2021–22 Persian Gulf Pro League
21st season of Persian Gulf Pro League
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The 2021–22 Persian Gulf Pro League (formerly known as Iran Pro League) was the 39th season of Iran's Football League and 21st as Persian Gulf Pro League since its establishment in 2001.Persepolis were the defending champions. Esteghlal won the league with a record 68-point through an unprecedented unbeaten campaign. The season featured 14 teams from the 2020–21 Persian Gulf Pro League and two new teams promoted from the 2020–21 Azadegan League: Fajr Sepasi and Havadar.
Season2021–22
Dates19 October 2021 – 2 June 2022
ChampionsEsteghlal
4th Pro League title
9th Iranian title
4th Pro League title
9th Iranian title
RelegatedShahr Khodro
Fajr Sepasi
Fajr Sepasi
Esteghlal championship celebration | |
| Season | 2021–22 |
|---|---|
| Dates | 19 October 2021 – 2 June 2022 |
| Champions | Esteghlal 4th Pro League title 9th Iranian title |
| Relegated | Shahr Khodro Fajr Sepasi |
| Matches | 237 |
| Goals | 425 (1.79 per match) |
| Top goalscorer | Godwin Mensha (14 Goals) |
| Best goalkeeper | Hossein Hosseini (18 CS) |
| Biggest home win | Zob Ahan 4–0 Aluminium Arak (11 March 2022) |
| Biggest away win | Naft MIS 0–3 Sepahan (24 October 2021) Zob Ahan 0–3 Mes Rafsanjan (4 December 2021) Paykan 0–3 Esteghlal (9 December 2021) Padideh 0–3 Esteghlal (24 December 2021) Naft MIS 0–3 Esteghlal (13 January 2022) |
| Highest scoring | Gol Gohar 4–1 Tractor (20 October 2021) Sepahan 4–1 Naft MIS (12 February 2022) Mes Rafsanjan 3–2 Tractor (10 November 2021) Esteghlal 3–2 Mes Rafsanjan (8 January 2022) Gol Gohar 3–2 Zob Ahan (2 June 2022) |
| Longest winning run | Esteghlal (6 matches) |
| Longest unbeaten run | Esteghlal (30 matches) |
| Longest winless run | Fajr Sepasi (25 matches) |
| Longest losing run | Naft MIS (7 matches) |
| Highest attendance | 85,000 Esteghlal – Naft MIS[1][2] (30 May 2022) |
| Lowest attendance | 0 (spectator ban) 199 matches |
| Total attendance | 412,300 |
| Average attendance | 10,572 (matches with spectator bans not included) |
← 2020–21 2022–23 → | |
The 2021–22 season started 24 September 2021 and ended 20 June 2022.
Teams
Stadia and locations
Locations of clubs in 2021–22 Persian Gulf Pro League
| Team | Location | Stadium | Capacity |
|---|---|---|---|
 Aluminium Arak |
Arak | Imam Khomeini | 15,000 |
| Esteghlal |
Tehran | Azadi | 78,116 |
| Fajr Sepasi |
Shiraz | Pars | 50,000 |
| Foolad |
Ahvaz | Foolad Arena | 30,655 |
| Gol Gohar Sirjan |
Sirjan | Shahid Qasem Soleimani | 9,000[3] |
| Havadar |
Karaj | Enghelab Stadium | 8,250 |
| Mes Rafsanjan |
Rafsanjan | Shohadaye Mes | 2,000[4][5] |
| Naft Masjed Soleyman |
Masjed Soleyman | Behnam Mohammadi | 8,000 |
| Nassaji Mazandaran |
Qaem Shahr | Vatani | 15,000 |
| Paykan |
Shahr-e Qods | Shahr-e Qods | 18,000 |
| Persepolis |
Tehran | Azadi | 78,116 |
| Sanat Naft |
Abadan | Takhti Abadan | 10,000[6] |
| Sepahan |
Isfahan | Naghsh-e-Jahan | 75,000 |
| Shahr Khodro |
Mashhad | Imam Reza | 27,700 |
| Tractor |
Tabriz | Yadegar-e Emam | 66,833 |
| Zob Ahan |
Fooladshahr | Fooladshahr | 20,000 |
Number of teams by region
| Region | Number of teams | Teams |
|---|---|---|
