Khodadad Azizi

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Khodadad Azizi
Personal information
Full name Khodadad Azizi
Date of birth June 22, 1971 (age 35)
Place of birth    Flag of Iran Mashhad, Iran
Nickname Sharp-toed Deer
Playing position Manager (former Striker)
Club information
Current club Flag of Iran F.C. Aboomoslem
Senior clubs1
Years Club App (Gls)*
1988-1992
1992-1994
1994-1997
1997
1997-2000
2000
2001
2001-2005
2005
2005-2006
2006
Flag of Iran F.C. Aboomoslem
Flag of Iran Fath Tehran F.C.
Flag of Iran Bahman F.C.
Flag of Iran Persepolis F.C. (loan)
Flag of Germany 1. FC Köln
Flag of United States San Jose Earthquakes
Flag of United Arab Emirates Al Nasr
Flag of Iran Pas F.C.
Flag of Austria Admira Wacker
Flag of Iran Oghab F.C.
Flag of Iran Rah Ahan F.C.




50 (10)
20 (3)

? (23)
0 (0)

10 (2)[1]   
National team2
1992-2005 Flag of Iran Iran 47 (11)
Teams managed
2006- Flag of Iran F.C. Aboomoslem

1 Senior club appearances and goals
counted for the domestic league only and
correct as of April of 2006.
2 National team caps and goals correct
as of April of 2006.
* Appearances (Goals)

Khodadad Azizi (Persian: خداداد عزیزی‎ , born June 22, 1971 in Mashhad, Iran) is a retired professional football striker.

Contents

[edit] International career

Azizi represented Iran at the 1996 Asian cup, 1998 FIFA World Cup, and the 2000 Asian Cup. He was named Asian Player of the Year in 1996, as well as the Asian Cup Most Valuable Player in the 1996 Asian Cup.

Khodadad Azizi is best remembered for scoring the equaliser against Australia in the second leg World Cup Qualifier in November 1997, sending Iran into France 98.

[edit] Club career

After playing for a few clubs in Iran and following his brilliant performance in Asia, he moved to Germany in 1997 to play for 1. FC Köln. Khodadad Azizi, along with his Iranian national team-mates Ali Daei and Karim Bagheri, were among the first Iranians to enter German Bundesliga.

Having played for three seasons in 1. FC Köln, he signed a contract with California based club, San Jose Earthquakes. In 2001 Khodadad Azizi was transferred to the UAE club, Al Nasr, before returning to Iran and joining Pas Tehran.

In 2005 he signed for Admira Wacker in Austrian Bundesliga, but due to problems with the coach and his staff, he left the team without playing a single minute in an official game. He returned to Iran soon after and signed for lower division club, Oghab F.C.. His stay there was not very lengthy as he signed for Rah Ahan F.C. in late 2005.

[edit] Retirement

After the 2005-06 season, Azizi retired from club and international football. He finished his international career with 47 caps and 11 goals. Following his retirement, Azizi was employed by his hometown club, F.C. Aboomoslem, as a club chairman advisor. [2]. Azizi also co-owns a sports clothing label called Majid with financial backing from Majid Saedifar who put a $40 Million into the company. [3] In December, 2006, Azizi was appointed the manager of F.C. Aboomoslem, a Mashhad based football club that he had started his lustrous career with in the early 90's.

[edit] Personal life

Azizi married for the first time when he was only twenty three. His daughter, Fatimeh, was born three years later, at the same time he made the equaliser goal against Australia. Although married at the time, Azizi fell in love years later in California while playing for the San Jose Earthquakes. Azizi's new found love resulted in his divorce from his first wife of seven years. The record is not clear if the new couple ever officially married in the four years they were together. Azizi's devastating heartbreak was a contributing factor to him leaving Austrian Bundesliga. Azizi eventually married again in order to have a mother figure for Fatimeh. In late 2005 Azizi and his new wife welcomed a baby boy to their family named Amir Hossein Azizi.

[edit] Notes

[edit] External links

Preceded by
Flag of Japan Masami Ihara
Asian Footballer of the Year
1996
Succeeded by
Flag of Japan Hidetoshi Nakata
Preceded by
Flag of Japan Takuya Takagi
Asian Cup Most Valuable Player
1996
Succeeded by
Flag of Japan Hiroshi Nanami


Flag of Iran Iran squad - 1998 FIFA World Cup Flag of Iran

1 Abedzadeh | 2 Mahdavikia | 3 Saadavi | 4 Khakpour | 5 Peyrovani | 6 Bagheri | 7 Mansourian | 8 Dinmohammadi | 9 Estili | 10 Daei | 11 Azizi | 12 Nakisa | 13 Latifi | 14 Mohammadkhani | 15 Ostad‑Asadi | 16 Shahroudi | 17 Zarincheh | 18 Hamedani | 19 Seraj | 20 Pashazadeh | 21 Minavand | 22 Boromand | Coach: Talebi

F.C. Aboomoslem - Current Squad

1 Khormali | 2 Hosseini | 3 Ghadimi | 4 Savorjest | 5 Mokhtari | 6 Khani | 7 Mansouri | 8 Noormohammadi | 9 Shah Hosseini | 10 Nasehi | 11 Bargizar | 12 Ghobeishavi | 13 Moslemzadeh | 14 Daneshdoost | 15 Misaghian | 16 Razzaghi | 17 Rajabzadeh | 19 Aminifar | 20 Farisat | 21 Petrovic | 22 Gordan | 23 Moghadaspour | 25 Olerum | 26 Shahraki | 30 Bahrami | 32 Atsou | 33 Hasheminasab | 35 Mousavi | Manager: Azizi