Iran's Premier League football
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| Country | Iran |
|---|---|
| Confederation | AFC |
| Founded | 1970 officially 2001 with current format |
| Divisions | 1 |
| Number of teams | 16 |
| Level on pyramid | 1 |
| Relegation to | Azadegan League |
| Domestic cup(s) |
Hazfi Cup Iranian Super Cup |
| International cup(s) | AFC Champions League |
| Current champions | Persepolis (10rd title) |
| Most championships | Persepolis (10 titles) |
| TV partners |
IRIB TV3, Jame Jam 1, Varzesh, Shoma, Local state channels |
| Website | Iranleague.ir, |
 2016–17 Persian Gulf Pro League
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The Persian Gulf Pro League (Persian: لیگ برتر خلیج فارس), formerly known as the Iran Pro League (IPL) (Persian: لیگ برتر فوتبال ایران), is a professional football league competition for clubs at the highest level of the Iranian football league system. It was founded in 1970 as the Takht Jamshid Cup, but the current format was adopted in 2001. Contested by 16 teams, it is ranked by the Asian Football Confederation as the 2nd best league in Asia and the best league in Western Asia.
The Persian Gulf Pro League is the top tier of an extensive pyramid-like structure, above the Azadegan League (or 1st Division), the 2nd division, the 3rd Division and the lower local leagues. Since the league's creation in 2001, seven different teams have become league champions. Sepahan is the most successful club with five trophies.
Before the 1970s, Iran did not have an official national league and most teams competed in their local leagues, the most popular being the Tehran Local League which featured teams like Pas Tehran, Persepolis, and Taj.
In 1970, the Local League was created. The league included teams from all Iran in different qualifying tournaments.
In 1972, the Takht Jamshid Cup was created as the national league and included teams from all over the country. Pas Tehran and Persepolis were the most successful clubs in the cup's five-year existence, each club winning the cup twice. In 1978, the league was abandoned because of the Iranian Revolution.
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