakhsh’s inclusion in recent national team squads has been one of the most contentious issues of Amir Ghalenoei’s tenure. While other Iranian attackers were performing regularly for their clubs, Jahanbakhsh, without a team, was consistently named to the squad and often granted significant playing time.

This policy sparked significant backlash. Reports from the Team Melli camp suggested growing discontent among players and staff, with accusations of favoritism and nepotism leveled at Ghalenoei. Critics argued that it was demoralizing for in-form players to be benched in favor of one who was effectively on an extended leave.

The pressure from the media and, reportedly, from within the squad, reached a boiling point. It is believed that Ghalenoei was forced to issue an ultimatum to Jahanbakhsh: find a club or be left out of future national team selections. The move to Dender, therefore, appears to be a direct response to this pressure. For Jahanbakhsh, the priority was not the prestige of the club, but simply being registered as a professional player to maintain his international eligibility.

An Uncertain Future

For FC Dender, the signing is a low-risk gamble on a player hoping to rediscover his form and leadership. For Alireza Jahanbakhsh, it is a desperate attempt to rescue his place in the national team and prove he can still compete at a professional level. Whether this move to the bottom of the Belgian league will be the launchpad for a career renaissance or simply a last resort before an inevitable decline remains to be seen. All eyes will now be on whether this move is enough to secure his spot in Team Melli for the upcoming World Cup qualifiers.

Alireza Jahanbakhsh’s career at crossroads!

The Premature Decline of Iran’s Football Captain: From Dutch Stardom to Cypriot Obscurity?

Once hailed as Iran’s brightest European export, Alireza Jahanbakhsh now faces a career trajectory that can only be described as a rapid and perplexing decline. At 31, the captain of Iran’s national team finds himself without a club, with rumors linking him to a move to Cyprus’s Apollon—a team that finished last season with a modest record of 12 wins, 10 draws, and 14 losses. For a player who was once the top scorer in the Dutch Eredivisie, this potential move underscores a staggering fall from grace.

The Rise and Fall of a Former Star

Jahanbakhsh’s peak came in the 2017-18 season when he netted 21 goals for AZ Alkmaar, becoming the first Asian player to claim the Eredivisie Golden Boot. His achievement was historic, sparking pride across Iranian football. Yet, what followed was a series of missteps and unfulfilled potential.

His £17 million move to Brighton & Hove Albion in 2018—a then-club-record fee—turned into a nightmare. Over three Premier League seasons, he managed just two league goals, with his shots on target failing to reach double digits. A return to the Netherlands with Feyenoord offered brief respite, but his subsequent transfer to Heerenveen, a mid-table side, raised eyebrows. Even more telling was Jahanbakhsh’s admission that he sought to extend his stay in the Netherlands primarily for passport eligibility—hardly the ambition expected of a player once destined for greater heights.

A National Team Paradox

Despite his club struggles, Jahanbakhsh has remained a staple in Iran’s national team under manager Amir Ghalenoui, even earning call-ups while unattached to any club. Yet, his performances in Team Melli have drawn increasing criticism, with fans questioning whether loyalty has outweighed merit.

A Bitter Irony

Perhaps the most striking aspect of Jahanbakhsh’s decline is the contrast between his past advocacy for Iranian players in Europe’s elite leagues and his own fading relevance. While Uzbek and Kazakh teenagers secure contracts with Manchester City and Chelsea, Iran’s former golden boy now faces the prospect of Cypriot football—a league far removed from the prestige he once embodied.

What Comes Next?

At 31, time is running out for a career revival. Whether Jahanbakhsh can rediscover even a fraction of his past brilliance remains uncertain. But one thing is clear: unless he finds a way to reverse this downward spiral, his legacy risks being defined not by his historic Eredivisie triumph, but by a premature and disappointing decline.

Jahanbakhsh’s Downfall: A Case Study in Wasted Potential

From Dutch Stardom to Premier League Flop

Jahanbakhsh’s 21-goal season with AZ Alkmaar in 2017-18 should have been the launchpad for a stellar European career. Instead, his £17 million move to Brighton became a cautionary tale. Hindered by tactical mismatches, physical demands, and a lack of confidence, he managed just two Premier League goals in three seasons. Unlike Japanese or South Korean players who adapt and grow in Europe, Jahanbakhsh regressed—raising concerns about whether Iranian players receive the right preparation for top-tier football.