| Tehran | 4 | Esteghlal, Havadar, Paykan, Persepolis |
| Khuzestan | 3 | Foolad, Naft Masjed Soleyman, Sanat Naft |
| Isfahan | 2 | Sepahan, Zob Ahan |
| Kerman | 2 | Gol Gohar Sirjan, Mes Rafsanjan |
| East Azarbaijan | 1 | Tractor |
| Fars | 1 | Fajr Sepasi |
| Markazi | 1 | Aluminium Arak |
| Mazandaran | 1 | Nassaji |
| Razavi Khorasan | 1 | Shahr Khodro |
Personnel and kits
Note: Flags indicate national team as has been defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
| Team | Manager | Captain | Kit manufacturer |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aluminium Arak | Mehdi Rahmati |
Meysam Majidi |
Start |
| Esteghlal | Farhad Majidi |
Voria Ghafouri |
Merooj |
| Fajr Sepasi | Ali Kalantari |
Hamid Nemati |
|
| Foolad | Javad Nekounam |
Ayoub Vali |
Merooj |
| Gol Gohar | Amir Ghalenoei |
Amin Pourali |
Merooj |
| Havadar | Reza Enayati |
Mohammad Ghazi |
|
| Mes Rafsanjan | Mohammad Rabiei |
Mohsen Azarbad |
Merooj |
| Naft MIS | Mahmoud Fekri |
Abbas Asgari |
Merooj |
| Nassaji | Esmaeil Esmaeili |
Hamed Shiri |
Merooj |
| Paykan | Mojtaba Hosseini |
Ebrahim Salehi |
Merooj |
| Persepolis | Yahya Golmohammadi |
Jalal Hosseini |
 Uhlsport |
| Sanat Naft | Alireza Mansourian |
Hossein Baghlani |
Merooj |
| Sepahan | Moharram Navidkia |
Jalaleddin Alimohammadi |
Uhlsport |
| Shahr Khodro | Davoud Seyed Abbasi |
Milad Farahani |
Uhlsport |
| Tractor |  Ertugrul Saglam |
Mohammad Reza Akhbari |
Start |
| Zob Ahan | Mehdi Tartar |
Masoud Ebrahimzadeh |
Start |
Foreign players
The number of foreign players is restricted to four per Persian Gulf Pro League team, including a slot for a player from AFC countries. A team can use four foreign players on the field in each game, including at least one player from the AFC country.
In bold: Players that have been capped for their national team.
League table
Standings
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Esteghlal[a] (C) | 30 | 19 | 11 | 0 | 39 | 10 | +29 | 68 | |
| 2 | Persepolis[b] | 30 | 18 | 9 | 3 | 44 | 21 | +23 | 63 | |
| 3 | Sepahan[c] | 30 | 16 | 8 | 6 | 43 | 21 | +22 | 56 | |
| 4 | Gol Gohar | 30 | 13 | 12 | 5 | 37 | 28 | +9 | 51 | |
| 5 | Foolad | 30 | 13 | 10 | 7 | 30 | 22 | +8 | 49 | |
| 6 | Mes Rafsanjan | 30 | 12 | 9 | 9 | 39 | 29 | +10 | 45 | |
| 7 | Zob Ahan | 30 | 10 | 7 | 13 | 21 | 25 | −4 | 37[d] | |
| 8 | Aluminium Arak | 30 | 7 | 16 | 7 | 20 | 23 | −3 | 37[d] | |
| 9 | Paykan | 30 | 7 | 15 | 8 | 26 | 27 | −1 | 36[e] | |
| 10 | Sanat Naft | 30 | 9 | 9 | 12 | 26 | 30 | −4 | 36[e] | |
| 11 | Havadar | 30 | 8 | 10 | 12 | 18 | 25 | −7 | 34 | |
| 12 | Nassaji Mazandaran[f] | 30 | 6 | 15 | 9 | 24 | 34 | −10 | 33 | |
| 13 | Tractor[g] | 30 | 7 | 10 | 13 | 26 | 32 | −6 | 31 | |
| 14 | Naft Masjed Soleyman | 30 | 3 | 13 | 14 | 14 | 35 | −21 | 22 | |
| 15 | Shahr Khodro (R) | 30 | 2 | 11 | 17 | 17 | 43 | −26 | 17[h] | Relegation to 2022–23 Azadegan League |
| 16 | Fajr Sepasi (R) | 30 | 2 | 11 | 17 | 10 | 29 | −19 | 17[h] |
Updated to match(es) played on 2 June 2022. Source: Soccerway, IPL Table
Rules for classification: 1) Points; 2) Head-to-head points; 3) Head-to-head goal difference; 4) Head-to-head goals scored; 5) Goal difference; 6) Goals scored; 7) Play-off at neutral venue.
