Iranian Hazfi Cup Explained
Hazfi Cup (Persian: جام حذفی|Jām-e Hazfi,) formerly known as Pahlavi Cup (Persian: جام پهلوی|Jām-e Pahlavi) is an Iranian knockout football competition held annually by the Football Federation Islamic Republic of Iran.
The Iranian football league was not held during the 1980s, hence the winner of Hazfi Cup represented Iran in the Asian Club Championship. After the revival of the league system, the champion of Iranian league qualified for Asian Club Championship and the winner of Hazfi Cup for Asian Cup Winners' Cup. The Asian Cup Winners' Cup merged with the Asian Champions Cup in 2002–03 to form the AFC Champions League and Iran was initially given two (and later four) slots in this competitions. The FFIRI decided to award one of Iran's AFC Champions League spots to the winner of the Hazfi Cup, and since then, the winners of Hazfi Cup have always been allocated a spot in the AFC Champions League.[1] [2] Since 2024 and with the rebranding of the Asian club competitions, the FFIRI decided to send the winner of the Hazfi cup to the AFC Champions League Elite Qualifying play-off.
The competition was founded in 1976 as Pahlavi Cup but after the revolution continued as Hazfi Cup. Esteghal and Persepolis are the most successful clubs with seven titles each.[3]
Format
The rules for the final were exactly the same as the one for the previous knockout rounds. The tie was contested over two legs with away goals deciding the winner if the two teams were level on goals after the second leg. If the teams could still not be separated at that stage, then extra time would have been played with a penalty shootout (taking place if the teams were still level after that). Since the 2011–12 season, the final is always held as a single match.[4]
Finals
- Key
| Year | Winners | Scores | Runners-up | Venue |
|---|
| 1976 | Malavan (1) | 4–1 | Tractor | Amjadieh Stadium, Tehran |
| 1977–78 | Taj (1) | 2–0 | Homa | Amjadieh Stadium, Tehran |
| 1979–1985 | align=center colspan=5 style= "background:#efefef" | Not held due to Iranian Revolution and Iran–Iraq War |
| 1986 | Malavan (2) | 2–0 | Kheybar | Shahid Shiroudi Stadium, Tehran |
| 1987 | Persepolis (1) | 1–0 | Malavan | Azadi Stadium, Tehran |
| 0–0 | Azadi Stadium, Tehran |
| Persepolis won 1–0 on aggregate |
| 1988–89 | Shahin Ahvaz (1) | 1–3 | Malavan | Takhti Stadium, Bandar-e Anzali |
| 4–0 | Takhti Stadium, Ahvaz |
| Shahin Ahvaz won 5–3 on aggregate |
| 1989–90 | align=center colspan=5 style= "background:#efefef" | Not held |
| 1990–91 | Malavan (3) | 1–1 (a.e.t.) (6–5 pen.) | Esteghlal | Azadi Stadium, Tehran |
| 1991–92 | Persepolis (2) | 2–1 | Malavan | Azadi Stadium, Tehran |
| 1992–93 | align=center colspan=5 style= "background:#efefef" | Not held |
| 1993–94 | Saipa (1) | 0–0 | Jonoob | Azadi Stadium, Tehran |
| 1–1 | Takhti Stadium, Ahvaz |
| Saipa won 1–1 on aggregate on away goal |
| 1994–95 | Bahman (1) | 0–1 | Tractor | Takhti Stadium, Tabriz |
| 2–0 | Ekbatan Stadium, Tehran |
