Ahmad Reza Abedzadeh
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Ahmad Reza Abedzadeh | ||
| Height | 1.96 m (6 ft 5 in) | ||
| Position(s) | Goalkeeper | ||
Ahmadreza Abedzadeh (Template:PerB, born May 25, 1966 in Abadan) is an Iranian former goalkeeper of Esteghlal F.C., Persepolis F.C. and Iranian national football team. Abedzadeh is one of the best known goalkeepers in Iranian football history. His spirit and quick moves led Iran to the World Cup 1998 and his fantastic saves helped Iran attain respectable results in the tournament.
Statistics
- Number of International Caps: 79
- First International Cap: February 27, 1987 Iran Vs. Kuwait 2-1
- Last International Cap: June 25, 1998 Iran Vs. Germany 0-2
Later years
Unfortunately Abedzadeh suffered a stroke in 2002 and that was the point in which he let go of professional football. During his time in the hospital, many of his loyal fans and most of Iran prayed for him to be better. He was released some weeks later, but required a number of surgeries after, and even to this day, he has side effects from his stroke. Abedzadeh suffered again on March 11, 2007 when his mother died.
On January 13, 2006, Abedzadeh had his farewell game, playing for Iranian giants and his former club Persepolis FC in a friendly match against Bayern Munich.
Legacy
Dubbed the Eagle of Asia for his ability to protect the net, his international career stretched for an illustrious 11 years, a tenure that provided stability and uncanny leadership. His goalkeeping legacy in Iran is rivaled only by Nasser Hejazi and Behrouz Soltani.
Honors
With Esteghlal FC
- AFC Champions League, 1991 Champions (beating Liaoning FC 2-1 in the final)
External links
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