Why Do Iranian Players Struggle in Europe?

While Japan and South Korea consistently export world-class talents (Son Heung-min, Kaoru Mitoma, Takefusa Kubo), Iran’s European exports often flame out prematurely. Several key factors explain this trend:

1. Poor Career Planning & Agent Influence

Many Iranian players prioritize immediate financial gains over long-term development. Unlike Japanese stars who carefully choose clubs with playing time guarantees (e.g., Mitoma’s move to Brighton after Belgian development), Iranians often join unstable leagues (Qatar, UAE) or make premature jumps to Europe without proper scouting. Agents sometimes push for lucrative but ill-fitting transfers, harming careers.

Example: Sardar Azmoun, despite Bundesliga interest, chose Rubin Kazan for money—delaying his top-five league breakthrough until his late 20s.

2. Lack of Adaptability

European football demands tactical flexibility, physical endurance, and mental resilience—areas where many Iranian players struggle. Jahanbakhsh’s failure at Brighton stemmed partly from his inability to adjust to the Premier League’s intensity. Similarly, Mehdi Taremi, despite success in Portugal, faced criticism for inconsistency in high-pressure matches.

Contrast: South Korea’s Lee Kang-in thrived at Mallorca and PSG by adapting quickly—something few Iranians manage.

3. Weak Domestic Development

Iran’s Pro League lacks modern training methods, sports science, and competitive depth. Even in Asian Iran’s club football is in the fourth of fifth tier of the continent. While Japan’s J-League and South Korea’s K-League actively prepare players for Europe, Iran’s league remains insular. Young talents like Allahyar Sayyadmanesh show promise but often move too early (e.g., his failed Fenerbahçe stint).

4. National Team Pressure vs. Club Form

Iranian players often perform better for the national team than their clubs—partly due to emotional motivation but also because domestic expectations overshadow individual growth. Jahanbakhsh remains a national team regular despite poor club form, reducing his urgency to improve.

Can the Next Generation Break the Cycle?

A few young Iranians offer hope. However, unless Iran improves:

  • Youth development (modern coaching, exposure to European academies)
  • Smart transfers (avoiding money-driven moves to weak leagues)
  • Mental & physical preparation (sports psychology, fitness regimes)

…the cycle of unfulfilled potential will continue.

Conclusion: Jahanbakhsh’s Legacy—A Warning or a Wake-Up Call?

Jahanbakhsh’s decline isn’t just his own—it mirrors systemic flaws in Iranian football. While players like Taremi and Azmoun have had moderate success, none have reached the heights of their Asian counterparts. Unless Iran addresses its structural issues, its next golden generation may suffer the same fate: flashes of brilliance, followed by premature decline.

For now, Jahanbakhsh’s career stands as both a tragedy and a lesson—one that Iranian football must learn from before another talent fades away.

Heerenveen has clubless Jahanbakhsh in their sights

 

Nov. 4 2024

SC Heerenveen is in the market for Alireza Jahanbakhsh. The former Feyenoord player is currently without a club and is seen as a possible reinforcement for Robin van Persie’s team.

Heerenveen has clubless Jahanbakhsh in their sights

General manager Ferry de Haan confirms to Omrop Fryslân that there is contact with the 31-year-old Jahanbakhsh. ‘He has certain qualities that we are missing in our squad at the moment’, says the director. ‘Alireza has depth in his game and of course, has the necessary international experience. Normally, these kinds of guys are not affordable for us, but he doesn’t have a club at the moment.”

Jahanbakhsh previously played in the Eredivisie for NEC, AZ and Feyenoord. At the latter club, he has been on the payroll for the past three years; Jahanbakhsh scored seventeen goals in 106 games for Feyenoord. Last season, he suffered a lot from injuries.

Heerenveen currently has four wingers in the squad, namely Jacob Trenskow, Ilias Sebaoui, Danilo Al-Saed and Che Nunnely. The latter has an expiring contract and Sebaoui is on loan from Feyenoord.

Currently, SC Heerenveen is in a precarious position and ranked 15th out of 18 in the Eredivisie with 9 points from 11 games.

Jahanbakhsh’s imminent departure from Feyenoord.

Reports in Dutch media predicted the departure of Team Melli winger Alireza Jahanbakhsh from Feyenoord at the end of the season.