| Bahman won 2–1 on aggregate |
| 1995–96 | Esteghlal (2) | 3–1 | Bargh | Hafezieh Stadium, Shiraz |
| 2–0 | Azadi Stadium, Tehran |
| Esteghlal won 5–1 on aggregate |
| 1996–97 | Bargh (1) | 3–3 (a.e.t.) (3–0 pen.) | Bahman | Azadi Stadium, Tehran |
| 1997–98 | align=center colspan=5 style= "background:#efefef" | Not held |
| 1998–99 | Persepolis (3) | 2–1 | Esteghlal | Azadi Stadium, Tehran |
| 1999–00 | Esteghlal (3) | 3–1 | Bahman | Azadi Stadium, Tehran |
| 2000–01 | Fajr Sepasi (1) | 1–0 | Zob Ahan | Foolad Shahr Stadium, Fuladshahr |
| 2–1 | Hafezieh Stadium, Shiraz |
| Fajr Sepasi won 3–1 on aggregate |
| 2001–02 | Esteghlal (4) | 2–1 | Fajr Sepasi | Hafezieh Stadium, Shiraz |
| 2–2 | Azadi Stadium, Tehran |
| Esteghlal won 4–3 on aggregate |
| 2002–03 | Zob Ahan (1) | 2–2 | Fajr Sepasi | Foolad Shahr Stadium, Fuladshahr |
| 2–2 (6–5 pen.) | Hafezieh Stadium, Shiraz |
| Zob Ahan won 4–4 on aggregate on Penalty shootout |
| 2003–04 | Sepahan (1) | 3–2 | Esteghlal | Naghsh-e-Jahan Stadium, Isfahan |
| 2–0 | Azadi Stadium, Tehran |
| Sepahan won 5–2 on aggregate |
| 2004–05 | Saba Battery (1) | 1–1 | Aboomoslem | Shahid Derakhshan Stadium, Robat Karim |
| 1–1 (a.e.t.) (4–2 pen.) | Samen Stadium, Mashhad |
| Saba Battery won 2–2 on aggregate on Penalty shootout |
| 2005–06 | Sepahan (2) | 1–1 | Persepolis | Azadi Stadium, Tehran |
| 1–1 (a.e.t.) (4–2 pen.) | Naghsh-e-Jahan Stadium, Isfahan |
| Sepahan won 2–2 on aggregate on Penalty shootout |
| 2006–07 | Sepahan (3) | 1–0 | Saba Battery | Shahid Derakhshan Stadium, Robat Karim |
| 3–0 | Naghsh-e-Jahan Stadium, Isfahan |
| Sepahan won 4–0 on aggregate |
| 2007–08 | Esteghlal (5) | 0–1 | Pegah | Sardar Jangal Stadium, Rasht |
| 3–0 | Azadi Stadium, Tehran |
| Esteghlal won 3–1 on aggregate |
| 2008–09 | Zob Ahan (2) | 0–1 | Rah Ahan | Ekbatan Stadium, Tehran |
| 5–1 | Foolad Shahr Stadium, Fuladshahr |
| Zob Ahan won 5–2 on aggregate |
| 2009–10 | Persepolis (4) | 1–0 | Gostaresh Foolad | Yadegar-e Emam Stadium, Tabriz |
| 3–1 | Azadi Stadium, Tehran |
| Persepolis won 4–1 on aggregate |
| 2010–11 | Persepolis (5) | 4–2 | Malavan | Azadi Stadium, Tehran |
| 0–1 | Takhti Stadium, Bandar-e Anzali |
| Persepolis won 4–3 on aggregate |
| 2011–12 | Esteghlal (6) | 0–0 (a.e.t.) (4–1 pen.) | Shahin Bushehr | Hafezieh Stadium, Shiraz |
| 2012–13 | Sepahan (4) | 2–2 (a.e.t.) (4–2 pen.) | Persepolis | Azadi Stadium, Tehran |
| 2013–14 | Tractor (1) | | Mes Kerman | Shahid Bahonar Stadium, Kerman |
| 2014–15 | Zob Ahan (3) | | Naft Tehran | Takhti Stadium, Tehran |
| 2015–16 | Zob Ahan (4) | 1–1 (a.e.t.) (5–4 pen.) | Esteghlal | Arvandan Stadium, Khorramshahr |
| 2016–17 | Naft Tehran (1) | 1–0 | Tractor | Arvandan Stadium, Khorramshahr |
| 2017–18 | Esteghlal (7) | 1–0 | Khooneh be Khooneh | Arvandan Stadium, Khorramshahr |
| 2018–19 | Persepolis (6) | 1–0 | Damash | Shohada-ye Foolad Stadium, Ahvaz |
| 2019–20 | Tractor (2) | 3–2 | Esteghlal | Imam Reza Stadium, Mashhad |
| 2020–21 | Foolad (1) | 0–0 (a.e.t.) (4–2 pen.) | Esteghlal | Naghsh-e Jahan Stadium, Isfahan |
