_(cropped).jpg) Hajsafi withIran during2022 FIFA World Cup | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Personal information | ||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Ehsan Hajsafi[1] | |||||||||||||||||||
| Date of birth | (1990-02-25)25 February 1990 (age 35) | |||||||||||||||||||
| Place of birth | Kashan, Iran | |||||||||||||||||||
| Height | 1.76 m (5 ft 9 in)[1] | |||||||||||||||||||
| Position | Left-back | |||||||||||||||||||
| Team information | ||||||||||||||||||||
Current team | Sepahan | |||||||||||||||||||
| Number | 28 | |||||||||||||||||||
| Youth career | ||||||||||||||||||||
| 2000–2006 | Sepahan | |||||||||||||||||||
| Senior career* | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) | |||||||||||||||||
| 2006–2015 | Sepahan | 205 | (27) | |||||||||||||||||
| 2011–2012 | →Tractor (loan) | 45 | (9) | |||||||||||||||||
| 2015–2016 | FSV Frankfurt | 27 | (2) | |||||||||||||||||
| 2016–2017 | Sepahan | 25 | (5) | |||||||||||||||||
| 2017–2018 | Panionios | 14 | (1) | |||||||||||||||||
| 2018 | Olympiacos | 6 | (1) | |||||||||||||||||
| 2018–2021 | Tractor | 69 | (7) | |||||||||||||||||
| 2021 | Sepahan | 13 | (1) | |||||||||||||||||
| 2021–2025 | AEK Athens | 91 | (3) | |||||||||||||||||
| 2025– | Sepahan | 9 | (2) | |||||||||||||||||
| International career‡ | ||||||||||||||||||||
| 2005–2006 | Iran U17 | 6 | (2) | |||||||||||||||||
| 2007–2008 | Iran U20 | 8 | (2) | |||||||||||||||||
| 2007–2011 | Iran U23 | 12 | (1) | |||||||||||||||||
| 2008–2024 | Iran[2][3] | 142 | (7) | |||||||||||||||||
Medal record
| ||||||||||||||||||||
| * Club domestic league appearances and goals as of 31 October 2025 ‡ National team caps and goals as of 7 February 2024 | ||||||||||||||||||||
Ehsan Hajsafi (Persian:احسان حاجصفی; born 25 February 1990) is an Iranian professionalfootballer who plays forSepahan
Hajsafi is regarded as autility player, being able to play as awinger,left-back ordefensive midfielder.[4][5]
In 2009, Hajsafi was selected by Goal.com as the most promising player inAsian football.[6]Hajsafi has represented Iran at the2014,2018 and2022 editions of theFIFA World Cup, as well as the2011,2015,2019 and2023AFC Asian Cup tournaments.
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Hajsafi started his career inZob Ahan in 2000 and left the club in 2006, joiningSepahan.He was found at the Sepahanyouth academy byLuka Bonačić.[7] Hajsafi played two matches from the start in the2007FIFA Club World Cup and has been a regular for Sepahan during recent seasons. Sepahan came second in the2007AFC Champions League.
Ehsan takes set pieces for Sepahan and plays both in central and left midfield, having scored six league goals for Sepahan in the2007–08 season. In the last game of theleague match againstPersepolis, Hajsafi scored a goal for Sepahan that could have granted Sepahan the title, but Persepolis scored the vital winning goal in stoppage time to win the title. He continued to perform well and scored wonderful goals for Sepahan in the2008–09 season. He was tested as the left back in the2009–10 season when Sepahan won the league, and extended his contract with Sepahan for two another years.[8]
In June 2011, Hajsafi signed a one and a half year loanconscription contract withTractor, reuniting him with former coachAmir Ghalenoei.[9] Tractor finished second in the league, their best results in club history. His contract with Tractor ended in January 2012, and he returned toSepahan.
Hajsafi returned to Sepahan in January 2012, beginning this time with coachZlatko Kranjčar. He won theHazfi Cup with the team and extended his contract with Sepahan for another two seasons at the end of the season. In August 2014 after the end of his contract Hajsafi was close to signing withChampionship sideFulham, but the deal fell through due to work permit issues.[citation needed] Hajsafi returned to Iran and extended his contract for another two seasons with Sepahan.
On 30 August 2015, Hajsafi joinedFSV Frankfurt in the2. Bundesliga on a two-year contract.[10] He made his league debut on 13 September 2015 as a second-half substitute againstEintracht Braunschweig.[11] He made his first start a week later as a left-back on 20 September in a 1–0 league win overMSV Duisburg.[12] Hajsafi quickly established himself as the set-piece taker. Hajsafi scored his first goal for FSV Frankfurt on 2 March 2016 in a 3–3 draw againstMSV Duisburg.[13] On 13 March 2016, he scored from 50 yards againstSC Freiburg.[citation needed]
After FSV was relegated to the3. Liga, the club announced that they had annulled the contract of Hajsafi and he was a free agent and could sign with any club.
On 24 June 2017, Hajsafi signed a two-year contract withGreek Super League sidePanionios. He is set to team up with fellow countrymanMasoud Shojaei at Panionios.[14] Hajsafi became the third Iranian in recent years to play for the club.
Hajsafi made his first appearance for the club on 13 July 2017 in a second roundEuropa League qualifying match against Slovenian clubGorica. On 20 August 2017, on his league debut with Panionios, Hajsafi recorded an assist from a corner kick.