Feyenoord has officially terminated Alireza Jahanbakhsh’s contract, making him a free agent at the end of the season. According to the Dutch media outlet “nu,” Feyenoord had a one-way option to extend Jahanbakhsh’s 30-year-old contract for one more year, but this extension needed to be activated before April 1. Since Feyenoord managers decided not to renew the contract, Jahanbakhsh’s departure from Feyenoord is now official. However, it’s important to note that Jahanbakhsh is not definitively separated from the club. As a free agent this summer, he can negotiate with other clubs, including Feyenoord. There’s a possibility that he may return under a different contract, similar to what happened with Saman Ghoddos last summer at Brentford. Nevertheless, given the current composition of Feyenoord’s players, it seems unlikely that he will remain with the team.

Jahanbakhsh joined Feyenoord in the summer of 2021, and this season he primarily served as a reserve player. He only started 2 games only while coming in from the bench 8 times. During the previous season, when Feyenoord won the Dutch championship, he played in 28 games scoring 5 goals. In addition to Jahanbakhsh, Costas Lampero, the reserve goalkeeper for the team, has also been informed that he can leave in the summer. The 32-year-old Greek player signed a one-year contract with Feyenoord last summer but did not play a single minute this season.

The 30-year-old winger has been experiencing a gradual decline in form both at club and international level.

Jahanbakhsh to leave Feyenoord

Alireza Jahanbakhsh, the Feyenoord and Team Melli winger, who has been suffering a form dip recently in his club is being put on the list of unwanted players. Jahanbakhsh also suffered a short-term injury followed by FIFA Day which put him away from the club commitments

The Feyenoord head coach Arne Slot has not been impressed by Janhanbksh this season, despite a promising start after his transfer from Brighton & Hove Albion of the English Premier League.

Alireza Jahanbakhsh is one of very few Iranians who play professional football in Europe, he is considered the third-best-rated Iranian legionnaire player after Taremi (Porto) and Azmoun (AS Roma). However, this player has failed to show any encouraging form both at the club and national levels for some time now. He has been disappointing at Team Melli games, and even more so regularly at Feyenoord. Lately, he has been a bench player for the Ervivisie club.

According to “MSN” the player has no place in the “Arne Slot” plans and will leave this team soon, most probably during the winter break in January. The article states: The contract of this Iranian player with Feyenoord is about to expire, and the managers and technical staff of this team are not willing to renew the contract with Jahanbakhsh, and soon this game will be close to the exit doors of Feyenoord. Jahanbakhsh’s contract was such that he could extend his contract for another season with the consent of the Ervivisie club managers, but they were not willing to do so. Jahanbakhsh arrived at Feyenoord in 2021 with a contract worth one million euros from Brighton, England, and last summer he received several offers from other teams, but he preferred to stay loyal to his contract with Feyenoord and had the dream of playing in the European Champions League. Now the adventure of this 30-year-old player in the Netherlands is about to end.

TOP IRANIAN LEGIONNAIRES IN EUROPE

Mehdi Taremi
Sardar Azmoun
Alireza Jahanbkhsh
Saman Ghoddos
Ehsan Hajsafy
Milad Mohammadi

Jahanbakhsh scores a brace for Feyenoord.

Team Melli winger Alireza Jahanbakhsh scored twice in the opening 34 minutes on his third appearance for Feyenoord at home to Lucern in the Europa Conference League against Swiss club Luzern.

The match ended 3-0 for Feyenoord for an aggregate of 6-0 win and qualification to the next round. The second goal by Jahanbakhsh was rather spectacular and was a reminder of Alireza during his heydays in AZ Alkmaar where he scored at will and managed to win the Golden Boot award of the Eredivisie.

The bad news is that Jahanbakhsh left the field limping.  The Iranian winger was on fire but just before the break he hobbled off injured and had to be replaced by Robert Bozenik.

Jahanbakhsh joined Brighton for a record club fee and endured two miserable seasons under Graham Potter management before moving on to Feyenoord this summer for a reported fee of less than 1 million Euro.

The attacking midfielder and winger will be playing under a completely different environment in Feyenoord a club that is usually at the top of the leagues and compete for trophies and honors, while in Brighton he was playing for a club whose highest success and ceiling of ambition are to remain in the premiership and avoid relegation, year in years out.

Alireza Jahanbakhsh - Feyenoord

Team Melli complexion is changing rapidly.

