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Guardian: Tractor upset Iran’s establishment and claim historic title

2025.05.15, 15:09
Guardian: Tractor upset Iran’s establishment and claim historic title

The club's success brought hope, unity, and a voice to millions of Azerbaijani Turks in Iran.

Gunaz.tv

GunazTV reports that "The Guardian" has prepared an extensive article about the Tractor club becoming the champion of the Iranian League.

The Guardian reported that Tractor, a famous club from the city of Tabriz, has finally become the champion of the Iranian Pro League after a 55-year wait. This achievement is significant not only in terms of sporting significance, but also in terms of cultural and political symbolism. The club's success represents millions of Azerbaijani Turks who have felt marginalized by the central government and football institutions for many years.

 

İran Ligi'nde Tarihi Zafer! Traktor FC Bitime 2 Hafta Kala Şampiyonluğunu İlan Etti - Balıkesir Haberleri

 

A people with their own language, culture and history who have long felt discriminated against and marginalised by governments that have pursued Persia-centric policies in a diverse and ancient nation. Supporting the football club has become a way to push back and assert pride and identity.

It is not surprising that there is ire from Tehran when fans chant slogans invoking the names of capitals from other countries. “Tabriz, Baku, Ankara, our path leads elsewhere than the path of the Persians.” Shouting that the “Persian Gulf” should be called the “Arabian Gulf” is also a surefire way to upset many in the capital and elsewhere, as Donald Trump and his administration will find out if they try to do so.

 

Azərbaycan türklərinin mübarizlik simvolu - Çempion "Traktor"

 

The Iranian government, suspicious of large crowds even when they are gathered to support the national team, are wary of Tractor’s pulling power. This season, there has been an average of over 42,000. They are a big draw away, too. On visits to Tehran to take on the twin titans of Persepolis and Esteghlal, thousands come to support them in the cavernous Azadi Stadium.

Now Tractor have football-related chants to rile Persepolis and Esteghlal, winners of around two-thirds of all the league titles in Iranian history. On 2 May, a 4-0 victory in Shams Azar clinched the championship with two games to spare. Fans in Tabriz and in other cities in the region took to the streets and partied.

 

Traktor” komandasının azarkeşləri yeni şüar təqdim ediblər - VİDEO - Oxu.az

 

It was a long night but then it had been a long time coming. In 2018, one of the richest men in Iran, Mohammad Reza Zonouzi, took over the club. Coach Dragan Skocic joined the team. Skocic brought in Iran’s first-choice goalkeeper Alireza Beiranvand as well as Mehdi Torabi, Danial Esmaeilifar and Shoja Khalilzadeh.

Next is Asia. Iran has just one automatic place in the group stage of AFC Champions League Elite, so it may be that the rest of the country will get behind its only guaranteed representative – but then maybe not. Regardless, Tractor will plough on.

 

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