Germany’s Schafer Appointed as Esteghlal’s New Coach

Esteghlal FC officials announced on Monday that German football manager Winfried Schafer will be the club’s new head coach.

After Esteghlal’s Iranian manager Alireza Mansourian got the sack in mid-September (for poor results at the beginning of Iran Professional League 2017-2018), club officials began hunting for a substitute from among well-known foreign managers. The job was finally given to the German coach and former player. He is the first foreign manager Esteghlal has employed in 15 years.

Schafer, 67, played 403 Bundesliga matches and scored 46 goals in the (West) German top-flight. He won the 1970 Bundesliga title and 1970 DFB-Pokal with two different clubs – because the West German Cup final was played after the 1970 FIFA World Cup and his move from Monchengladbach to Offenbach.

As manager, he led Karlsruher SC to the semi-finals of the UEFA Cup in the 1993–94 season and won the African Nations Cup in 2002 with Cameroon.

In 2006, he won the UAE national championship with Al-Ahli Football Club. He worked from 2007 to 2009 for UAE League side Al-Ain FC.

In June 2010 Schafer signed a two-year contract with FK Baku. Then in June 2011, he was hired as Thailand manager.

In July 2013 he became coach for Jamaica. In 2015 at the Copa América, Jamaica put in an incredible performance, being drawn in the same group as regional powers Argentina and Uruguay. Shortly after, in July, 2015 Schafer’s team reached the finals of the Gold Cup after beating the US.

Esteghlal Tehran Football Club is one of the major teams in Iran and Asia. In 1970, it was the first Iranian football club to win the Asian Club Championship. The team won the same title again in 1990. The success is represented with two golden stars above the team’s official badge.

Esteghlal has two second titles in 1991, 1998 and two third titles in 1971, 2001 in the Asian Club Championship. With seven appearances in the semi finals, Esteghlal is the third successful club in AFC Champions League after Pohang Steelers of South Korea and Al-Hilal FC of Saudi Arabia.

It has won several official titles on the national and international stage since 1970, including eight Iranian League titles and a record 6 Hazfi Cups.