Sajjad Shahbazzadeh (Persian: سجاد شهباززاده, born 23 January 1990) is an Iranian professional footballer who plays as a striker for Persian Gulf Pro League club Esteghlal Khuzestan.

Sajjad Shahbazzadeh
Personal information
Full name Sajjad Shahbazzadeh
Date of birth (1990-01-23) 23 January 1990 (age 34)
Place of birth Ardabil, Iran
Height 1.85 m (6 ft 1 in)
Position(s) Forward
Team information
Current team
Esteghlal Khuzestan
Youth career
2005–2009 Zob Ahan Ardabil
2009–2010 Saipa
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2010–2014 Saipa 83 (19)
2014–2016 Esteghlal 56 (19)
2016–2017 Alanyaspor 4 (1)
2017 Naft Tehran 9 (1)
2017–2018 Esteghlal 8 (0)
2018 Qatar SC 2 (0)
2018–2022 Sepahan 109 (35)
2022–2023 Esteghlal 16 (0)
2023–2024 Mes Rafsanjan 25 (4)
2024– Esteghlal Khuzestan 0 (0)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 1 January 2024

Club career

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Youth clubs

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As a native of Ardabil, Shahbazzadeh started playing football as a child in Inter Campus of Ardabil, before moving to Zob Ahan Ardabil at the age of 14.[1]

Saipa

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Shahbazzadeh had played his entire career at Saipa from 2010 until 2014.[2] In his last season with Saipa he scored 9 goals in all competition which lead him to move to the league giant Esteghlal.

Esteghlal

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2014–15 Season

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He signed for Esteghlal in summer 2014.[3] He made his debut for Esteghlal in 2–1 win over Rah Ahan. His first goal for the club was the winning goal against Esteghlal Khuzestan.[4] He played his first Tehran derby on 23 November in a 2–1 defeat which he scored Esteghlal's only goal of the match.[5] On 4 February he played against his former team Saipa and scored the single goal of the match.[6] He finished his first season with Esteghlal with 12 goals in the league which made him the runner-up in the season's Golden Boot, behind Éder Luciano.[7]

2015–16 Season

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Shahbazzadeh (left) celebrating with Pero Pejić after Pejić scored against Saipa

Shahbazzzadeh scored a brace in the first game of the season against Siah jamegan which Esteghlal won 2–1.[8] After 3 weeks of injury he scored his second goal in a 2–0 win against Gostaresh.[9] He ended the season with 7 league goals and 4 goals in Hazfi Cup which made him the top scorer of the competition.

In summer of 2016 Shahbazzadeh announced he wanted to leave Esteghlal for a European team, however Esteghlal refused to let the player leave as he was still under contract with the club. After weeks of negotiations on 20 July 2016, he was finally released from Esteghlal.[10]

Alanyaspor

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On 22 July 2016, he officially joined the recently promoted club in Turkish Süper Lig.[11] On 20 August he made his debut in a 4–1 loss against Beşiktaş J.K. entering as a substitute for Jonathan Ayité. On 26 August he started his first match for the club against Antalyaspor which Alanyaspor won 2–1. During his second start for the club on December 25, 2016, he scored his first goal for the club against Turkish giants Galatasaray.[12]

Shahbazzadeh left the club in January 2017 after not receiving adequate playing time.

Naft Tehran

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After failing to return to Esteghlal due to the club's transfer ban, Shahbazzadeh joined Naft Tehran during winter transfers.[13] He scored Naft's winning goal against Tractor Sazi in Hazfi cup's final in May 2017.[14]

Return to Esteghlal

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On 14 June, Shahbazzadeh Return to Esteghlal from Naft Tehran.[15] Esteghlal's coach Alireza Mansourian had promised to keep the shirt number 10 vacant until Shahbazzadeh returns and upon his return, he was assigned the shirt number 10, as he was wearing it in his previous spell.[16]

