Saman Ghoddos Is History-Maker

One of the major international football news websites, Goal.com, has praised Iranian midfielder Saman Ghoddos’s remarkable performance since his move to the French club Amiens in the France top-flight league.

As written in the website, the Iranian is one of a host of foreign imports taking the league by storm after laying his hat in le Championnat - the League of Talents.

Regardless of what Ghoddos goes on to achieve at Amiens, he has already created his own slice of history. Not only did he become the first Iranian to play in Ligue 1, he took less than an hour to become the first to score as he registered in a thumping 4-1 win over Reims just two days after arriving at the club.

It was a fitting climax to what had been a frantic summer for the 25-year-old Sweden-born player. He was sold by the Swedish club Ostersunds to Amiens for a fee in the region of €3.8 million ($4.46m), plus a sell-on clause that could be worth up to 25% of his value.

In leaving Sweden, he became the third most expensive footballer to depart the league, trailing only Alexander Isak and Zlatan Ibrahimovic.

The 25-year-old, who featured in all three of Iran’s World Cup 2018 matches as a substitute, represented a big investment for Amiens, a relatively small club with a budget to match. Nevertheless, it tied him down to a five-year deal in the face of big offers from China and reported interest from Manchester City, which had sent scouts to watch him during the summer.

“We had bids from bigger clubs, but this is the best step for Saman’s career,” agent Nenad Lukic told Expressen. “We had bids from a total of four clubs willing to pay big money, but we thought this would be the best step for him.”

Ghoddos’s attitude and approach to the game would seem to ensure that he will fit into a tight-knit squad that has based its unlikely success over the past couple of seasons on its unity.

“Firstly, he’s a player who has a collective mindset and that’s what matters to be most,” head coach Christophe Pelissier explained. “He scores goals but also chips in with assists and is able to play in several different roles. That’s something we wanted at the club.”

Ghoddos may still be adjusting to life in France, but he has returned two goals in three games, with a textbook free kick last weekend against Lille highlighting his technical qualities.

All the signs are that this is a move that will work out well for everyone.