Persepolis in Crisis: A Political Football of Mismanagement
Tehran – Persepolis FC, one of Iran’s most storied football clubs and a perennial title contender, finds itself in a deepening crisis, with its struggles on the pitch highlighting broader questions of leadership and management off it.
A Season of Stagnation
The club’s troubles were starkly evident in a recent 1-0 defeat to Kheybar Khorramabad. This loss dashed the hopes of coach Vahid Hashemian, who had promised a different performance and hoped for an away victory to reignite their campaign. Instead of a revival, the result extended a run of poor form, leaving the red giants with a meager 8 points from their first 7 league matches, a position far below expectations for a club of its stature.
The Leadership Question
While the coach’s tactics are an easy target for criticism, a deeper analysis points to systemic issues originating from the club’s upper management. The tenure of Managing Director Reza Darvish has come under intense scrutiny. Under his leadership, a club that was once a dominant force in Iranian football has been on a steady decline since the start of the last season, now languishing in the bottom half of the Persian Gulf Pro League table.
The core of the issue appears to be a pattern of decision-making that has failed to produce stability or success.
A Cycle of Coaching Failures
The club’s current predicament is the culmination of a series of high-profile managerial missteps. The cycle began with the controversial departure of Osmar and the subsequent, short-lived appointment of Spanish manager Juan Carlos Garrido, who was dismissed after just 13 weeks.
The second foreign appointment, Turkish manager Ismail Kartal, proved even more costly. Despite significant financial investment, his tenure ended without a single trophy, without Asian Champions League progression, and, most damagingly, without securing an Asian qualification spot for the following season. Kartal’s eventual departure was preceded by reported disagreements with Darvish over transfer policy.
The latest chapter saw a departure from the promise of a “big-name” foreign coach, with the baton passed to club legend Vahid Hashemian. While Hashemian’s own results are under the microscope, his appointment is widely seen as part of a continuing pattern of unstable leadership decisions from the top.
The situation at Persepolis serves as a potent reminder of how crucial stable and strategic management is, not just for winning matches, but for preserving the legacy and competitive spirit of a national sporting institution.