Sapinto’s Winter Overhaul: New Strikers Sought to Reignite Esteghlal’s Attack
A Struggle to Score
TEHRAN – As the football season progresses, a clear challenge has emerged for Esteghlal FC. Despite numerous opportunities, the team’s central strikers have yet to justify the faith placed in them by Portuguese head coach, Ricardo Sapinto. The burden of scoring has consequently fallen heavily on the shoulders of the team’s midfielders and wingers.
Throughout the first half of the season, all three of Esteghlal’s main strikers—Nazon, Saharkhizan, and Azadi—have been given ample playing time. However, their performances have remained inconsistent, with a persistent weakness in converting chances into goals becoming a primary concern for the technical staff.
A Planned Offensive Reinforcement
In response to this ongoing issue, sources indicate that Ricardo Sapinto is preparing a decisive strategy to revitalize the team’s frontline for the second half of the season. Should the club’s transfer window open as expected, the head coach plans to acquire two new strikers.
The blueprint involves signing one foreign striker to specialize as a dedicated target man, complemented by the addition of a domestic player who can immediately integrate into the squad and bolster competition for starting positions. This move underscores a strategic shift, acknowledging that sufficient time has been given to the current attacking roster without the desired improvement in their output.
A Path Forward
Coach Sapinto is optimistic that the introduction of these two new forwards will be the key to helping Esteghlal overcome its scoring difficulties. The objective is to forge a more effective and potent attacking structure for the crucial matches ahead. This planned reinforcement signals a determined effort to build a more competitive and successful campaign in the upcoming phase of the season.