Human Afazeli

Afazeli began his youth career at Rah Ahan F.C. in Iran, eventually moving to Pas F.C in 1984. In 1988, he was promoted to the senior setup. He was a part of the senior squad for three seasons, although he did not make an official appearance during this time. His career was cut short in 1991, at the age of 20, following a knee injury.

Having had his playing career cut short, Afazeli moved into coaching at the age of 25. His first senior management role was with Iranian 1st division side, Shahab Zanjan. During his three years with the club, he implemented 4-2-3-1 and 4-4-2 systems with a flat back four. This was a break from the norm in an Iranian football landscape dominated by the traditional 3-5-2 formation. Afazali's tactical vision and practical savvy did not go unnoticed. After a friendly match between Iran national team and Shahab Zanjan in Tehran, Iran's then head coach Miroslav Ciro Blazevic, who had already guided his Croatian side to third place in the 1998 World Cup, invited Afazeli to join the national team staff as technical adviser and analyst. After Ciro departed, Afazeli stayed with the national team for four more years with newly promoted Branko Ivanković. He earned a gold medal in the 2002 Asian Games, third-place finish in 2004 AFC Asian Cup, a 2006 FIFA World Cup appearance with Iran, and more than 100 international matches as an assistant and analyst for the national team. He was brought back into the national team in 2008 under new coach Ali Daei. Afazeli stepped out alongside some coaching staff members after Ali Daei's dismissal in April 2009. After a few months away from the management, he was selected as Iran Football Federation's technical committee senior member. He refused to join Ali Daei as an assistant in Perspolis of Tehran and spoke of his desire to be a head coach…