Full name | Esteghlal Melli-Sanati Khuzestan Football Club |
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Founded | 3 December 2008Esteghlal Jonub) | (as
Ground | Ghadir Stadium |
Capacity | 38,900 |
Owner | Fazel Bakhtiari |
Chairman | Ali Poorkiani |
Manager | Sirous Pourmousavi |
League | Persian Gulf Pro League |
2016–17 | Persian Gulf Pro League, 7th |
Website | Club home page |
Esteghlal Melli-Sanati Khuzestan Football Club (Persian: باشگاه فوتبال استقلال ملی-صنعتی خوزستان) commonly known as Esteghlal Khuzestan, is an Iranian football club based in Ahvaz, Iran. They currently compete in the Persian Gulf Pro League after they were promoted from Azadegan League in 2012–13 season.
This football club is different from Esteghlal Ahvaz. In 2011 they bought Esteghlal Jonub's licence to compete in the Azadegan League. They finished 2012–13 season in 2nd place of their group and qualified to the promotion play-off. However, they were awarded the direct promotion IRIFF after group's winner, Shahrdari Tabriz's relegation due to match-fixing. They won the Persian Gulf Pro League title in 2015–16 season.
Esteghlal Khuzestan F.C. was established just before the start of the 2011–2012 season by acquiring the license of Esteghlal Jonub Tehran F.C. who have just been promoted to the Azadegan League (Iran's 1st division). After an average 6th-place finish in the team's inaugural year in the Azadegan League in 2011–2012, the next season (2012–13) turned out to be a different year, with a 2nd-placed finish in group B, the club was promoted to the Iran Pro League for the first time in their history.