(Note: Head-to-head record is used only after all the matches between the teams in question have been played). [7]
(C) Champions; (R) Relegated
Notes:
Rules for classification: 1) Points; 2) Head-to-head points; 3) Head-to-head goal difference; 4) Head-to-head goals scored; 5) Goal difference; 6) Goals scored; 7) Play-off at neutral venue.
(Note: Head-to-head record is used only after all the matches between the teams in question have been played). [7]
(C) Champions; (R) Relegated
Notes:
- Esteghlal could not pay its debts on time and did not obtain an AFC license. Therefore, even if they earn the right to play in Asian competitions based on league position, they will not be able to participate. According to FFIRI special rules for ACL slots, the next best-ranked team of 2022–23 Persian Gulf Pro League will replace Esteghlal in ACL.
- Persepolis qualified to AFC Champions League group stage directly by winning the 2022–23 Persian Gulf Pro League.
- Sepahan qualified to AFC Champions League group stage directly by being the runner-up in 2022–23 Persian Gulf Pro League.
- Head-to-head points: Zob Ahan 4, Aluminium Arak 1.
- Head-to-head points: Paykan 2, Sanat Naft 2. Goal difference: Paykan −1, Sanat Naft −4.
- Nassaji Mazandaran qualified to AFC Champions League group stage directly by winning the 2021–22 Hazfi Cup.
- Tractor qualified to AFC Champions League play-off round by the fourth place in 2022–23 Persian Gulf Pro League Because Esteghlal was on top three in that competition.
- Head-to-head points: Shahr Khodro 4, Fajr Sepasi 1.
Results
Positions by round
| Leader | |
| Relegation to 2022-23 Azadegan League |
Statistics
Top scorers
| Rank | Player | Club | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  Godwin Mensha |
Mes Rafsanjan | 14 |
| 2 |  Arthur Yamga |
Esteghlal | 10 |
| 3 |  Luciano Pereira |
Foolad | 9 |
| Shahriyar Moghanlou |
Sepahan | ||
| 5 | Mohammad Abbaszadeh |
Tractor | 8 |
| Amirhossein Hosseinzadeh |
Esteghlal | ||
| 7 | Mehdi Abdi |
Persepolis | 7 |
| Karim Eslami |
Nassaji | ||
| Saeid Sadeghi |
Gol Gohar | ||
| Morteza Tabrizi |
Gol Gohar |
Hat-tricks
| Player | For | Against | Result | Date |
|---|
Clean sheets
| Rank | Player | Club | Clean sheets |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Hossein Hosseini[8] |
Esteghlal | 18 |
| 2 | Hossein Pour Hamidi |
Aluminium Arak | 14 |
| 3 | Mohsen Forouzan |
Gol Gohar | 13 |
| 4 | Habib Far Abbasi |
Zob Ahan | 11 |
| Ali Mohsenzadeh |
Naft Masjed Soleyman | ||
| 6 | Mohammad Reza Akhbari |
Tractor | 9 |
| Mehrdad Bashagerdi |
Havadar | ||
| Shahab Gordan |
Foolad | ||
| Alireza Haghighi |
Nassaji | ||
| Farhad Kermanshahi |
Paykan | ||
 Christopher Knett |
Sepahan | ||
| Hamed Lak |
Persepolis |
Attendances
Average home attendances
| Pos | Team | Total | High | Low | Average | Change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Esteghlal | 187,000 | 85,000 | 0 | 37,400 | n/a |
