Esteghal: The Classic They Stopped Winning

Two names define the landscape of Iranian football: Persepolis and Esteghlal Tehran Football Club. Both originated in the capital, both command fierce loyalty, and together they have shared over five decades of trophies and mutual animosity. Of the two, Esteghlal is the one that had to completely reinvent itself: it was born under a different name, competed under a different crest, and survived a revolution that wiped out everything it stood for in a single stroke.

Yet, that history of rupture now coexists with an uncomfortable reality: Esteghlal has not won the Tehran derby in regulation time since March 1, 2018. Eight years, more than ten derbies, and not a single victory within the ninety minutes. The only two moments of joy during this period came via penalty shootouts, following cup ties that had ended in draws on the pitch.

Today, in a new installment of the Fútbol desde Asia (Football from Asia) series, we look back at how "Taj" (The Crown) became "Esteghlal" (Independence), the impact that break had on the club's identity, and why the team that once went toe-to-toe with Persepolis for decades is now enduring the longest winless streak against its rival in recent history.

Esteghlal: From Crown to Independence

The name change. Esteghlal was founded in 1945 as Docharkhe Savari, a modest sports club focused more on cycling than football. In 1949, it was renamed Taj ("The Crown"), and under that name, it built its first golden era, establishing itself as one of Tehran's two heavyweights. The 1979 Islamic Revolution abruptly ended that identity; any symbol associated with the monarchy became untenable, and the club was re-founded as Esteghlal ("Independence"). This was no mere cosmetic change to the crest. It involved erasing and rewriting what the club represented, all amidst the country's political upheaval.

Social identity. The rivalry with Persepolis did not stem solely from match results. By the mid-1970s, Persepolis was identified with the working-class fanbase, whereas Taj—the club that would become Esteghlal—was perceived as being close to the establishment and backed by the upper echelons of Iranian society. This class-based narrative, documented since that era, added a layer of tension to the derby that transcended the sport itself—a tension that persisted even after the club changed its name.

Esteghlal vs. Persepolis: The Tehran Derby

The Tehran derby by the numbers. The rivalry dates back to April 5, 1968—a 0-0 draw at Amjadieh Stadium between Persepolis and Taj. Since then:

99 official derbies have been played. Persepolis has 29 wins and Esteghlal 23, with 47 draws.
The goal tally favors Persepolis, 99 to 87.
The biggest margin of victory came early on: a 6-0 win for Persepolis on September 7, 1973.
Attendance at the derby has at times defied all estimates: on October 7, 1983, the Azadi Stadium—with a capacity of 100,000—packed in around 128,000 spectators, as state television was not broadcasting the match and no one wanted to miss it.
Since the 39th derby on January 20, 1995—which saw Esteghlal come back from a 0-2 deficit in the final ten minutes amidst a controversial penalty and a pitch invasion—every derby has been officiated by foreign referees. A measure that remains in place thirty years later.
It is a rivalry where the teams are closely matched. That is why the events of the last decade weigh so heavily: in the 24 derbies played between 2016 and 2026, Esteghlal has won only four, drawn ten, and lost ten. And of those four victories, two came via penalty shootouts in the Hazfi Cup—on August 26, 2020, and July 15, 2021—in matches that had ended in a draw during regulation play. The last time Esteghlal won a derby outright, without needing a shootout, was on March 1, 2018. Since then, there have been seven losses and seven draws, the most recent being a 1–1 tie on September 2, 2026.

Tomorrow’s crossroads. The overall historical record shows that Esteghlal and Persepolis have been virtually neck and neck for decades. The last decade, however, tells a different story: a club capable of completely reinventing itself after a revolution has failed, over the course of eight years, to beat its rival when it truly mattered. There is no need to concoct a diagnosis regarding the squad or the coaching staff to pose the question that really counts: what must break—or change—at Esteghlal for the momentum, and not just the history, to swing back in their favor?

Cover photo: AI-generated.