Ali Karimi
Mohammad Ali Karimi Pashaki is an Iranian football coach and former professional player. During his professional football career, he has played as a playmaker in the Iran Pro League, UAE Pro League, Qatar Stars League and Bundesliga. Karimi has scored 38 goals in 127 matches for the Iran national team. In 2004, he was recognized as the best scorer of the AFC Asian Cup and received the Asian Footballer of the Year award in the same year. He announced his retirement at the end of the 2013–14 season and, on 11 April 2014, played the final game of his 18-year career.
Karimi's professional career began with Fath Tehran, where he made his first-team debut in 1996, aged 18. He then played three seasons with Persepolis, winning the Iranian league twice and the Hazfi Cup once with the club. In July 2001, Karimi signed a two-year contract with UAE Pro League club Al-Ahli Dubai. While an Al-Ahli player, Karimi won two cup titles, and was the top goalscorer in the 2003–04 season, an impressive feat for a midfielder. After leaving the club in 2005 aged 26, Karimi made a long-awaited move to Europe to play for Bayern Munich. At the club, he had relative success, winning both the Bundesliga and the DFB-Pokal in 2005–06 season. Later in his career, he rejoined former coach Felix Magath and won a second German Cup with Schalke 04. Karimi ended his playing career in Iran with Persepolis and Tractor Sazi, and with the latter won the Hazfi Cup in the final season of his career.
Karimi made his debut for Iran on 13 October 1998 at the age of 19. He made 127 career appearances in total, appearing at five major tournaments, including 1998 Asian Games, 2000, 2004, and 2007 Asian Cups and 2006 FIFA World Cup. Renowned for his on-the-ball skill, dribbling runs and playmaking ability, he was often referred to as the Asian Maradona and The Magician. In the video introducing Iran's national football team in the 2018 World Cup, by FIFA, he was described as "One of the top 2 players of Iran's football history". He is regarded as one of the greatest Asian footballers of all time. In 2017, AFC named Karimi as "one of the icons of Asian football history".
Karimi is known as one of the most popular athletes in the history of Iran. In April 2015, he was recognized as Iran's most popular football player in a poll by Navad television program.
Club career
Karimi started his professional career with second-division side Fath Football Club in 1997 where training was conducted on the streets with a plastic ball.Persepolis
In 1998, Karimi joined Persepolis football club, which won the domestic double in 1999 and the championship again in 2000. He attended a trial with Perugia Calcio, but the transfer was aborted when Perugia deemed the transfer fee too high. There was also reportedly an offer from Spain's Atlético Madrid who were willing to pay Karimi £4.3 million in a four-year contract. Still, Karimi opted for United Arab Emirates side Al-Ahli because he wanted to stay close to home.Al-Ahli
Karimi signed with Al Ahli in the United Arab Emirates in 2001 for a reported salary of $1.3 million for two years. In that season, Al-Ahli managed to win its first trophy, when they became the Winners of the President Cup in 2001–02 season.He scored a league-high 14 goals for Al Ahli in 2004. In June 2020, he was named the best foreign player in the UAE League as well.
Bayern Munich
On 3 May 2005, Bundesliga champions Bayern Munich's website announced that as its first new player for the 2005–06 season, it signed Karimi with a one-year contract, as the third Iranian player of this team, after Ali Daei and Vahid Hashemian. After the friendly match between Iran and Germany in October 2004, Karimi was noticed by the Bayern Munich club. He received the best score in kicker magazine after Jens Lehmann.Karimi entered the field in the second half of the first week of the Bundesliga against Borussia Mönchengladbach. In the second week's 5–2 victory against Bayer Leverkusen, he was recognized as the second best player of the match by scoring a goal and providing an assist. Six weeks into the league, Karimi scored his second goal assist in the Bundesliga, setting the stage for a 1–0 win against Eintracht Frankfurt and was recognized as the man of the match. In week 16 of the Bundesliga, he provided his third assist against Kaiserslautern. At the end of the half-season of the Bundesliga, which was accompanied by Bayern's 2-1 victory over Borussia Dortmund, Karimi scored again. He was also recognized as Bayern Munich's best player by scoring 2.5 points from kicker magazine in the 22nd Bundesliga match, which ended with a 1–1 draw against Hannover.
