Machine Sazi Tabriz Football Club (, Bashgah-e Futbal-e Mashinsazi-ye Tebriz) more commonly known as Machine Sazi was an Iranian professional football club based in Tabriz, East Azarbaijan, Iran competing in the Azadegan League.
Club history
Establishment
In 1969, Machine Sazi Tabriz Industrial Group decided to create a new football team by the name of Machine Sazi. Machine Sazi Tabriz football club played its first official match in 1970.
In 1973, the Takht Jamshid Cup was established. The Takht Jamshid Cup, was Iran's first ever nationwide football league and Machine Sazi entered the league in its first year of establishment in 1973. The club participated in Takht Jamshid Cup between 1973 and 1977.
Post Revolution
1980s
Like most sporting clubs in Iran, the Revolution and the Iran–Iraq War severely limited the team's activities. From 1979 to 1980 the club participated in almost no meaningful competitions.
In 1980 the Tabriz Football League and Tabriz Hazfi Cup was established. Machine Sazi participated in the Tabriz Football League and Tabriz Hazfi Cup between 1980 and 1988. Machine Sazi was the most successful Tabriz Football League club, winning seven championship titles and finishing two times as runners-up. The club also won the Tabriz Hazfi Cup six times. After the war the local and provincial leagues were scrapped in favor of nationwide leagues.
1990s After the war, the Azadegan League was established as Iran's national league. Machine Sazi was promoted to the Azadegan League in 1994. They stayed in the Azadegan League for two seasons and the club finished 8th the following year. But, in 1997 the club was relegated to the 2nd Division. Machine Sazi played in the 2nd Division between 1997 and 2001 until the Iran Pro League was formed.
2000s
With the launch of Iran Pro League in 2001, Machine Sazi were placed into the Azadegan League. After a 3rd-place finish in the new Azadegan League's inaugural season, Machine Sazi had a string of mid table finishes. In the 2007–08 season the club finished 11th in the Azadegan League and was relegated to 2nd Division but following the Iranian Football Federations' decision to increase the number of teams in the league to 28, Machine Sazi remained in the Azadegan League.
The club had a mixed start to the 2008–09 season in the Azadegan League. 2008 heralded major changes for Machine Sazi, as the terrible state of the club's finances was revealed; they were unable to pay wages and had massive debts. After a drop in form, recording 10 losses in 12 matches, Asghar Etebari was sacked as manager and was replaced by Sirous Bayrami. In March 2008 Javad Shahlaei resigned as chairman and Farhad Sedaghat was elected chairman by the club council. Seyed Javad Mousavi was brought in as the new club manager. Machine Sazi finished 13th in the 2008–09 Azadegan League season. Thus, being relegated to 2nd Division.
Dabiri Takeover On 25 April 2009 the club was bought by businessman Shahram Dabiri. After a year in the 2nd Division, Machine Sazi bought the licence of a club in the Azadegan League and was allowed to compete in the 2010–11 edition of the league. Following a 3rd-place finish in 2012 which almost brought the club back to the Iran Pro League, the club was again relegated to the 2nd Division in 2013. Machine Sazi escaped relegation to the 3rd Division the following year via a relegation play–off.
Persian Gulf Pro League Following Machine Sazi's dismal 2013–14 season the team was taken over by the Municipality of Tabriz.
In June 2015 Machine Sazi replaced Shahrdari Tabriz in the 2015–16 Azadegan League as East Azerbaijan's representative. In winter of 2016 Rasoul Khatibi was named head coach of Machine Sazi and the club began the push for promotion to the Persian Gulf Pro League. On 10 May 2016 after a 3–0 win against Mes Rafsanjan, Machine Sazi confirmed their promotion to the Persian Gulf Pro League after a 19-year absence from the top flight of Iranian football. Machine Sazi managed to draw 1–1 with Esteghlal at the Azadi Stadium in week 5.
Khatibi was fired midway through the season for Machine's bad performances and was replaced with Farhad Kazemi. Machine Sazi finished the season in last place and were relegated to the Azadegan League once again. In the season of 2018–19, the club replaced the Gostaresh Foulad and returned to the top flight.
Players
First Team Squad
For recent transfers, see List of Iranian football transfers winter 2022-23.
