Human Afazeli

Human Afazeli
Personal information
Full name Human Afazeli
Date of birth September 3, 1971 (1971-09-03) (age 40)
Place of birth Tehran, Iran
Playing position Manager
Club information
Current club Steel Azin (coach)
Youth career
1983-1984 Rah Ahan
1984-1988 Pas
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1988-1991 Pas
Teams managed
2000-2001 Pas U18
2001-2002 Shahab Zanjan U21
2002-2005 Shahab Zanjan
2002-2006 Iran (Assistant)
2007-2008 Saipa (Assistant)
2008-2009 Iran (Assistant)
2010-2011 Iran U-23
2011- Steel Azin
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only.
† Appearances (Goals).

Human Afazeli (Persian: هومن افاضلی, born September 3, 1971 in Tehran, Iran) is a former Iranian football player and now coach.

Playing career

He started playing football from the age of 9 in Rah Ahan F.C. of Tehran. He then went to Pas F.C. of Tehran and played until he made his breakthrough for the senior squad. After a severe injury of his left knee in 1991, he quit playing pro football.

Coaching career

He started his coaching career when he was 25. His first senior job came across when he took over 1st division outfield Shahab Zanjan. During his three years with the club, he implemented 4-2-3-1 and 4-4-2 systems with flat back four which was refreshing in Iran’s football dominated by traditional 3-5-2 formation. Zanjan club produced some fluid and contemporary football despite limited talent and finance.

Afazali’s tactical vision and practical savvy did not go unnoticed. After a friendly match between Iran national football team and Shahab Zanjan in Tehran, Iran’s then head coach Miroslav Ciro Blazevic, who had already guided his Croatian side to third place in the 1998 World Cup, invited Afazeli to join the national team staff as technical adviser and analyst. After Ciro departed, Afazeli stayed with the national team for four more years with newly promoted Branko Ivankovic He gained a gold medal in the 2002 Asian Games, third place finish in Asian Cup 2004, a World Cup 2006 appearance with Iran, and more than 100 international matches as an assistant and analyst for the national team. He was brought back into the national team in 2008 under new coach Ali Daei.

Afazeli stepped out alongside with some coaching staff members after Ali Daei's dismissal on April 2009. He coached the team without ex-supremo Ali Daei last time against Senegal in a friendly match 4 days after World Cup 2010 qualifier against Saudi Arabia.

After few months away from limelight, he was selected as Iran football federation technical committee member and secretary. He refused to join Ali Daei as assistant in Perspolis of Tehran and spoke of his desire to be a head coach again at club level.

Few days before 2011, he became Iran U23 head coach to help the team toward the Olympic qualification to London. He conducted and qualified the team for next round in a play off against Kyrgyzstan. Afazeli announced his resignation immediately after the second leg in Bishkek during the post-match press conference due to what he called "lack of support from Iranian Olympic Committtee and Football Federation of Iran". He was appointed as Steel Azin's head coach on 27 June 2011.

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