Nasser Hejazi

Nasser Hejazi

File:N. Hejazi.jpg
Personal information
Full name	Nasser Hejazi
Height	1.85 m (6 ft 1 in)
Position(s)	Goalkeeper
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps	(Gls)
1964–1965	Nader	20	(0)
1967–1977	Taj	106	(0)
1977–1980	Shahbaz	57	(0)
1978	→ Manchester United (loan)	2	(0)
1980–1986	Esteghlal	43	(0)
1986–1987	Mohammedan	31	(0)
International career
1968–1980	Iran	62	(0)
Managerial career
1988	Mohammedan
1988–1989	Shahrdari Kerman
1990–1994	Bank Tejarat
1992–1993	Sepahan
1996–1999	Esteghlal
1999–2001	Zob Ahan
2001–2002	Esteghlal Rasht
2003	Mashin Sazi
2003–2004	Esteghlal Ahvaz
2006–2007	Nassaji Mazandaran
2007	Esteghlal
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Nasser Hejazi (19 December 1949 – 23 May 2011) nicknamed The Legend; was an Iranian football player and coach who most notably played for Esteghlal. Considered as one of the best Goalkeepers in Iranian Football's history, he capped 62 times for Iran national football team. In 2000, the Asian Football Confederation ranked him the second best Asian goalkeeper of the 20th century.

He was goalkeeper of Iran national team in 1960's and 1970's and won for two times in AFC Asian Cup, one time in Asian Games and was played in 1976 Summer Olympics and 1978 FIFA World Cup.

As a Manager, he won a Azadegan League and a Hazfi Cup, as well as a runner-up place in AFC Champions League.

Early life

File:Young Nasser.jpg

The Young Hejazi

He was born on 19 December 1949 in Tehran, Iran. His father was from Tabriz and had a real estate agency. He was admitted to Allameh Tabatabai University in 1977. He was later enrolled in Nader F.C. in 1964 and played for club until 1965. In 1965, he signed a contract with Taj and started his career in a professional club.

Club career

Hejazi was the goalkeeper of the Taj F.C. and Iran during the 1970s. Hejazi first broke into the Taj side when he was only 18 years old and won the Asian Club Championship in 1970; he also won the Iranian league in 1971 as well as 1975 and was positioned second in 1974. Further on, he won the Hazfi Cup in 1977.

After the 1978 FIFA World Cup, Hejazi received an offer from Manchester United. He trained and played with the club for a month, even appearing in a reserve match against Stoke City. Manchester United manager Dave Sexton wanted Hejazi to stay for another two or three months before officially signing a contract with him, but there was no-one at the IRFF at the time of the Islamic Revolution to arrange the extension which lead to Manchester United signing Gary Bailey in his stead. He remained as Esteghlals main goalkeeper until his retirement in the mid-eighties. There he could win the Tehran provincial league in 1983 and 1985 and the runners-up position in 1982.

International career

Hejazi against Australia in Melbourne in 1977

Hejazi joined up with the Team Melli, just in time to feature in the squad that won the Asian Cup in 1968 and picked up two more in 1972 as the first choice and 1976 as the second choice goalkeeper.

He also represented Iran at the 1972 Munich Olympics and reached the quarterfinals of the Olympic Tournament in Montreal in 1976. In 1974 he made a contribution to the Iranian team's win in the final match (Bahram Mavadat and Mansour Rashidi had played the matches before) of the football tournament of the Asian Games in Tehran.

Hejazi's most important tournament was the 1978 FIFA World Cup in Argentina, where he was Iran's starting goalkeeper.

He was captain of the national team during the 1980 Asian Cup and played his last match for Iran in the semi-final match versus Kuwait. After the tournament a member of Iran's Physical Education Department implemented a plan in which athletes older than 27 years of age would no longer be allowed to compete internationally. Hejazi was effectively forced to retire from international football because of this rule despite being only 29 years old at the time of implementation.