On 29 December 2017, after six months with Panionios, Hajisafi reached an agreement with Greek sideOlympiacos, signing a3+1⁄2-year contract for a transfer fee of €600,000. His contract, was worth €400,000 per year.[15] The 27-year-old player was the team's first transfer in the January window. On 11 February 2018, he made his debut with the club in theSuperleague Greece as a starter, scoring a late goal as he bundled home the rebound to seal a point for Olympiacos whenAtromitos keeperAndreas Gianniotis savedUros Djurdjevic's penalty-kick.[16]
On 2 September 2018, Hajisafi returned toTractor on a three-year contract.[17]
On 3 August 2021, Hajsafi returned to Greece and signed forAEK Athens.[18] On 24 October 2021, he came in as a late substitute and sealed a 3–1 away win againstVolos, after a magnificent run fromSteven Zuber.[19] Hajsafi flourished as left back and quickly established himself within the team. After the coach of AEK,Argyris Giannikis was fired, interim managerSokratis Ofrydopoulos tested Hajsafi as a midfielder. Ehsan Hajsafi scored the first goal in AEK's 3–0 win againstPAS Giannina after an assist from Krychowiak. AEK finished 5th in the Greek Super league, but the next season under the orders ofMatias Almeyda would turn out to be historic. Hajsafi was the only fit left back of AEK Athens after the surgery of his compatriot,Milad Mohammadi in the World cup. He played in nearly every game and he was characterized by his calmness on the ball and his solid defending. On 14 May 2023, Hajsafi assisted Zuber in AEK's 4–0 win over Volos, the match which confirmed AEK won the championship. A few days later he also started in the cup final againstPAOK, where AEK won 2–0 and clinched their third ever double. Hajsafi renewed his contract with AEK Athens for another year. I the following season, Hajsafi participated in the group stage of Europa league. On 21 September 2023, Hajsafi started in AEK's enormous win in Brighton and he delivered 2 assists from set pieces.
Hajsafi competed for theIran U17 national team at the2006AFC Youth Championship. He later went on to appear for theU-20 andU-23 teams.
On 25 May 2008, Hajsafi played his first A national team match for thesenior national team in a friendly game againstZambia. He shone in his debut with two brilliant assists in Iran's 3–2 win atAzadi Stadium. On 2 June, he then played in Iran's2010 FIFA World CupWorld Cup qualification againstUnited Arab Emirates at home. In the return game, Hajsafi came on as a substitute to help Iran win the crucial away game.
His first international goal was againstQatar in the2008West Asian Football Federation Championship, when Iran went on to win 6–1. He played in2011 AFC Asian Cupqualification, which was considered the best left side of the competition. He also played for the team in the tournament, in which Iran was eliminated in the Round 16 bySouth Korea. In March 2014, he was assigned as captain for the first time in his 57th national cap againstKuwait.
On 1 June 2014, he was called into Iran's2014 FIFA World Cup squad byCarlos Queiroz.[20] He played the full 90 minutes in Iran's first match againstNigeria which ended 0–0. He then started in a match againstArgentina and was one of the key players in the match. He substituted in the 88th minute and then Argentina scored their lone goal byLionel Messi. He also played 63 minutes in Iran's final match againstBosnia and Herzegovina. Iran were eliminated in the group stages. He was called into Iran's2015 AFC Asian Cup squad on 30 December 2014 by Carlos Queiroz.[21] On 11 January 2015, in Iran's opening match of the tournament, Hajsafi scored the first goal and was named man of the match in a 2–0 win againstBahrain.
On 10 August 2017, Hajsafi was banned from the national team, along with teammateMasoud Shojaei, for playing with their clubPanionios against Israeli clubMaccabi Tel Aviv.[22] His ban was rescinded after posting a religious message on his Instagram.[23] In May 2018 he was named in Iran's preliminary squad for the2018 World Cup in Russia.[24] He played his100th international game on 15 November 2018 at the age of 28 inAzadi Stadium againstTrinidad and Tobago.
At the 2022FIFA World Cup, while theMahsa Amini protests were ongoing, the Iranian team decline to sing the national anthem before their match against England.[25] Hajsafi stated that the team supported the protestors.[25]
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| National team | Year | Apps | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|
| Iran | 2008 | 9 | 1 |
| 2009 | 10 | 1 | |
| 2010 | 10 | 0 | |
| 2011 | 11 | 0 | |
| 2012 | 11 | 0 | |
| 2013 | 5 | 0 | |
| 2014 | 10 | 1 | |
| 2015 | 10 | 1 | |
| 2016 | 6 | 2 | |
| 2017 | 8[i] | 0 | |
| 2018 | 11 | 0 | |
| 2019 | 9 | 0 | |
| 2020 | 2 | 0 | |
| 2021 | 5 | 1 | |
| 2022 | 7 | 0 | |
| 2023 | 11 | 0 | |
| 2024 | 7 | 0 | |
| Total | 142 | 7 | |
| No. | Date | Venue | Opponent | Score | Result | Competition |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 11 August 2008 | Takhti Stadium,Tehran, Iran |  Qatar | 4–1 | 6–1 | 2008 WAFF Championship |
| 2 | 28 December 2009 | Suhaim bin Hamad,Doha, Qatar | Qatar | 2–2 | 2–3 | Qatar Friendship Cup |
| 3 | 8 June 2014 | CT Joaquim Grava,São Paulo, Brazil |  Trinidad and Tobago | 1–0 | 2–0 | Friendly |
| 4 | 11 January 2015 | Melbourne Rectangular Stadium,Melbourne, Australia |  Bahrain | 1–0 | 2–0 | 2015 AFC Asian Cup |
| 5 | 24 March 2016 | Azadi Stadium, Tehran, Iran |  India | 1–0 | 4–0 | 2018 FIFA World Cup qualification |
| 6 | 3–0 | |||||
| 7 | 16 November 2021 | King Abdullah II Stadium,Amman, Jordan |  Syria | 2–0 | 3–0 | 2022 FIFA World Cup qualification |
Sepahan
Tractor
AEK Athens
Iran
Individual
Media related toEhsan Hajsafi at Wikimedia Commons
