Javad Nekounam

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Template:Short description Template:Use dmy dates Template:Infobox football biography Javad Nekounam (Template:Langx; born 7 September 1980) is an Iranian football manager and former player who played as a midfielder. He holds the record for the most appearances for the Iranian national team with 149 caps.

Nicknamed Neku by numerous Iranian football fans,[1] he played as a midfielder, and is also regarded as one of greatest players of the history of Esteghlal Tehran.[2][3] Nekounam represented the Iran national team a record of 149 times,[4] playing several major tournaments including two World Cups and four Asian Cups. He is currently Hated among Esteghlal fans. After finishing his coaching career at Esteghlal, this popularity in the media decreased.[5]

Club career

Early years

Nekounam was born in Ray, Iran. Having played for Pas Tehran F.C. for several years, appearing in the AFC Champions League with the team, he signed a five-month contract with Al-Wahda F.C. in the United Arab Emirates for US$1 million, in 2005.[6]

In January 2006, Nekounam joined Al Sharjah SC, although some European clubs such as 1. FC Kaiserslautern and Tottenham Hotspur had previously shown interest in him.[7]

Osasuna

After his performance at the 2006 World Cup Nekounam was linked to the likes of Hertha BSC of the Bundesliga and Ligue 1's Olympique Lyonnais, but he eventually joined CA Osasuna on a two-year contract, with an option to a third year and a (about) €5 million minimum release-fee clause.[8] On 22 February 2007, Nekunam finally scored in the 120th minute of the match against FC Girondins de Bordeaux in the knockout stages of the UEFA Cup to help to a 1–0 home win and aggregate score, and after a particularly successful first season began to attract interest from other European sides, notably Scotland's Rangers who had a £1 million pound offer rejected. On 14 August 2007, Nekounam suffered an anterior cruciate ligament rupture in his right knee and, after undergoing a successful surgery in Augsburg, Germany, was sidelined for eight months. His number 24 was given to new signing Jaroslav Plašil, and after some time finally he recovered from his injury.[9][10] On 31 August 2008, Nekounam scored Osasuna's first goal of the season, from the penalty spot in a 1–1 home draw against Villarreal CF. In November/December he also netted, but the Navarrese failed to win at Málaga CF (4–2 loss) and with Real Valladolid (3–3), also opening the score in the 3–1 away defeat to Real Madrid on 18 January 2009.[11][12][13][14] On 21 May 2011, Nekounam renewed his contract with Osasuna for another two seasons, with the option of an annual renewal of his link.[15][16]

In July of the following year, amidst interest from Iranian club Esteghlal F.C. and unnamed Turkish and Qatari clubs, it was reported that he would only remain with at the El Sadar Stadium if he accepted a salary reduction – he was the highest-paid player.[17]

Esteghlal

File:Javad Nekounam.JPG
Nekounam with Pas in 2005

On 21 July 2012, aged almost 32, Nekounam returned to his country and signed a two-year deal with Esteghlal for a record fee of US$1,500,000, which made him the most expensive player in the Iran Pro League history.[18][19] He scored his first goal for his new club in a 3–2 loss to Foolad F.C. on 28 November, through a penalty.[20]

On 5 May 2013, against the same opponent, he also found the net, helping his team secure their 28th league title[21] and winning his second national championship.

Al-Kuwait

On 14 January 2014, Nekounam agreed to a four-month contract at Kuwait SC.[22] He scored his first goal for the club on 2 February, netting the only in an AFC Champions League qualifier against Al Shorta SC.[23]

Nekounam scored three goals in the 2014 edition of the AFC Cup,[24] and also won the season's Kuwait Emir Cup.[25]

Return to Osasuna

On 4 August 2014, Nekounam returned to Osasuna by signing a two-year deal.[26] He scored in his first game upon his return, a 3–1 Segunda División loss against Deportivo Alavés on 6 September.[27] On 2 November he added another, helping to a 3–2 home victory over Real Betis.[28]

Saipa

Nekounam returned to Iran and its Persian Gulf Pro League on 6 July 2015, joining Saipa F.C. for one year.[29] He scored his first competitive goal for his new team on 6 August, the second in a 2–0 win at Rah Ahan Yazdan FC.

Al-Arabi

On 21 January 2016, Nekounam moved to Qatari club Al-Arabi SC on a four-month contract with an option to extend for a further year.[30] In his first match, at home against Qatar SC, he assisted countryman Ashkan Dejagah in an eventual 1–1 draw.

Nekounam left on 30 June 2016, and the 35-year-old announced his retirement two weeks later.[31]

International career

File:Iran vs. Argentina match, 2014 FIFA World Cup 02.jpg
Nekounam playing for Iran against Lionel Messi and Argentina in 2014 World Cup

Nekounam received his first call-up to Iran in 2000. He became a starter for the national side during the 2002 FIFA World Cup qualifiers and, already a key midfield element, played two of the national team's matches during the 2006 World Cup in Germany, being suspended for the final group game against Angola after his second yellow card against Portugal.[32]

Additionally, Nekounam helped Iran win the 2002 Asian Games and the 2004 West Asian Football Federation Championship, and also represented the country in the 2004, 2007 and 2011 AFC Asian Cups.[33] He was Team Melli's leading goalscorer in its successful 2014 World Cup qualifying campaign and, on 1 June 2014, he was selected by Carlos Queiroz for the finals in Brazil,[34] where he captained the nation in an eventual group-stage exit.