After the transfer of Sepahan’s and Team Melli Captain Ehsan Hajsafi to AEK Athens, Iran has just five players playing in the domestic Persian Gulf league. That puts Iran among the group of countries whose majority of the national team players play abroad. These countries, including World Cup holder France and FIFA Top ranking team Belgium, have only a few footballers that are based at home.

With the conclusion of the 2020/21 season of the Persian Gulf League in which Persepolis won the title for the fifth time in a row, 3 significant transfers were confirmed. Hossein Kanani from Al Ahli of Qatar from Persepolis, Payam Niazmand to Portimonense of Portugal, and Ehsan Hajsafi to AEK Greece from Sepahan, the last 23-man squad of Team Melli home-based players reduced to five only,

Vahid Amiri,  Milad Sarlak, Ahmad Nourollahi, Mehdi Torabi (all Persepolis), and Mehdi Ghaedi (Esteghlal) are the only players present in the World Cup qualifiers who are based in Iran. As for the latter player, Mehdi Ghaedi, his suitors have increased since his brilliant performance in AFC Champions League. Farhad Majidi announced a while ago, that he will not stop Ghaedi from seeking his fortunes in other pastures to improve his standard, which means the possible transfer of the best current talent in Iranian football to a foreign club.

The full list of Team Melli with 19 players

Team Melli legionnaires also include the following players who were not part of the squad for the return legs of the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022, who could be possibly invited to the next stage of qualifiers. These 6 players are as follow

In total 25 (83%) players are legionnaires out of 30

It is quite possible that under these circumstances, Iran will probably not have any players from domestic league playing for the country in the national team for several years to come, and there will be no trace of the old superiority and total control of Team Melli squad by the to poles of Iran football, Esteghlal, and Persepolis.

Several years ago, at the time of the decline of the domestic leagues of France and Belgium, all the players of these two powerful national teams were players working outside the domestic leagues. It seems that no player from the Belgian league was in the Red Devils’ starting line-up at Euro 2020 this year, and that was the case in France before the re-emergence of Paris Saint-Germain in France as one of the top teams in Europe.

The standard of Iran’s domestic league has fallen quite badly in the last few years due to several factors. Total government hegemony on clubs, chronic incompetent management, nepotism, poor coaching, politics, lack of resources, favoritism, corruption, and exceptional indiscipline have all resulted in a league that is relegated in the AFC Asian ranking to mid tables.

Iranian clubs have never won the AFC Champions League and the last time a club from Iran won a trophy was back in 1990/91 when Esteghlal won the Asian Club Championship, the predecessor of Champions League.

Alireza Jahanbakhsh reveals why he was adamant to join Feyenoord.

Alireza Jahanbakhsh has ended his three-year spell at Brighton and returned to the Netherlands to join Feyenoord on a three-year deal for an undisclosed fee.

The 27-year-old joined the Seagulls in July 2018 and made 61 appearances, scoring four goals.

He now returns to the Netherlands, to link up with the Rotterdam outfit, who will be hoping he can rediscover the form which saw Brighton bring him over to England for a record club transfer fee.

In his first spell in Eredivisie with NEC and AZ Alkmaar, Jahanbakhsh made 112 appearances, scoring 39 goals and picking 31 assists in the process.

Brighton head coach Graham Potter said: “Ali has been a very good professional and great to work with, but this move is a good one and gives him the chance of more regular game time, which is not something we are able to guarantee.

“I’d like to thank Ali for his hard work during my time here and wish him all the best for the future.”

Jahanbakhsh will wear the number nine shirt for Feyenoord, which has previously been sported by club legends such as Henrik Larsson, Julio Cruz, Graziano Pelle, Roy Makaay, and Pierre van Hooijdonk to name just some.

Alireza Jahanbakhsh has revealed the key role Feyenoord manager Arne Slot played in him returning to the Netherlands.

Arne Slot during a training session

Slot was assistant manager at AZ Alkmaar to John van den Brom during Jahanbakhsh’s time at the club.

But the Iranian international revealed that when Slot expressed his interest in signing him for Feyenoord, he was determined to make the move happen.

He told the club’s official website: “During my time at AZ as an assistant coach, Arne Slot was one of the people who helped me to become a better player. So when he called and asked if I wanted to come to Feyenoord, I told him I was going to do everything I could to make this transfer. I had no doubts.”

Feyenoord’s sporting director Frank Arnesen believes Jahanbakhsh could become a valuable player for them.