| 2 | Tractor | 104,000 | 68,000 | 0 | 34,667 | n/a |
| 3 | Persepolis | 20,000 | 20,000 | 0 | 20,000 | n/a |
| 4 | Sepahan | 44,000 | 20,000 | 0 | 11,000 | n/a |
| 5 | Fajr Sepasi | 12,000 | 8,000 | 0 | 6,000 | n/a |
| 5 | Foolad | 6,000 | 6,000 | 0 | 6,000 | n/a |
| 7 | Gol Gohar | 12,000 | 3,000 | 0 | 3,000 | n/a |
| 7 | Aluminium Arak | 9,000 | 5,000 | 0 | 3,000 | n/a |
| 7 | Sanat Naft | 3,000 | 3,000 | 0 | 3,000 | n/a |
| 10 | Naft MIS | 5,500 | 3,000 | 0 | 2,750 | n/a |
| 11 | Zob Ahan | 5,400 | 5,000 | 0 | 1,800 | n/a |
| 12 | Mes Rafsanjan | 2,150 | 750 | 0 | 717 | n/a |
| 13 | Nassaji | 1,200 | 1,000 | 0 | 600 | n/a |
| 14 | Shahr Khodro | 500 | 500 | 0 | 500 | n/a |
| 15 | Havadar | 450 | 200 | 0 | 150 | n/a |
| 16 | Paykan | 100 | 100 | 0 | 100 | n/a |
| League total | 412,300 | 85,000 | 0 | 10,572 | n/a |
Updated to games played on 30 May 2022
Source: Iranleague.ir
Notes:
Matches with spectator bans are not included in average attendances
Fajr Sepasi and Havadar played in the previous season in the Azadegan League
Attendances by round
| Team/Round | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 | Average |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aluminium Arak | A | NC | NC | A | NC | A | NC | A | NC | A | NC | A | NC | A | NC | NC | A | A | NC | A | NC | A | NC | A | 5,000[9] | A | 2,000[10] | A | 2,000[11] | A | 3,000 |
| Esteghlal | NC | A | NC | A | 5,000[12] | A | A | NC | A | NC | A | NC | A | NC | A | A | NC | A | NC | A | NC | NC | A | 20,000[13] | A | 40,000[14][15] | A | 37,000[16] | A | 85,000[1][2] | 37,400 |
| Fajr Sepasi | A | NC | A | NC | A | NC | A | NC | A | NC | A | NC | A | NC | A | NC | A | NC | A | NC | A | NC | A | NC | A | 8,000[17] | A | 4,000[18][19] | A | NC[20] | 6,000 |
| Foolad | NC | A | NC | A | NC | A | NC | A | NC | A | NC | A | NC | A | NC | A | NC | A | NC | A | NC | A | NC | A | 6,000[21] | A | NC[22] | A | NC[23][24] | A | 6,000 |
| Gol Gohar | NC | A | NC | A | A | NC | A | NC | A | NC | A | NC | A | NC | A | A | NC | A | NC | NC | A | NC | A | 3,000[25] | A | 3,000[26] | A | 3,000[27] | A | 3,000[28] | 3,000 |
| Havadar | A | NC | A | NC | A | NC | A | NC | A | A | NC | A | NC | A | NC | NC | A | NC | A | NC | A | NC | A | NC | 150[29] | A | 200[30] | A | 100[31] | A | 150 |
| Naft MIS | A | NC | A | NC | A | NC | A | A | NC | A | NC | A | NC | A | NC | NC | A | NC | A | NC | A | NC | NC | A | 3,000[32] | A | NC[33] | A | 2,500[34] | A | 2,750 |
| Nassaji | NC | A | A | NC | A | NC | A | NC | A | NC | A | NC | A | NC | A | A | NC | NC | A | NC | A | NC | A | NC | A | 1,000[35] | A | 200[36] | A | N/A[37] | 600 |
| Mes Rafsanjan | A | NC | A | NC | NC | A | NC | A | NC | A | NC | A | NC | A | NC | NC | A | NC | A | A | NC | A | NC | A | 700[38] | A | 700[39] | A | 750[40][41] | A | 717 |