Nekounam also made the 2015 Asian Cup squad, in December 2014.[35] In March 2015, he hinted that a friendly against Sweden on the 31st – five days earlier, against Chile, he had become his country's most capped player after surpassing Ali Daei[36]– might be his last international, but later went back on that statement[37] only to confirm it the following day and subsequently send an emotional open letter to fans;[38] he scored 39 goals for his country,[39] and shortly after retiring was named Queiroz's assistant.[40]

Managerial career

File:Shams Azar FC vs Esteghlal FC, 2 November 2023 - 03.jpg
Nekounam coaching Esteghlal Tehran in a Persian Gulf Pro League match.

Midway through the 2017–18 season, Nekounam became the manager of F.C. Nassaji Mazandaran.[41] His team won 23 points from his nine games in charge, and were promoted to the Persian Gulf Pro League after a 24-year absence.[42]

Career statistics

Club

Appearances and goals by club, season and competition[43][44][45]
Club Season League Cup Continental Total
Division Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals
Pas 1998–99 Azadegan League 22 2 – 22 2
1999–00 24 5 – 24 5
2000–01 21 5 – 21 5
2001–02 Iran Pro League 25 4 – 25 4
2002–03 25 7 – 25 7
2003–04 25 10 – 25 10
2004–05 25 9 8 4 33 13
2005–06 12 3 – 12 3
Total 179 45 8 4 187 49
Al Wahda 2005–06 UAE Football League 11 3 0 0 – 11 3
Sharjah FC 2005–06 UAE Football League 11 5 3 3 – 14 8
Osasuna 2006–07 La Liga 24 2 3 0 12 1 39 3
2007–08 2 0 0 0 – 2 0
2008–09 35 8 2 0 – 37 8
2009–10 31 3 2 0 – 33 3
2010–11 26 6 2 0 – 28 6
2011–12 31 5 5 1 – 36 6
Total 149 24 14 1 12 1 175 26
Esteghlal 2012–13 Persian Gulf Cup 27 5 4 1 8 3 39 9
2013–14 17 3 1 0 3 0 21 3
Total 44 8 5 1 11 3 60 12
Kuwait SC 2013–14 Kuwaiti Premier League 11 1 2 1 6 3 19 5
Osasuna 2014–15 Segunda División 22 5 1 0 – 23 5
Saipa 2015–16 Persian Gulf Pro League 15 3 3 0 – 18 3
Al-Arabi 2015–16 Qatar Stars League 11 1 1 0 – 12 1
Career total 453 95 29 6 37 11 519 112

