Editorial: Best derby in best league ever

Former national team coach and Esteghlal’s championship coach Ghalenoei said he believes it could be one of the best matches ever between Esteghlal and Persepolis. If so it would be no big surprise as this year’s league possibly has been the best ever.

Never before in Iran has so many teams been this strong. Saipa who were undefeated in the group stage of the AFC Champions league and under Daei proved one of the better teams in Asia have only won out of their five league games. Sepahan who last year were second best in Asia have so far only won two out of six league games. Sepahan under new head coach Firat isn’t a bit weaker than they were under Bonacic but instead the league is so much more competitive. Saba who finished third last year has a fantastic offence with Fazli, G Rezaei, Kolahkaj, Noori, S Rezaei and Feshangchi but still has only won once in seven games.

The table says a lot about how competitive the league has become but so does a look at the squads. Almost all of the teams have non-Iranian key players in their starting eleven that have strengthened their teams and the league in total. Several of the teams even have more than one foreigner in their starting eleven. Persepolis has Tore and Petrovich. Sepahan has Emad Ridha, Abolhail and Armando. Mes Kerman has Zaltron and Edinho and on it goes.

Another new positive trend in this league has been the spectacular goals we have been astounded at. Pejman Nouri was first out with his long distance shot in the first league game while Esteghlal’s Jabbari followed that up they day after with an even greater and a very emotional goal. Who can forget the world-class goals of Ehsan Hajsafi or Shpejtin in Payam?

Surely the football in Iran has been riding on a great buzz lately. A few days ago one and a half million people participated in a TV poll although the chances of winning are equal to zero and the poll is taking place after midnight. Or how about having 50 000, 30 000, 60 000, 90 000 and capacity crowd (on Friday) on the stands in your home games as Persepolis has had? Head coach Daei and the national team has certainly done their work so far and has suddenly risen up as the biggest favourite in their World Cup qualifying group ahead of Saudi Arabia and South Korea.

Though back to the 22nd biggest derby in the world (Real Madrid-Barcelona being the biggest, according to World Soccer). Since 1980 the blues and the reds of Tehran have met about 43 times and amazingly 23 of them has ended in a draw. Only in the last five matches four of them has had no winner. In 2000 Ali Karimi scored a spectacular close range scissor kick right at the buzzer to tie the mighty clash. Now for the first time since then the "Wizard of Tehran" is back home to add to the tally of former or current national team players in both teams to 20. Will there be a winner on Friday and how many hours before kick-off will we have a capacity crowd (possibly only 70 000 tickets will be sold due to security reasons) going at each other?