The Esteghlal Herald
Match1 Aug 2026
No mercy from Esteghlal
Padideh will want this one forgotten quickly: 3‑0, every duel lost, and a long ride home. Esteghlal were ruthless in the way good sides are ruthless.
Player ratings3 Aug 2026
Both of them Mohammed Reza Azadi's — 8.54
2 goals, and the second was the one that settled it. Marked 8.54, and he could have had a third with better luck at the near post.
Player ratings3 Aug 2026
Amir Mohammad Razzaghinia, 20, steals the show — 7.60
Marked 7.60 at 20, in a side that makes no allowances for age. He did not need any, and he looked the least nervous man on the pitch.
Squad3 Aug 2026
Antonio Adán signs a new deal
“I never wanted to be anywhere else. There is unfinished business here.” Antonio Adán commits to Esteghlal for another 2 years.
Squad3 Aug 2026
Words exchanged at Esteghlal
Antonio Adán and a teammate said things this week that will take longer than a week to unsay. It was not about football, and both of them play on Saturday.
Market3 Aug 2026
Saipa watching Aref Gholami
The interest is real enough to have reached print. Esteghlal have said nothing, which in a transfer window is its own kind of answer.
Boardroom3 Aug 2026
3 academy graduates step up at Esteghlal
Senior shirt numbers handed to boys the coaches have known since they were twelve. Most will not make it and all of them have already done the hard part.
The terraces3 Aug 2026
Esteghlal supporters have found a favourite in Amir Mohammad Razzaghinia
There is a particular warmth a ground reserves for a 20-year-old it feels ownership of. Amir Mohammad Razzaghinia has it now, and everything he does for the rest of his time here will be measured against the goodwill he was handed for free.
Market3 Aug 2026
Esteghlal promote Ali Hosseini from within
The academy exists for exactly this morning. Ali Hosseini has come through every age group the club runs and has now been handed a senior number, and the people who coached him at twelve will be the proudest in the building.
In brief
- Market Ehsan Gholizadeh steps up from the Esteghlal academy
- Market Masoud Rezaeian steps up from the Esteghlal academy
- Squad The formation has left Shahab Zahedi behind