Sanat Naft FC

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Sanat Naft
Image:Naftfootball.JPG
Full name Sanat Naft Abadan FC
Nickname(s) Iran's Brazil (برزیل ایران in Persian)
Founded 1972
Ground Takhti Stadium
Capacity 22000
Chairman Iran Nasser Goodarzi
Manager Portuguese Acácio Alfredo Casimiro
League Azadegan League
2005-06 Group B (3rd)
Team colours Team colours Team colours
Team colours
Team colours
 
Home colours
Team colours Team colours Team colours
Team colours
Team colours
 
Away colours

Sanat Naft FC (صنعت نفت in Persian) is a football team based in Abadan, Iran. They currently play in the Azadegan League. The team is sponsored by Iran's national petroleum industry.

Despite their lack of success in past years, they are still heavily supported by the people of Abadan, and have cemented a place in Iran's football history.

[edit] Club history

Prior to the establishment of the Takhte Jamshid League in 1972, The people of Abadan mostly followed two clubs, Kargar FC and Jam FC. Kargar had been established by workers from Abadan's oil refinery. Ten years later, Parviz Dehdari along with some of his class mates at Razi School established Jam FC. These teams had a large number of fans until 1972. When the Takhte Jamshid League was established, the city of Abadan was given one spot. The club was to be managed by Iran's oil industry. Fans were immediately drawn to the team, as it would be competing in Iran's top football league. Many of the better players from Kargar and Jam moved to Sanat Naft. The club's original kit colors were white, blue and black. The city of Abadan and the province of Khuzestan had very technical players and the club adapted a style of play similar to the Brazil of the 1970s after Parviz Dehdari became the chairman of the club. To emphasize their admiration for Brazilian football, the club changed its team colors to yellow, blue and white, exactly like the Brazilian national team. The clubs nickname, Iran's Brazil, soon appeared. Football was extremely popular in Abadan, and the number of fans was growing everyday, but everything stopped when the Iranian revolution took place in 1978. Football was no longer a priority, and it was shoved even farther out of the limelight when the Iran-Iraq War began in 1980. Abadan and Khuzestan were heavily hit during the war. Abadan's massive refinery was shut down, and hundreds of thousands left the city, as it was extremely dangerous. From 1980 to 1988 the club was based in Shiraz. Once in Shiraz, the club had to start from Iran's third division, but was able to make it back to the top flight with the help of its players. Since many natives of Abadan had left the city during the war for other cities, fan support for the club was always good no matter where the team was playing. After the war the club went back to Abadan, but due to the war's negative effects on the city and poor management in the football club, Sanat Naft has not been able to have any major success. They were present in Iran's Azadegan league until the 1999-2000 season when they were relegated. They made it back to the IPL in 2002, but the club was relegated the same season. The club is currently in the Azadegan league.

[edit] Famous players