Karimi made his 25th appearance for Bayern on 4 March 2006 against Hamburg, which resulted in an automatic 12-month extension to his one-year contract that expired on 30 June 2007. But Karimi was injured in the same game and missed all Bayern Munich matches until the end of the 2005-2006 season.
He played 3 times in the UEFA Champions League before getting injured, scoring in his first game against Rapid Vienna. By scoring against Rapid Vienna, Karimi became the only Iranian Bayern Munich player to score in the UEFA Champions League. Before the injury, Karimi played in 20 Bundesliga games, two DFB-Pokal games, one DFL-Ligapokal game and three UEFA Champions League games.
Karimi's average scores in the Bundesliga and the UEFA Champions League in the 2005–06 season are the best among the three Iranian players in the kicker magazine.
Karimi, who was still suffering from the previous season's injury, was injured again before the start of the 2006-2007 season and missed the season's opening games. By the end of the 2006–07 season, he played 16 games.
In the 32nd week of the Bundesliga, Karimi became the foundation for Bayern's 1–1 draw against Borussia Mönchengladbach by sending a goal assist. In week 34 of the Bundesliga, he played his last game for Bayern in a 5–2 win against Mainz and scored for the last time in Bayern Munich. In this competition after Mehmet Scholl; Karimi was recognized as the second-best player of Bayern together with Hasan Salihamidžić by scoring 2.5 from kicker magazine.
In two seasons in Bayern Munich, Karimi played 42 games and became the record holder for the most number of games among the three Iranian players of this team. Karimi ended his career in Bayern Munich by scoring four goals and sending four assists. In 2017, the Transfermarkt website named Karimi among the best players who joined Bayern Munich from 1998 to 2017 as a free agent and performed well. In this team have been placed.
After Karimi's position in support of the 2022 Iranian protests following the death of Mahsa Amini, FC Bayern Munich announced on 5 November 2022 that "due to concerns regarding the health condition of Ali Karimi and other Iranian players of Bayern Munich, we have long since been in touch with the German ambassador to Tehran. The club is aware of the current critical situation in Iran and is ready to provide any assistance in this matter".
Qatar SC
On 3 July 2007, Karimi announced that he had signed a two-year deal with Qatar Sports Club. Karimi was believed to have signed a contract worth around £3.2 million, with a clause allowing him to return to Europe anytime.On 13 July 2008, Karimi signed a two-year contract with Al-Sailiya that is said to be worth around £4.7 million.
Persepolis
Persepolis' then chairman, Dariush Mostafavi, reached an agreement with Karimi after a one-hour-long telephone conversation. Persepolis had to pay Al-Sailiyah to release Karimi from his contract. Mostafavi claimed the release fee was around US$310,000. Karimi joined Persepolis on loan, and signed with Persepolis on a one-year contract on 6 September 2008.Karimi scored his first goal since his return to Persepolis in the Tehran derby. With Esteghlal leading 1–0, Karimi equalized for Persepolis two minutes from time. On 9 October 2008, Karimi scored a hat trick against Abumoslem but could not prevent Persepolis losing 4–3.
However, Karimi's contract was not extended, reportedly because of a strained relationship with Persepolis chief executive Abbas Ansarifard. While Ansarifard claimed that the club offered Karimi a contract, but he did not show up, Karimi claimed that Persepolis kept him waiting for four weeks for nothing.
Steel Azin
Karimi joined newly promoted Steel Azin on 29 July 2009 on a one-year deal. He was reported to be paid US$400,000 for the season.After joining Steel Azin, Karimi scored for four consecutive matches at the start of the season. On 14 August 2009, he scored the second goal in Steel Azin's 4–3 win over Saba. He scored a brace against Shahin in Steel Azin's 2–1 victory. On 4 December 2009, Karimi converted a penalty in the 52nd minute against Pas FC to score his 11th goal of the season. On 6 March 2010, during his team's match against Saipa, Karimi was sent off for pushing Majid Ayoubi after Ayoubi had fouled him.
In January 2010, it was reported that Al-Ahli made an offer of US$500,000 to sign Karimi on a loan deal until the end of the 2009–10 season, which Steel Azin rejected.
Karimi was sacked by the club in August 2010 for failing to observe the fast requirement during Ramadan, but was reinstated a few days later after paying a fine. The player maintained that he had not shown disrespect to Islam.