Payan Rafat ( fa, پایان رأفت, born September 9, 1970 in

Astara, Iran Astara (; fa, آستارا, also romanized as Āstārā) is a city and capital of Astara County, Gilan Province, Iran. It lies on the border with Azerbaijan Republic and on the Caspian Sea. It is an important border trade center between Iran ...

) is a retired

Iran Iran, officially the Islamic Republic of Iran, and also called Persia, is a country located in Western Asia. It is bordered by Iraq and Turkey to the west, by Azerbaijan and Armenia to the northwest, by the Caspian Sea and Turkmeni ...

ian

footballer A football player or footballer is a sportsperson who plays one of the different types of football. The main types of football are association football, American football, Canadian football, Australian rules football, Gaelic football, rugby le ...

and current coach. He served his golden days in

Persepolis , native_name_lang = , alternate_name = , image = Gate of All Nations, Persepolis.jpg , image_size = , alt = , caption = Ruins of the Gate of All Nations, Persepolis. , map = , map_type ...

. His style of play was similar to Iranian football legend

Ali Daei Ali Daei ( fa, ; born 21 March 1969) is an Iranian football manager and former player. A striker, he was the captain of the Iranian national team between 2000 and 2006 and played in the German Bundesliga for Arminia Bielefeld, Bayern Munich ...

. He is considered one of the most memorable players in history of Tehran derby, the rivalry between Persepolis and Esteghlal; as he received a punch from rival goalkeeper Parviz Boroumand in the famous derby played in 2000.

Club career

After playing 6 seasons in

Malavan Malavan Bandar Anzali Football Club ( fa, باشگاه فوتبال ملوان بندر انزلى, ''Bashgah-e Futbal-e Milâvan Bendâr Anzeli'') is an Iranian football club based in Bandar-e Anzali, Iran. It currently won Iran's second footb ...

, he joined

. He later left for a half season at the

UAE League The UAE Pro League ( ar, دوري المحترفين الإماراتي), known for sponsorship reasons as the ADNOC Pro League, is the top professional football league in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). The first team to win the title was Al O ...

Hatta Club Hatta Club is a sports club based in Hatta in the Emirate of Dubai, UAE, founded in 1981. It is most widely known for its professional football team, which currently plays in the UAE Pro League. Current squad ''As of UAE First Division Leagu ...

; and returned to Persepolis in 2002.

Club Career Statistics

References

External links

Video of Boroumand–Rafat Conflict in Tehran Derby
People from Astara, Iran 1970 births Living people Iranian footballers Persepolis F.C. players Malavan F.C. players Saba Qom F.C. players Homa F.C. players Men's association football forwards Sportspeople from Gilan province {{Iran-footy-forward-stub