| Paykan | NC | A | NC | A | NC | A | NC | A | NC | NC | A | NC | A | NC | A | A | NC | A | NC | A | NC | A | NC | A | A | NC[42] | A | NC[43] | A | 100[44] | 100 |
| Persepolis | A | NC | A | NC | A | 5,000[45] | NC | A | NC | A | NC | A | NC | A | NC | NC | A | NC | A | NC | A | A | 20,000[46] | A | 17,000[47] | A | NC[48] | A | 2,000[49][50] | A | 11,000 |
| Sanat Naft | NC | A | NC | A | NC | A | NC | NC | A | NC | A | NC | A | NC | A | A | NC | A | NC | A | NC | A | A | NC | A | NC[51] | A | 3,000[52][53] | A | N/A[54] | 3,000 |
| Sepahan | NC | A | NC | A | NC | A | NC | A | NC | A | NC | NC | A | NC | A | A | NC | A | NC | A | NC | A | NC | A | 20,000[55] | A | A | NC[56] | A | NC[57] | 20,000 |
| Shahr Khodro | NC | A | NC | A | NC | A | NC | A | NC | A | NC | A | NC | NC | A | A | NC | A | NC | A | NC | A | NC | A | NC[58] | A | 500[59] | A | A | NC[60] | 500 |
| Tractor | A | NC | A | NC | A | NC | A | NC | A | NC | A | NC | A | A | NC | NC | A | NC | A | NC | A | NC | A | 16,000[61] | A | 20,000[62] | A | 68,000[63] | NC[64] | A | 34,667 |
| Zob Ahan | A | NC | A | NC | A | NC | A | NC | A | NC | A | A | NC | A | NC | NC | A | NC | A | NC | A | NC | A | NC[65] | A | 5,000[66] | 150[67] | A | 250[68] | A | 1,800 |
| Total | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5,000 | 5,000 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 20,000 | 39,000 | 51,850 | 77,000 | 3,550 | 115,200 | 7,600 | 88,100 | 412,300 |
| Average | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5,000 | 5,000 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 20,000 | 13,000 | 7,407 | 12,833 | 710 | 19,200 | 1,267 | 29,367 | 10,572 |
Notes:
Updated to games played on 30 May 2022. Source: Iranleague.ir
Matches with spectator bans are not included in average attendances
Highest attendances
| Rank | Home team | Score | Away team | Attendance | Date | Week | Stadium |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Esteghlal | 0–0 | Naft MIS | 85,000[1] | 30 May 2022 | 30 | Azadi |
| 2 | Tractor | 0–31 | Persepolis | 68,000[63] | 19 May 2022 | 28 | Sahand |
| 3 | Esteghlal | 1–0 | Shahr Khodro | 40,000[14] | 9 May 2022 | 26 | Azadi |
| 4 | Esteghlal | 0–0 | Aluminium Arak | 37,000[16] | 19 May 2022 | 28 | Azadi |
| 5 | Persepolis | 1–1 | Esteghlal | 20,000[46] | 17 March 2022 | 23 | Azadi |
| Esteghlal | 0–0 | Paykan | 20,000[13] | 5 April 2022 | 24 | Azadi | |
| Sepahan | 1–1 | Esteghlal | 20,000[55] | 4 May 2022 | 25 | Naghsh-e Jahan | |
| Tractor | 3–2 | Havadar | 20,000[62] | 9 May 2022 | 26 | Sahand | |
| 9 | Persepolis | 2–0 | Paykan | 17,000[47] | 4 May 2022 | 25 | Azadi |
| 10 | Tractor | 1–0 | Mes Rafsanjan | 16,000[61] | 3 April 2022 | 24 | Sahand |
Notes:
Updated to games played on 30 May 2022. Source: Iranleague.ir
1The game was abandoned in the 70th minute after some home fans threw stones.[69] Later the game was scored 0–3 for Persepolis by the disciplinary board.[70]