On 10 July 2017 during Esteghlal's pre-season, he played in a friendly against Pars Jonoubi Jam which he managed to score.[17][18] He played his first official league match on 28 June 2017, in Esteghlal's opening match of the season, which they lost 1–0 against Sanat Naft.[19] On 17 August 2017, Shahbazzadeh suffered a knee injury in a 1–0 defeat against Saipa.[20] He returned in action against Foolad on 13 October.[21] Due to consecutive injuries, fell behind fellow striker Ali Ghorbani and new Esteghlal coach Winfried Schäfer asked him to search for a new club for the rest of 2017–18 season.[22] On 14 January 2018, he officially terminated his contract with the club.[23]

Qatar SC

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On 17 January 2018, Shahbazzadeh signed with Qatari side Qatar SC.[24] Two days later, he was included in the starting line up against Al-Markhiya[25][26] in which assisted Patrick Fabiano's single goal of the match.[27] However his contract was terminated by the club 13 days after signing for them and Luis Antonio Jiménez replaced him in the squad. The reason for contract termination was due to the continues injuries he was dealing earlier in the season.[28][29]

Sepahan

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On 30 May 2018, Shahbazzadeh returned to Iran joining Sepahan where he reunited with his former coach Amir Ghalenoei.[30] On 27 July, he made his debut against Sanat Naft.[31] A week later he opened his scoring tally with a brace against Sepidrood, with the team winning 6–1 away from home.[32]

Shahbazzadeh finished the 2020–21 season as the top scorer of the league with 20 goals.[33]

Third spell at Esteghlal

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On 26 June 2022, Esteghlal announced on their social media that Shahbazzadeh had rejoined the club.[34]

Mes Rafsanjan

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Shahbazzadeh joined Mes Rafsanjan on July 30, 2023 with a 2-year contract.

Career statistics

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Club

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As of 1 January 2024[35]
Club performance League Cup Continental Total
Club Season League Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals
Iran Division Hazfi Cup AFC Total
Saipa 2010–11 Iran Pro League 1 0 0 0 9 1
2011–12 21 4 1 0 22 4
2012–13 31 6 0 0 31 6
2013–14 30 9 1 0 30 9
Esteghlal 2014–15 30 12 2 1 32 13
2015–16 26 7 4 4 30 11
Turkey Division Turkish Cup UEFA Total
Alanyaspor 2016–17 Süper Lig 4 1 1 0 5 1
Iran Division Hazfi Cup AFC Total
Naft Tehran 2016–17 Iran Pro League 8 0 1 1 9 1
Esteghlal 2017–18 8 0 1 0 0 0 9 0
Qatar Division Emir Cup AFC Total
Qatar SC 2017–18 Qatar Stars League 2 0 0 0 2 0
Iran Division Hazfi Cup AFC Total
Sepahan 2018–19 Iran Pro League 29 6 4 1 33 7
2019–20 23 3 2 1 5 1 30 5
2020–21 30 20 3 1 33 21
2021–22 27 6 1 1 6 2 35 9
Esteghlal 2022–23 16 0 3 0 19 0
Mes Rafsanjan 2023–24 10 1 0 0 10 1
Iran total 291 74 23 10 11 3 325 87
Turkey total 4 1 1 0 5 1
Qatar total 2 0 0 0 2 0
Career total 297 75 24 10 11 3 332 88

