[REVISION HISTORY]

Iran Premier League 2026 season preparations

Updated 2 times since CLSTR started tracking revisions of this situation.

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2026-08-09 18:54 UTC → 2026-08-23 14:42 UTC · added ~~removed~~

The Iranian Football Federation has scheduled the draw for the 26th Premier League season for 6 August, with matches set to begin on 23 August. This new campaign follows a controversial previous season that ended with a frozen league table and no relegations. Clubs are navigating the transfer market under financial constraints. Persepolis has appointed Mehdi Tartar as head coach, bringing in four players from Gol-Gohar and re-signing veteran Mohammad Mehdi Zare, alongside new striker Abolfazl Jalali. Esteghlal has hired Sohrab Bakhtiari-Zadeh and is focused on a youth-led rebuild, securing long-term contracts for players such as Bahram Goudarzi and Mohammad Khalif. ~~However, experts have raised concerns regarding the quality of preparations.~~ Football analyst Hamid Derakhshan ~~noted~~ has warned of a “regression” in the sector, noting that limited preparation windows have prevented most teams from reaching peak physical ~~condition, identifying~~ condition. He identified Persepolis as the only club to gain a slight advantage through an effective training ~~camp. He also observed~~ camp, while observing that transfer activity has largely consisted of domestic movement rather than the recruitment of high-quality foreign talent. As the season progresses, the Iranian Football Federation has released referee assignments for Week 3, including Payam Heydari for Esteghlal vs. Sepahan and Amir Arab Baraghi for Tractor vs. Persepolis. Uncertainty ~~persists~~ regarding spectator ~~attendance. Esteghlal’s leadership warned that a ban on fans would damage~~ attendance persists; despite Federation messaging regarding the ~~league's appeal~~ vital role of fans, the match between Tractor and ~~its ability~~ Persepolis in Tabriz is expected to ~~host AFC events. While venues like Pas Qavamin Stadium and Shahid Qods Stadium have been identified for upcoming matches, a final decision on whether games will be played~~ proceed behind closed doors ~~has not been issued.~~ due to tensions from the previous season.

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