[80448] Uncertainty at Esteghlal Football Club: Coaching Search and Financial Planning for Next Season

Esteghlal Football Club in the process of preparing for the new season

Iranian football club Esteghlal is facing a professional and managerial crossroads. According to reports in کانال هواداران استقلال, the club has formulated three main work plans for the future, which depend primarily on budget approval from the "Persian Gulf Holding" company.

The professional issue and the next coach
On the professional level, according to the club's technical committee, the continued employment of Sohrab Bakhtiarizadeh as coach is being considered, alongside the examination of foreign or local alternatives depending on the financial situation. However, opinions among the club's fans are divided. Firouz Karimi, in an interview cited in کانال هواداران استقلال, criticized the caliber of the local names raised for discussion and claimed that "none of the internal names are at the level of the Esteghlal bench," while expressing support for the return of Farhad Majidi or bringing in a senior foreign coach.

Initiative to curb player salaries
At the same time, the club is taking an unusual step to deal with the economic crisis affecting the Iranian league. According to reports in کانال فوتبال برتر ࡆ لیگ برتر 360 and کانال هواداران استقلال, Esteghlal has summoned the managers of the other Premier League teams for a special meeting. The purpose of the meeting is "the inclusion of financial decisions and the prevention of a fictitious price market," this in light of the trend of budget cuts for the teams for the coming season.

The club's management, led by Ali Tajarnia, emphasizes that its decisions regarding signing players or extending contracts will only be made after receiving clear data on the amount of available budget, especially in light of the challenges related to the opening of the transfer window and the team's participation in the Premier League and continental tournaments.