Esteghlal F.C.
| Full name | Esteghlal Football Club | ||
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| Nicknames | Capital Blues Blue Boys Tâj SS 2 Stars Asia Blues Giant of Asia | ||
| Founded | 26 September 1945 as Docharkheh Savaran Football Club | ||
| Ground | Azadi Stadium | ||
| Capacity | 78,116 | ||
| Owner(s) | Esteghlal of Iran Athletic and Cultural Company Persian Gulf Petrochemical Industries 85% PPC: 20% BSPC: 20% BIPC: 20% STPC: 20% PGPIC: 8.54% Public Shareholders: 11.46% - IFB: ESLP1) | ||
| President | Ali Tajernia (acting) | ||
| Head coach | Sohrab Bakhtiarizadeh | ||
| League | Persian Gulf Pro League | ||
| 2024–25 | Persian Gulf Pro League, 9th | ||
| Website | fcesteghlal | ||
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Esteghlal Football Club (Persian: باشگاه فوتبال استقلال, romanized: Bâšgâh-e Futbâl-e Esteqlâl, 'Esteghlal' meaning 'The Independence') is an Iranian professional football club based in Tehran that competes in the Persian Gulf Pro League. The club was founded in 1945 as The Cyclists (دوچرخهسواران, Dočarxe-Savârân) and was known as Tâj (تاج; meaning 'The Crown') between 1949 and 1979. The club is part of the multisport club Esteghlal Athletic and Cultural Company of Iran. They were the first team to reach 1,000 points in the Persian Gulf Pro League. Esteghlal has won 39 official and regional trophies making them Iran's most decorated and most successful football club. The club has won 19 national titles which are 10 Iranian leagues, a record of 8 Hazfi cups and an Iranian Super Cup. Esteghlal has won 13 Tehran league (previously known as Tehran clubs championship) and 4 Tehran Hazfi cup and 1 Tehran Super cup making them most successful club in Tehran football history. Esteghlal's international titles are 2 championship in AFC Champions League Elite (previously known as Asian clubs championship) making them Iran's most successful club in Asian football and third in AFC champions league.[4][6][7]
After the 1979 revolution, the club's women's teams were dissolved and the progress of women's football in Iran was tied to new regime politics. Since the 1973–74 season, Esteghlal has played its home games at the Azadi, which has a seating capacity of 78,116, though it can hold more people during important matches. Esteghlal set an attendance record for an Asian Club Championship match in 1999 when 121,000 supporters watched their final against Júbilo Iwata in Tehran.