Saipa Karadj
- Alias
- SaiPa FC
- Leagues Played
- Iran Pro League 213 Iran Div 1 95 Iran Cup 16 AFC Champions League Qualification 2
- Links
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| Iran Div 1 | 04/21 14:30 | 28 |
Pars Jonoubi Jam
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SaiPa FC
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| Iran Cup | 04/26 15:00 | 4 |
Malavan
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SaiPa FC
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| Iran Div 1 | 05/02 13:30 | 29 |
SaiPa FC
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Chadormalu SC
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| Iran Div 1 | 05/08 14:00 | 30 |
Mes Soongoun Varzaghan
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SaiPa FC
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Wikipedia - Saipa F.C.
Saipa Football Club (Persian: باشگاه فوتبال سايپا, Bashgah-e Futbal-e Saipa) is a football club from Tehran, Iran. The team is owned by SAIPA, an Iranian automobile manufacturer. The team has never had a large fanbase. In the 2006–07 season, under the guidance of Ali Daei, Saipa won their only Persian Gulf Cup title. Saipa has also won the Azadegan League twice and the Hazfi Cup once. Saipa is the football club of the multisport Saipa Cultural and Athletic Corporation.
History
This section does not cite any sources. (April 2017) |
Early days
In 1989, SAIPA Company decided to start its own football team. They purchased a team playing in the 4th division of Tehran's city league, and renamed it Saipa F.C. After back to back promotions starting in the first year, the Karaj based club was playing in the 2nd division by 1991. That same year they purchased the Shipping Department team's shares, and participated in the 1st division of Tehran's local league. In that year they won the Tehran city championship as well as the Tehran Super Cup, thus attaining the right to play in Iran's top league at the time, the Azadegan League.
Azadegan League
In their first year in the Azadegan League they won the championship, as well as the Hazfi Cup. They also won the league championship again in 1994. The team was relegated into the second division in 1995, but were promoted again in the following year. Since their second promotion to the top tier, the club has remained in the middle of the league table.
Persian Gulf Pro League
Ali Daei era
By 2001, the club's on-field performance remained stable, occupying mid-table position most years. Shortly following Iranian goalkeeper Ahmad Reza Abedzadeh's retirement, he was linked with the head coaching job at Saipa. It never materialized, but the club signed another Iranian, Ali Daei in a move from Saba Battery. The club had finished third in the previous season and now, with Werner Lorant as a coach, the team aimed to work for the title. Shortly after the season began though, Littbarski was fired and Ali Daei took on the role of player/coach. Daei scored the winner in the title winning game. Daei extended his contract, this time as a full-time coach. He was appointed head coach of the national team but kept his role at Saipa until the end of the season.
Return to mid-table and relocation to Tehran
Following the title winning year which saw the team play in the AFC Champions League, Saipa turned back into the mid-table places of the league again. Before the start of the 2015–16 Persian Gulf Pro League season Saipa announced they had moved their home city from Karaj to nearby Tehran.
The team's colors are blue and white, and their logo features a lion, symbolizing strength and courage. Saipa Karadj has a history of success in domestic competitions, having won the Iranian Hazfi Cup multiple times. They are known for their attacking style of play and skilled players who have represented the Iranian national team.
Saipa Karadj is a respected and competitive team in Iranian football, and their matches are always exciting to watch. With a dedicated fan base and a talented roster of players, Saipa Karadj continues to be a formidable opponent in the Persian Gulf Pro League.