| 2021–22 | Nassaji (1) | 1–0 | Aluminium Arak | Azadi Stadium, Tehran |
| 2022–23 | Persepolis (7) | 2–1 | Esteghlal | Azadi Stadium, Tehran |
| 2023–24 | Sepahan (5) | 2–0 | Mes Rafsanjan | Azadi Stadium, Tehran | |
Performance by finalists
| Club | Winners | Runners-up | Years won | Years runner-up |
|---|
| 1 | Esteghal | 7 | 7 | 1977, 1996, 2000, 2002, 2008, 2012, 2018 | 1991, 1999, 2004, 2016, 2020, 2021, 2023 |
| 2 | Persepolis | 7 | 2 | 1988, 1992, 1999, 2010, 2011, 2019, 2023 | 2006, 2013 |
| 3 | Sepahan | 5 | – | 2004, 2006, 2007, 2013, 2024 | — |
| 4 | Zob Ahan | 4 | 1 | 2003, 2009, 2015, 2016 | 2001 |
| 5 | Malavan | 3 | 4 | 1976, 1987, 1991 | 1988, 1989, 1992, 2011 |
| 6 | Tractor | 2 | 3 | 2014, 2020 | 1976, 1995, 2017 |
| 7 | Bahman | 1 | 2 | 1995 | 1997, 2000 |
| Fajr Sepasi | 1 | 2 | 2001 | 2002, 2003 |
| 9 | Bargh | 1 | 1 | 1997 | 1996 |
| Saba | 1 | 1 | 2005 | 2007 |
| Naft Tehran | 1 | 1 | 2017 | 2015 |
| 12 | Shahin Ahvaz | 1 | – | 1989 | — |
| Saipa | 1 | – | 1994 | — |
| Foolad | 1 | – | 2021 | — |
| Nassaji | 1 | – | 2022 | — |
| 16 | Damash | – | 2 | — | 2008, 2019 |
| 17 | Homa | – | 1 | — | 1977 |
| Kheybar | – | 1 | — | 1987 |
| Jonoob | – | 1 | — | 1994 |
| Aboomoslem | – | 1 | — | 2005 |
| Rah Ahan | – | 1 | — | 2009 |
| Gostaresh Foolad | – | 1 | — | 2010 |
| Shahin Bushehr | – | 1 | — | 2012 |
| Mes Kerman | – | 1 | — | 2014 |
| Khooneh be Khooneh | – | 1 | — | 2018 |
| Aluminium Arak | – | 1 | — | 2022 |
| Mes Rafsanjan | – | 1 | — | 2024 | |
Statistics
Winners by Province
Winners by City
Winning managers
See main article: List of Hazfi Cup winning managers.
See also
External links
Notes and References
- Web site: تاریخچه کامل و نتایج همه فينالهای جام حذفی . fa . History of Hazfi Cup . tabnak.com . 26 April 2022 . 25 November 2015 . https://web.archive.org/web/20151125183409/http://www.tabnak.ir/fa/news/233027/ . live .
- Web site: درباره جام حذفی ایران . fa . about Iran Hazfi Cup . hazfi-cup.com . 26 April 2022 . 26 April 2022 . https://web.archive.org/web/20220426153732/https://www.hazfi-cup.com/About . live .
- Web site: لیست قهرمانان جام حذفی فوتبال ایران . fa . List of Hazfi Cup winners all times . hazfi-cup.com . 26 April 2022 . 26 April 2022 . https://web.archive.org/web/20220426153547/https://www.hazfi-cup.com/champions/Hazfi_Cup . live .
- Web site: آیین نامه جام حذفی فوتبال ایران . fa . Regulation of Iran Hazfi Cup . hazfi-cup.com . 26 April 2022 . 26 April 2022 . https://web.archive.org/web/20220426153811/https://www.hazfi-cup.com/Regulation . live .
- Web site: رده بندی جام حذفی ایران . fa . Iran Hazfi Cup ranking . hazfi-cup.com . 26 April 2022 . 20 May 2022 . https://web.archive.org/web/20220520125801/https://www.hazfi-cup.com/Ranking/Hazfi_Cup . live .
- Web site: شهرهای صاحب قهرمانی در جام حذفی هفت تایی می شوند . fa . cities those won Hazfi Cup . tarafdari.com . 26 April 2022 . 12 February 2024 . https://web.archive.org/web/20240212182632/https://www.tarafdari.com/node/2112190 . live .
