The Malavan Courier
Player ratings17 Jan 2028
Age has not caught Ghaem Eslamikhah yet — 8.24
At 33 he is supposed to be managing his minutes. Instead he was marked 8.24 and looked, for ninety minutes, exactly like the player everybody remembers.
Squad17 Jan 2028
Sajjad Ashouri keeps the receipts
“I remember the meeting. I remember exactly what was promised in it.” Malavan may remember it differently, which is precisely the problem.
Player ratings17 Jan 2028
A chastening introduction for Artin Rostami — 5.80
It is a hard way to meet a crowd. Marked 5.80 on the day he was handed the shirt, and the important thing now is what the next one looks like.
Squad17 Jan 2028
Tempers go at Malavan
Ghaem Eslamikhah was at the centre of it, and by the time it was pulled apart there were three or four others involved. Training grounds are small places and long seasons make them smaller.
Squad17 Jan 2028
Jafar Salmani gets it from the manager
“Nobody here is above being told.” It was not said with a name attached, but the dressing room can count, and so can everybody who was listening.
Squad17 Jan 2028
Words at Malavan training over how hard people work
Somebody said out loud what several people had been thinking. Hossein Sadeghi is at the centre of it, and the squad will now find out whether the standard rises or the pair of them simply stop speaking.
Market17 Jan 2028
A long bet from Malavan on Saman Rezaeian
He is 18, and nobody at Malavan signed him for this season. Deals like this are judged in four years, by people who may not still be in the building.
Match15 Jan 2028
Honours even between Malavan and Sepahan
1‑1, and both dressing rooms will call it two points lost. A draw that asked plenty of questions and answered none of them.
Player ratings17 Jan 2028
Nobody could get near Parham Movaghari
Successful dribbles: 13. Every time he got the ball somebody had to make a decision, and every time the decision was wrong.
In brief
- Player ratings An afternoon Hossein Sadeghi will want back
- Market Mahan Beheshti goes looking for football
- Boardroom The Malavan board put their names to it