Managerial career

Hejazi in 2009

Nasser Hejazi coached Bangladesh's top football club Dhaka Mohammedan SC from 1987 to 1991. During his time Bangladeshi football was enlightened with the modern day technique of football and embraced top football coaching. The Bangladeshi football Federation rewarded him by making him national team coach in 1989.

During the 1990s, Hejazi was the manager of a number of football clubs including the Mohammedan SC, the Esteghlal (former Taj) and Esteghlal Ahvaz. During his tenure with the Esteghlal, Hejazi took the club to the final match of the Asian Champions League in 1999. They were beaten by the Jubilo Iwata in Tehran. During his years as a coach, Hejazi was the first to discover many talented Iranian football players, including Rahman Rezaei. In early August 2006 Hejazi announced he signed a one year contract as head coach of Azadegan League outfit Nassaji Mazandaran. He resigned from the post in January 2007.

As of May 23, 2011

Nat	Team	From	To	Record
				G	W	D	L	GF	GA	+/-
	Sepahan	October 1992	October 1993	17	10	6	1	29	9	+20
	Esteghlal	February 1996	December 1999	67	45	20	3	75	53	+22
	Zob Ahan	December 1999	July 2001	39	28	3	8	43	22	+21
	Esteghlal	August 2007	November 2007	14	5	5	4	19	25	-6
Total				137	88	34	16	166	109	+57

Honours

File:Nasser Hejazi 1978.jpg

Nasser Hejazi as Captain of Esteghlal Tehran FC in a match of the Tehran Football Championship in the 1980s

File:Nasser and Atila Hejazi.jpg

Nasser with his son, Atila after a match

Club (Taj F.C./Esteghlal F.C.)

• Asian Club Championship:

Winner 1970

• Iranian Football League:

Winner 1971 & 1975

runner-up 1977

• Hazfi Cup:

Winner 1977

• Tehran provincial league:

Winner 1971 & 1972 & 1983 & 1985

runner-up 1982

National Team

• FIFA World Cup:

Participant 1978

• Asian Cup:

Winner 1972

third place 1980

• Olympic Games:

Quarterfinals 1976

• Asian Games:

Winner 1974

participant 1970

Managerial (Taj F.C.)

• Asian Champions League:

Runners-Up 1999

Political career

Presidential candidacy

On 3 November 2004, Hejazi announced his nomination for 2005 presidential election. He was rejected by the Guardian Council of the Constitution of Islamic Republic of Iran. He was subsequently rejected few weeks prior to the election. He later supported Ali Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani. In 2009 presidential election, he supported Mir-Hossein Mousavi.

Opposition to Ahmadinejad

He was an opponent to the Economic reform plan of President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's Government. He talked about it in April 2011 and said that: "I'm very sorry for our people, They have oil, petroleum and ... but some of them are poor"..

Personal life

Nasser with his bride

He was married to his spouse, Behnaz Shafie in 1973. He had one daughter, Atoosa and one son, Attila and they both play soccer just like their father. Attila plays in Esteghlal F.C. Team B since 2003 and Atoosa was athe captain of Iran national women futsal team. His daughter is married to an Iranian soccer player Saeed Ramezani who plays for Foolad F.C. in Iran's Premier Football League. Atoosa and Saeed have a son named Amir Arsalan.

Legacy

Nasser Hejazi is considered by many to be the best Iranian and Asian goalkeeper of all time. Hejazi was a member of the all-conquering Team Melli of the 1960s/1970s that won the Asian Cup a record three times in a row and represented Iran at two Summer Olympics as well as at 1978 FIFA World Cup.

Cancer Struggle and Death

Nasser Hejazi was diagnosed with aggressive lung cancer in late 2009. While trying to stay calm and resume normal daily activities as a coach, his illness forced him to be hospitalized. Unable to recover from a stroke, he passed away at 10:55 AM in Tehran time, 23 May 2011 in Kasra Hospital.

External links

• Official website