He said: ‘With Alireza we add the desired offensive reinforcement to the selection. A player who has proven to achieve a high return for several seasons. Moreover, he is now in the phase of his career where he can quickly be of enormous added value to us.”

Feyenoord is after Jahanbakhsh. 

Team Melli  attacker Alireza Jahanbakhsh is a target for Feyenoord.

Rotterdam media sources state Jahanbakhsh is a target for Feyenoord as they face selling Steven Berghuis this summer.

Ajax are offering a fee rising to €6.5m for Berghuis, formerly of Watford, and an agreement is close.

As such, Feyenoord have moved quickly and identified Jahanbakhsh as the successor of Berghuis.

It is as yet unclear whether it will be a loan deal or whether Jahanbakhsh will make an outright switch to Rotterdam.

Jahanbakhsha has been having a torrid time since Graham Potter took over as Brighton coach. Unlike his predecessor, Potter has little confidence in Jahanbakhsh and has given him very little playing time.  As such, Brighton’s most expensive signing turned into a benchwarmer but worst than that, it has broken the self-confidence of the talented Iranian winger.

Although Jahanbakhsh has insisted that he wants to prove himself at Brighton, the writing on the wall says that Potter is in no hurry to make Jahanbakhsh as a starter, preferring to occasionally use him in less important competitions.

In the 2017–18 Eredivisie season, Jahanbakhsh scored 21 league goals, making him the first Asian player to become the top scorer in a major European league. Like many talented players before him, the intensity of English Football is once again threatening to ruin the career.

PSV expresses interest in Jahanbakhsh

EINDHOVEN – After the arrival of Kostas Mitroglou, PSV wants a player for the attack, to solidify its formation in Europe ahead of a long season and, above all, to take on the title battle with Ajax. PSV plays chess on several boards at the same time, the main candidates being the Japanese Ritsu Doan and Iranian Alireza Jahanbakhsh, the man who was the top scorer of the Eredivisie at AZ more than a year ago. The managers of Eindhoven are just waiting for the last week before the transfer deadline to make their move.

The Argentinian Nicolas Ivan Gonzalez of VfB Stuttgart was the number two on the list behind Doan of FC Groningen. PSV had done their preliminary work with his agent, but when he reported back to his club, the answer was clear: Silence. PSV knows from previous experiences with Feyenoord striker Steven Berghuis this transfer summer what that could mean. A transfer fee that the club does not want to pay or a negotiation that will last far too long for comfort, which is a risk the club cannot take now.

Japanese Doan has long been number one, but PSV will not pay the hefty transfer fee demanded by FC Groningen. The club demands an amount towards the fourteen million euros plus a substantial resale percentage. PSV had a maximum of eight million euros in mind plus some extras. That gap is too big, Doan’s business manager is trying to get the northerners to agree on a more reasonable fee.

Jahanbakhsh is the (cheaper) alternative. PSV wants to take the Iranian international on loan for a year from his club Brighton & Hove Albion and hopes to hear soon whether he will be released.

So far the managers of Eindhoven were told that Jahanbakhsh the right-winger transferred from AZ last year for 25 million euros is not available for the loan. Current manager Graham Potter plays in a 5-3-2 system, Jahanbakhsh a wing-back. However, for the third time in a row against Southampton Jahanbakhsh was not in the squad, which could offer an opening in the last week of the transfer window for his transfer. That he hardly played for a year is not a big problem for PSV. Jahanbakhsh was a top player in the Eredivisie, knows what is being asked from him and is above all a different type of attacker than the club has in-house.

Marc von Bommel

For example, PSV has Mohamed Ihattaren and Gaston Pereiro, when he returns in two months from a fracture of the collarbone, have the passers and creative players who could play the role intended for Doan from the right. PSV looks at players who are complementary to each other and offer extra possibilities in the way of playing within the current selection. Jahanbakhsh does not only bring scoring ability, but he could also serve the (incoming) goal-getter Mitroglou (in phases) with his moves.

If coach Mark van Bommel wants to use Doan at ‘ten’, Bergwijn can move to the place where he grew into as an international player (on the flank). Only Doan has played most of his matches in Groningen from the right and he immediately gets a big responsibility at a top club, with a hefty price tag around his neck. Again, one that PSV does not want to comply with. If the situation remains the same and if Jahanbakhsh is kept to his contract with Brighton, PSV will act towards the next candidate in the last days before the deadline.