Honours

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Club

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Esteghlal
Naft Tehran

Individual

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References

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  1. ^ "شهباززاده؛ اردبیلی که عاشق دشمنان دایی است!" (in Persian).
  2. ^ "Iran - S. Shahbazzadeh - Profile with news, career statistics and history - Soccerway".
  3. ^ "فخرالدینی و شهباززاده به استقلال پیوستند؛امید ابراهیمی در یک قدمی آبی‌ها" (in Persian).
  4. ^ "شهباززاده: خوشحالم که گل ۳ امتیازی زدم" (in Persian). 8 August 2014.
  5. ^ "سجاد شهباززاده:برای دربی حذفی لحظه‌شماری می‌کنیم/استقلال بدون من هم می‌برد" (in Persian). 26 November 2014.
  6. ^ "گل زیبای شهباززاده به سایپا+فیلم" (in Persian).
  7. ^ "ادینیو با اقتدار آقای گل لیگ چهاردهم شد" (in Persian). 16 May 2015.
  8. ^ "سیاه جامگان 1 – استقلال 2/ پیروزی با گل های شهباززاده (+عکس)" (in Persian).
  9. ^ "پیروزی استقلال مقابل گسترش فولاد و صعود به رده دوم جدول" (in Persian). 15 September 2015.
  10. ^ "فوری؛ سجاد شهباززاده رسما از استقلال جدا شد" (in Persian). Tarafdari. 20 July 2016.
  11. ^ "شهباززاده به آلانیا اسپور پیوست + عکس" (in Persian). 22 July 2016.
  12. ^ "Galatasaray 5–1 Alanyaspor / Maç ÖzetiKaynak: Galatasaray 5–1 Alanyaspor / Maç Özeti" (in Turkish). 25 December 2016.
  13. ^ "سجاد شهباززاده به نفت تهران پیوست" (in Persian). Tarafdari. 15 February 2017.
  14. ^ "تراکتورسازی 0–1 نفت تهران؛ قهرمانی شاگردان شهریار در دیار نفت" (in Persian). Tarafdari. 11 May 2017.
  15. ^ "سجاد شهباززاده به خانه اش برگشت" (in Persian).
  16. ^ "پیراهن شماره 10 دوباره به شهباززاده رسید" (in Persian).
  17. ^ "پای شهباززاده به گلزنی باز شد" [Shahbazzadeh managed to score] (in Persian).
  18. ^ "پارس‌جم اولین قربانی لیگ برتری استقلال" (in Persian).
  19. ^ "صنعت نفت آبادان 1–0 استقلال؛ اولین شکست آبی ها در جهنم زرد رقم خورد" (in Persian). 28 July 2017.
  20. ^ "دوری چهار هفته ای شهباززاده از تمرینات" (in Persian).
  21. ^ "استقلال 0_0 فولاد خوزستان؛ بازی سرد و پر اشتباه در روز رونمایی از شفر" (in Persian). 13 October 2017. Retrieved 30 October 2017.
  22. ^ "پایان کار شهباززاده در استقلال" (in Persian). 13 January 2018. Retrieved 14 January 2018.
  23. ^ "شهباززاده از استقلال جدا شد" (in Persian). 14 January 2018. Retrieved 14 January 2018.
  24. ^ "رسمی: شهباززاده بازیکن القطر شد" (in Persian). 17 January 2018. Retrieved 17 January 2018.
  25. ^ "شهباززاده به ترکیب القطر رسید (عکس)" (in Persian). 19 January 2018. Retrieved 21 January 2018.
  26. ^ "المرخية ضد نادي قطر". www.skynewsarabia.com. Archived from the original on 22 January 2018.
  27. ^ "لیگ ستارگان قطر؛ برتری القطر با پاس گل سجاد شهباززاده" (in Persian). 20 January 2018. Retrieved 21 January 2018.
  28. ^ "القطر قرارداد شهباززاده را فسخ کرد" (in Persian). 30 January 2018. Retrieved 9 February 2018.
  29. ^ "دلیل فسخ قرارداد شهباززاده با القطر" (in Persian). 1 February 2018. Retrieved 9 February 2018.
  30. ^ "رسمی؛ سجاد شهباززاده به سپاهان اصفهان پیوست (عکس)" (in Persian). 30 May 2018. Retrieved 30 May 2018.
  31. ^ "سپاهان 0–0 صنعت نفت آبادان؛ بازی سرد در ورزشگاه خالی" (in Persian). 27 July 2018. Retrieved 3 August 2018.
  32. ^ "سپیدرود 1–6 سپاهان؛ قدرت‌نمایی بیرحمانه شاگردان قلعه نویی در رشت" (in Persian). 3 August 2018. Retrieved 3 August 2018.
  33. ^ شهباززاده آقای گل لیگ برتر فوتبال شد، رفیعی بهترین پاسور گل [Shahbazzadeh became the top-scorer of the league; Rafiei the top assister] (in Persian). Tasnim. 30 July 2021. Retrieved 27 June 2022.
  34. ^ "پس از توافق با مديرعامل و با امضاى قرارداد؛ سجاد شهباززاده به استقلال پيوست". Esteghlal's official Twitter account. 26 June 2022. Retrieved 27 June 2022.
  35. ^ "Iran – S. SHAHBAZZADEH – Profile with news, career statistics and history – Soccerway". ca.soccerway.com.