[79474] A Surprising Confession: Former Esteghlal Captain, Pirouz Ghorbani, Reveals Ties to Rival Team

A Surprising Confession from a Former Esteghlal Captain

In a series of revelations that made waves in the Iranian sports media on June 1, 2026, Pirouz Ghorbani, the former captain of the powerhouse club Esteghlal, shared surprising details about his past and personal fandom. In an interview published on the program "Mikrofon-e Baz," Ghorbani admitted that in his youth he supported Persepolis, his team's arch-rival, noting that this stemmed from his father's influence. According to him, as published in Varzesh3, it is a "natural issue among footballers."

In addition to revealing his support for the rival team, Ghorbani expressed deep regret over his professional decision in the past to leave Esteghlal. According to Varzesh3 reports, the player stated firmly: "If I could go back, I would never leave Esteghlal."

The news received wide circulation among fan channels as well, including کانال هواداران استقلال, where they placed emphasis on the confession regarding his early support for Persepolis. While Varzesh3 functions as a central and professional sports media outlet, fan channels naturally tend to preserve the ideology and loyalty to the club, which makes Ghorbani's admission an interesting point of friction for the traditional fan base.