International

File:Iran vs. Montenegro 2014-05-26 (038).jpg
Nekounam before a friendly with Montenegro in 2014
Appearances and goals by national team and year[33][46]
National team Year Apps Goals
Iran 2000 6 0
2001 11 0
2002 9 0
2003 10 0
2004 18 7
2005 11 4
2006 11 2
2007 8 4
2008 8 4
2009 8 2
2010 6 1
2011 10 5
2012 9 1
2013 8 6
2014 9 0
2015 7 2
Total 149 38
Scores and results list Iran's goal tally first, score column indicates score after each Nekounam goal.
List of international goals scored by Javad Nekounam[33]
No. Date Venue Opponent Score Result Competition Ref.
* 1 February 2003 Hong Kong Stadium, Hong Kong, China Template:Fb 1–0 1–0 2003 Carlsberg Cup [1]
1 17 June 2004 Azadi, Tehran, Iran Template:Fb 3–0 4–0 2004 WAFF Championship [2]
2 23 June 2004 Azadi, Tehran, Iran Template:Fb 1–0 2–1 2004 WAFF Championship [3]
3 25 June 2004 Azadi, Tehran, Iran Template:Fb 4–1 4–1 2004 WAFF Championship [4]
4 20 July 2004 Olympic Sports Center, Chongqing, China Template:Fb 2–0 3–0 2004 AFC Asian Cup [5]
5 6 August 2004 Workers Stadium, Beijing, China Template:Fb 1–0 4–2 2004 AFC Asian Cup [6]
6 17 November 2004 Azadi, Tehran, Iran Template:Fb 5–0 7–0 2006 World Cup qualification [7]
7 7–0
8 30 March 2005 Kim Il-sung, Pyongyang, North Korea Template:Fb 2–0 2–0 2006 World Cup qualification [8]
9 29 May 2005 Azadi, Tehran, Iran Template:Fb 2–0 2–1 Friendly [9]
10 24 August 2005 Azadi, Tehran, Iran Template:Fb 2–0 4–0 Friendly Script error: No such module "Unsubst".
11 4–0
12 16 August 2006 Azadi, Tehran, Iran Template:Fb 1–0 1–1 2007 Asian Cup qualification [10]
13 6 September 2006 Abbasiyyin, Damascus, Syria Template:Fb 2–0 2–0 2007 Asian Cup qualification [11]
14 2 July 2007 Azadi, Tehran, Iran Template:Fb 1–0 8–1 Friendly [12]
15 3–0
16 15 July 2007 National Stadium, Bukit Jalil, Malaysia Template:Fb 2–2 2–2 2007 AFC Asian Cup [13]
17 18 July 2007 National Stadium, Bukit Jalal, Malaysia Template:Fb 1–0 2–0 2007 AFC Asian Cup [14]
18 25 May 2008 Azadi, Tehran, Iran Template:Fb 1–0 3–2 Friendly [15]
19 22 June 2008 Azadi, Tehran, Iran Template:Fb 1–0 2–0 2010 World Cup qualification [16]
20 6 September 2008 King Fahd International, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia Template:Fb 1–1 1–1 2010 World Cup qualification [17]
21 15 October 2008 Azadi, Tehran, Iran Template:Fb 2–0 2–1 2010 World Cup qualification [18]
22 11 February 2009 Azadi, Tehran, Iran Template:Fb 1–0 1–1 2010 World Cup qualification [19]
23 14 November 2009 Azadi, Tehran, Iran Template:Fb 1–0 1–0 2011 Asian Cup qualification [20]
24 3 March 2010 Azadi, Tehran, Iran Template:Fb 1–0 1–0 2011 Asian Cup qualification [21]
25 2 January 2011 Jassim Bin Hamad, Doha, Qatar Template:Fb 1–0 1–0 Friendly [22]
26 2 September 2011 Azadi, Tehran, Iran Template:Fb 1–0 3–0 2014 World Cup qualification [23]
27 2–0
28 5 October 2011 Azadi, Tehran, Iran Template:Fb 3–0 7–0 Friendly [24]
29 15 November 2011 Gelora Bung Karno, Jakarta, Indonesia Template:Fb 4–1 4–1 2014 World Cup qualification [25]
30 16 October 2012 Azadi, Tehran, Iran Template:Fb 1–0 1–0 2014 World Cup qualification [26]
31 6 February 2013 Azadi, Tehran, Iran Template:Fb 2–0 5–0 2015 Asian Cup qualification [27]
32 3–0
33 5–0
34 11 June 2013 Azadi, Tehran, Iran Template:Fb 2–0 4–0 2014 World Cup qualification [28]
35 4–0
36 19 November 2013 Camille Chamoun, Beirut, Lebanon Template:Fb 3–0 4–1 2015 Asian Cup qualification [29]
37 26 March 2015 NV Arena, Sankt Pölten, Austria Template:Fb 1–0 2–0 Friendly [30]
38 31 March 2015 Friends Arena, Solna, Sweden Template:Fb 1–2 1–3 Friendly [31]

Managerial statistics

Template:Updated

Team From To Record
G W D L Win %
Khooneh be Khooneh 1 August 2017 10 January 2018

Template:WDL

Nassaji Mazandaran 1 March 2018 1 January 2019

Template:WDL

Foolad 1 June 2019 23 August 2021

Template:WDL

Foolad 7 November 2021 22 February 2023

Template:WDL

Esteghlal 21 June 2023 1 October 2024

Template:WDL

Total

Template:WDLtot

Honours

File:Javad Nekounam celebrating IPL title with Esteghlal.jpg
Nekounam celebrating Esteghlal's 2012–13 league title

Player

Pas

Esteghlal

Al-Kuwait

Iran

Individual

Manager

Nassaji Mazandaran

Foolad

Esteghlal

Notes

Template:Notelist

See also

References

Template:Reflist

External links

Template:Sister project

Template:Persian Gulf Pro League managers Template:Navboxes Template:Navboxes Template:Navboxes

  1. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
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  6. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  7. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  8. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  9. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  10. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  11. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  12. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  13. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  14. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  15. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  16. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  17. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  18. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  19. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  20. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  21. ↑ Esteghlal won the league Template:Webarchive; Goal, 5 May 2013 (in Persian)
  22. ↑ الإيراني نيكونام كويتاي رسمياً Template:Webarchive; Kuwait Club, 14 January 2014 (in Persian)
  23. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  24. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  25. ↑ One more trophy for Nekounam in his club career Template:Webarchive; Persian Football, 8 May 2014
  26. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  27. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  28. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  29. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  30. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  31. ↑ رسمی؛ خداحافظی جواد نکونام از فوتبال (Official; Nekounam retired from football) Template:Webarchive; IRIB Varzesh, 15 July 2016 (in Persian)
  32. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  33. ↑ a b c Javad Nekounam – Century of International Appearances Template:Webarchive; at RSSSF
  34. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  35. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  36. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  37. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  38. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  39. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  40. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  41. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  42. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  43. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  44. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  45. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  46. ↑ Players with a Century of Caps Template:Webarchive; at RSSSF
  47. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  48. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  49. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  50. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  51. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
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