 | This articleneeds additional citations forverification. Please helpimprove this article byadding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. Find sources: "Esteghlal Rasht F.C." – news ·newspapers ·books ·scholar ·JSTOR(April 2015) (Learn how and when to remove this message) |
| Full name | Esteghlal Shahrdari Rasht Football Club | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Nickname | The Blues (آبی پوشان) | ||
| Ground | Dr. Azodi Stadium | ||
| Capacity | 11,000 | ||
| Owner | Municipality of Rasht | ||
| League | Gilan Province League | ||
| Website | http://esteghlalrasht.ir/ | ||
Esteghlal Shahrdari Rasht Football Club (Persian:استقلال رشت) commonly known asEsteghlal Rasht, is afootball club, based inRasht,Gilan, Iran. The club was founded in 1983. First dissolved in 2002, the club was refounded later. The club plays currently in theGilan Province League.
The club was known asEsteghlal Gaz Rasht in1992–93 Iran Football's 2nd Division due to sponsorship. After playing many years inIran Football's 2nd Division, they were promoted toAzadegan League in 2000. They finished 10th in2000–01 season. But only one year later they were relegated again. They finished 13th in that season.
Due to financial problems and relegation, Esteghlal Rasht sold their licence toPegah Dairy Company. The new club was named asPegah Gilan. Many players and their coachMajid Jahanpour moved toPegah Gilan. On 5 August 2002, Esteghlal Rasht was officially dissolvedand it is known as Damashguilan sc
However Esteghlal Rasht was refounded years later and able to play inGilan Province League.[1]
Dr. Azodi Stadium is the home stadium of Esteghlal Rasht since 1990. It has a current capacity of 11,000 spectators. The stadium is named after Dr. Hassan Azodi who was killed on June 28, 1982, in an explosion at the central office of theIslamic Republican Party.[2] It is also the home venue of local rivalsDamash andSepidrood.
The table below chronicles the achievements of Esteghlal Rasht in various competitions since 1990.
| Season | Div. | League | Position | Hazfi Cup | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990–91 | 2 | 2nd Division | 2nd/Group 1 | Promoted to Azadegan League | |
| 1991–92 | 1 | Azadegan League | 11th | Relegated to 2nd Division | |
| 1992–93 | 2 | 2nd Division | 8th | Esteghlal Gaz Rasht | |
| 1995–96 | 2 | 2nd Division | 7th/Group 1 | ||
| 1997–98 | 2 | 2nd Division | 1st/Group 2 | Promoted 2nd Round | |
| 1998–99 | 2 | 2nd Division | 2nd/Group 2 | Promoted 2nd Round | |
| 1999–00[3] | 2 | 2nd Division | 2nd/Group 1 | Promoted to Azadegan League | |
| 2000–01[4] | 1 | Azadegan League | 10th | ||
| 2001–02[5] | 1 | Pro League | 13th | Relegated to Azadegan League |