League and domestic cup history Season League Pos. Pl. W D L GS GA PHazfi CupNotes1971–72Local League33111333not held3rd place(Region A)1973–74Takht Jamshid Cup1222151611488Relegated1974–752nd Division62285103029291975–7616510104111/8 finalsPromoted1976–77Takht Jamshid Cup93081662323321/16 finals1977–78103091011202328not held1978–791112444111512until week 121980–81Tabriz Football League296211910141981–82110820195181982–83311443176121983–84210631126151984–8511110102910211985–8612016143930491986–871201721301553Third Round1987–8812016313426511/8 finals1988–8912014152828431/16 finals1989–90Qods League6207761918211/16 finals1990–912nd Division414743201018Third Round1991–928244713222319not held1992–937269116272029not held1993–94226121134020351/32 finalsPromoted1994–95Azadegan League3229762726251/16 finals1995–96830118113538411/8 finals1996–971330105153052351/16 finalsRelegated1997–982nd Division518765191227not held1998–997165471917191/32 finals1999–0093481214355536Second Round2000–015341210124550461/16finals2001–02Azadegan League3209562819321/16 finals2002–0393091110403938Second Round2003–0473011811343241Third Round2004–05922688182124Third RoundGroup B2005–06922679213625First RoundGroup B2006–078225116121525Second RoundGroup A2007–0811223127152521Second RoundGroup B2008–0913265516214920Second RoundRelegated2009–102nd Division416484221920First RoundReplaced2010–11Azadegan League122671093036311/16 Final2011–1232611873225411/8 Final2012–1314263419184713First RoundRelegated2013–142nd Division11246513263323Round of 322014–15718594201924Third RoundReplaced2015–16Azadegan League23816157533663Did not enterPromoted2016–17Persian Gulf Pro League16303720184516Round of 16Relegated2017–18Azadegan League158131327323734Second RoundReplaced2018–19Persian Gulf Pro League13304179192629Quarter-Final2019–2011308715284031Round of 322020–2116302820195214Round of 32Relegated
Club stadium
Before the construction of Sahand Stadium, Machine Sazi played all of its matches at Bagh Shomal Stadium, which currently has a capacity of 25,000. They occasionally play big games at Sahand Stadium. Football academy and training ground of Machine sazi is Marzdaran Stadium.
Club colors WhiteGreen
Kit evolution
Club managers
Managerial history NamePeriod Mohammad Ranjbar1972–73 Ali Hashemi1973–77 Garnik Mehrabian1978–80 Hossein Fekri1980–83 Ali Shirdel1983–88 Yaghob Zeynali1988–89 Hesam Golzar1989–90 Biyok Sabaghi1990–91 Asif Namazov1991–92 Rahim Mehnamaye Aghdam1994–95 Nasser Hejazi 1995–96 Adrian Szabo 1996–97 Hamid Nadimian Majid Jahanpour2001–02 Asghar Etebari2002–03 Nasser Hejazi2003 Vagif Sadygov2003 Boyukagha Hajiyev2003–04 Gholamhossein Karimpour2004–05 Ahad Sheykhlari2005–06 Gholamreza BaghabadiJuly 2006 – July 7 Ali NikbakhtJuly 2007 – Feb 08 Gholamreza BaghabadiFeb 2008 – June 8 Asghar EtebariJuly 2008 – Jan 09 Sirous BayramiJan 2009 – April 9 Seyed Javad MousaviApril 2009 – Oct 10 Ahad SheykhlariOct 2010 – Sept 10 Ayyoub ZolfaghariSept 2010 – Dec 10 Zoran SmilevskiDec 2010 – June 11 Rasoul KhatibiJune 2011 – July 12 Nasser EbrahimiAug 2012 – Sept 12 Alireza AkbarpourSept 2012 – Nov 12 Asghar EtebariNov 2012 – Jan 13 Hossein KhatibiJan 2013 – March 13 Vali HatamiMarch 2013 – Aug 13 Amir Dadash ZiaeeAug 2013 – Sept 13 Seyed Javad MousaviSept 2013 Saeed ParkhidehSept 2013 – Oct 13 Seyed Reza SadatOct 2013 – Jan 14 Omid TayeriJan 2014 – Feb 14 Amin Haml AbadiFeb 2014 – March 14 Younes BahonarMarch 2014 – April 14 Amir DadashziaeiApril 2014 – Sept 14 Gholamreza Baghabadi Sept 2014 – June 15 Nader Dastneshan June 2015 – Nov 15 Rasoul KhatibiNov 2015– Dec 16 Farhad KazemiDec 2016– Jul 17 Rasoul KhatibiJul 2017– Dec 17 Firouz KarimiJul 2018– Aug 18 Mohammad Reza MohajeriAug 2018– Jan 19 Rasoul KhatibiJan 2019- Jun 19 Ahad SheykhlariJun 2019- Feb 20 Human AfazeliFeb 2020- Aug 20 Vahid BayatlooAug 2020-May 2021 Alireza AkbarpourMay 2021-mohanmad saeid akhbari 2020
Current coaching staff Position Name NationHead coachAlireza AkbarpourAssistant managersGholamreza BaghabadiNaser farshbaf Adel Baba PourGoalkeeping coach Davood faal Fitness coach Hamidreza joudaki Analyzer Bakhtiar Hosseinzadeh Team manager Mohammad Pirozram
Honours Azadegan League Runners-up (1): 2015–16
References
External links