2012–13 Iran Pro League

Updated on Oct 23, 2023

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Season 2012–13 Goals scored 694		Dates 19 Jul 2012 – 10 May 2013 Matches played 306

Champions Esteghlal 3rd Iran Pro League title 8th Iranian title overall Champions League Esteghlal Sepahan (via Hazfi) Tractor Sazi Foolad Top goalscorer Jalal Rafkhaei (19 goals) Best goalkeeper Mehdi Rahmati (21 clean sheets) Biggest home win Persepolis 6–0 Paykan Fajr 6–0 Aluminium Zob Ahan 6–0 Sanat Naft Relegated Sanat Naft Abadan F.C., Gahar Zagros F.C., Paykan F.C., Aluminium Hormozgan F.C. People also search for 2011–12 Persian Gulf Cup

The 2012–13 Iran Pro League was the twelfth season of the Iran Pro League and the seventh under the name Persian Gulf Cup. Sepahan are the defending champions. The season was featured 15 teams from the 2011–12 Iran Pro League and three new teams promoted from the 2011–12 Azadegan League: Aluminium Hormozgan, Paykan and Gahar Zagros who replace relegated Shahin Bushehr, Shahrdari Tabriz and Mes Sarcheshmeh. The league started on 19 July 2012 and was ended on 10 May 2013.

On 5 May 2013, Esteghlal won their 3rd Iran Pro League title by defeating Foolad 1–0 with Javad Nekounam scores in Ahvaz. Gahar Zagros, Paykan and Sanat Naft also relegated weeks before the end of the league. Aluminium Hormozgan also relegated on the last day of the match which Zob Ahan was qualified to relegation play-off. Zob Ahan defeated Pas Hamedan to retain in next season's Iran Pro League season.

Competition format

After the 2012–13 Iran Pro League season the number of teams was planned to be reduced from 18 to 16 for the next season, so 4 team was directly relegated to the Azadegan League, while one team was played against the 3rd ranked team from the second division league team in a play-off. 2 teams also are directly promoted from current Azadegan league to the next pro league season and one team played against the 14th placed pro league team in a play-off.

Rules and regulations

The Iranian Football Clubs who participate in 2012–13 Iran Pro League are allowed to have up to maximum 35 players (including up to maximum 4 non-Iranian players) in their player lists, which will be categorized in the following groups:

Up to maximum 21 adult (over 23 year old) players

Up to maximum 6 under-23 players (i.e. the player whose birth is after 19 July 1989).

Up to maximum 5 under-21 players (i.e. the player whose birth is after 19 July 1991).

Up to maximum 3 under-19 players (i.e. the player whose birth is after 19 July 1993).

Based on the fact that the Season is started from 19 July 2012.

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.

Notes

Esteghlal's captain was Mehdi Rahmati before Farhad Majidi rejoins to the team.
Reza Haghighi was the captain of Fajr Sepasi until his transfer to the Persepolis.
From 19 January 2013 to 18 March 2013, Ali Firouzi and from 18 March 2013, Saeed Salamaat were the caretaker head coaches of Sanat Naft due to Casimiro's illness.

Results

Updated to games played on 10 May 2013.
Source: IPL Stats
1 ^{^} The home team is listed in the left-hand column.
Colours: Blue = home team win; Yellow = draw; Red = away team win.
For coming matches, an a indicates there is an article about the match.

Positions by round

Last updated: 10 May 2013
Source: Cups.ir (Persian)

Clubs season-progress

Last updated: 10 May 2013
Source: IPL Stats

Relegation play-offs

Zob Ahan as 14th-placed team faced play-off winner of 2012–13 Azadegan League, Pas Hamedan in a two-legged play-off.

Zob Ahan won 5–3 on aggregate and retained its Iran Pro League spot for the 2013–14 season.

Clean sheets

Last Update: 10 May 2013

Scoring

First goal of the season: Mehdi Nazari for Fajr against Zob Ahan (19 July 2012)

Fastest goal of the season: 12 seconds, Gholamreza Rezaei for Persepolis against Fajr Sepasi (30 December 2012)

Latest goal of the season: 96 minutes and 12 seconds, Karim Ansarifard for Persepolis against Zob Ahan (19 November 2012)

Largest winning margin: 6 goals

Persepolis 6–0 Paykan (31 October 2012)

Fajr 6–0 Aluminium (1 March 2013)

Zob Ahan 6–0 Sanat Naft (5 May 2013)

Highest scoring game: 8 goals

Damash 5–3 Paykan (31 July 2012)

Sanat Naft 2–6 Naft Tehran (6 August 2012)

Most goals scored in a match by a single team: 6 goals

Sanat Naft 2–6 Naft Tehran (18 August 2012)

Fajr 6–1 Damash (15 September 2012)

Persepolis 6–0 Paykan (31 October 2012)

Fajr 6–0 Aluminium (1 March 2013)

Most goals scored in a match by a losing team: 3 goals

Damash 5–3 Paykan (31 July 2012)

Naft Tehran 3–4 Sepahan (30 October 2012)

Sepahan 4–3 Zob Ahan (13 January 2013)

Team of the Tournament

Goalkeeper: Mehdi Rahmati (Esteghlal)
Defence: Mehrdad Jama'ati (Foolad), Pejman Montazeri (Esteghlal), Amir Hossein Sadeghi (Esteghlal), Khosro Heydari (Esteghlal)
Midfield: Reza Haghighi (Perspolis), Bakhtiar Rahmani (Foolad), Moharram Navidkia (Sepahan), Yaghoub Karimi (Naft.t)
Attack: Jalal Rafkhaei (Malavan), Mohammad Reza Khalatbari (Sepahan)

Player of the Tournament

Moharram Navidkia was awarded as the best player of the season among Mehdi Rahmati and Pejman Montazeri became second and third. Saeid Ezzatollahi was also awarded as the best young player of the season and Alireza Jahanbakhsh was ranked second.

Other awards

Amir Ghalenoei was awarded as the best coach of the season, Zlatko Kranjčar becomes second and Hossein Faraki third. Saeid Mozafarizadeh awarded best referee, Fair Play Award was given to the Fajr Sepasi and Esteghlal was the team of the season. Mehdi Mahdavikia, Ali Parvin, Homayoun Behzadi and Ali Jabari were also awarded for their service to the Iranian football.