Soroush Rafiei (Persian: سروش رفیعی) is an Iranian professional footballer who plays for Persian Gulf Pro League club Persepolis and the Iran national team.
![]() Rafiei with Persepolis at the 2017 AFC Champions League | |||
Personal information | |||
---|---|---|---|
Full name | Soroush Rafiei Telgary | ||
Date of birth | (1990-03-24) 24 March 1990 (age 32) | ||
Place of birth | Tal-e Gar, Shiraz, Iran | ||
Height | 1.75 m (5 ft 9 in) | ||
Position(s) | Attacking midfielder | ||
Club information | |||
Current team | Persepolis | ||
Number | 7 | ||
Youth career | |||
2005–2009 | Fajr Sepasi | ||
Senior career* | |||
Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
2009–2011 | Fajr Sepasi | 40 | (10) |
2011–2017 | Foolad | 92 | (14) |
2015–2017 | → Tractor (loan) | 51 | (5) |
2017 | Persepolis | 21 | (4) |
2017–2018 | Al-Khor | 19 | (5) |
2018–2019 | Persepolis | 20 | (1) |
2018 | → Foolad (loan) | 14 | (0) |
2019–2020 | Shahr Khodro | 15 | (0) |
2020–2022 | Sepahan | 60 | (6) |
2022– | Persepolis | 11 | (0) |
National team‡ | |||
2014– | Iran | 4 | (0) |
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 27 October 2022 ‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 19 January 2015 |
He started his career with Fajr Sepasi and helped them to promote to the 2011–12 Persian Gulf Cup.
Rafiei, 28, was a member of Foolad football team from 2011 to 2017 and helped the Ahvaz-based football team win Iran Professional League (IPL) title in 2014.
In the summer of 2015 Rafiei signed a two–year contract with Tractor to spend his conscription period at the club.[1] In 2016, Rafiei has been linked with a move to Greek professional football club, AEK Athens in the next transfer window. Also, Persian giants Persepolis and Esteghlal Tehran showed interest in him.[2]
On 9 January 2017, Rafiei signed a 6-month contract with Persian Gulf Pro League club Persepolis.[3][4] He was given the number 7, which had previously been retired in honor of club legend Ali Parvin.[5] He scored a goal against Esteghlal in 84th Tehran Derby.[6] Rafiee returned to Persepolis for 2018–19 but due to fifa ban, he loaned to Foolad till winter.
Before June 2017, news and rumours linked Rafiei with a move to Al Sadd.[7][8] But before start of 2017–18 season, Rafiee joined the Qatari Al-Khor football team for one year, and wore number 7 in the team.[9] At the end of the season, Al-Khor picked up an alternate player for Rafiei and did not renew his contract with the club.[10] He considered playing in Iran's football league more difficult than playing in Qatar.[11]
On 8 July 2018, Rafiei joined Persepolis on a new 18-month deal.[12]
On 24 July 2018, Rafiei joined Foolad on a new 6-month deal.[13][14]
On August 2019, Rafiei joined Shahr Khodro on a two-year deal.[15][16]
On 13 January 2020, Rafiei joined Sepahan S.C. on a 18-month deal.[17][18] In Sepahan, he played a key role in the middle of the field. He had a high number of assists for Sepahan.[19]
On 15 June 2022, Rafiei joined Persian Gulf Pro League side Persepolis on a new two-year deal. This was his third contract with Persepolis.[20][21]
Club | Division | Season | League | Hazfi Cup | Asia | Total | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | |||
Fajr Sepasi | Pro League | 2009–10 | 20 | 5 | 0 | 0 | – | – | 20 | 5 |
Azadegan League | 2010–11 | 20 | 5 | 0 | 0 | – | – | 20 | 5 | |
Total | 40 | 10 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 40 | 10 | ||
Foolad | Pro League | 2011–12 | 19 | 1 | 1 | 1 | – | – | 20 | 2 |
2012–13 | 16 | 1 | 0 | 0 | – | – | 16 | 1 | ||
2013–14 | 29 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 8 | 0 | 39 | 4 | ||
2014–15 | 15 | 7 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 17 | 7 | ||
Total | 79 | 12 | 4 | 2 | 9 | 0 | 92 | 14 | ||
Tractor (loan) | Pro League | 2015–16 | 25 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 34 | 4 |
2016–17 | 14 | 1 | 3 | 0 | – | – | 17 | 1 | ||
Total | 39 | 5 | 5 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 51 | 5 | ||
Persepolis | Pro League | 2016–17 | 14 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 1 | 21 | 4 |
Total | 14 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 1 | 21 | 4 | ||
Al-Khor | QSL | 2017–18 | 19 | 5 | 1 | 0 | – | – | 20 | 5 |
Total | 19 | 5 | 1 | 0 | – | – | 20 | 5 | ||
Persepolis | Pro League | 2018–19 | 12 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 20 | 1 |
Total | 12 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 20 | 1 | ||
Foolad (loan) | Pro League | 2018–19 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | – | – | 6 | 0 |
Total | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | – | 0 | 6 | 0 | ||
Shahr Khodro | Pro League | 2019 | 10 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 11 | 0 |
Total | 10 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 11 | 0 | ||
Sepahan | Pro League | 2020 | 11 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 6 | 1 | 18 | 3 |
2020–21 | 26 | 2 | 0 | 0 | – | – | 26 | 2 | ||
2021–22 | 23 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 6 | 1 | 31 | 3 | ||
Total | 60 | 6 | 3 | 0 | 12 | 2 | 75 | 8 | ||
Persepolis | Pro League | 2022–23 | 11 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 11 | 0 | |
Total | 11 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 11 | 0 | |||
Career total | 290 | 42 | 17 | 2 | 40 | 3 | 347 | 47 |
He was called up to the Iran national football team in October 2014 by Carlos Queiroz. He made his debut in a match against South Korea on 18 November 2014. He was called into Iran's 2015 AFC Asian Cup squad on 30 December 2014 by Carlos Queiroz.[22] In May 2018 he was named in Iran's preliminary squad for the 2018 World Cup in Russia[23] but did not make the final 23.[24]
Rafiei is a technical playmaker.[25] In Iranian sports media, he has been mentioned as "a midfielder who dribbles as cool as ever and his playing is just enough".[26]
Argentinian manager and former player, Gabriel Calderón criticized his style of play due to "lack of speed" in his game plan.[27]
Soroush Rafiei was born in Shiraz, Iran and started playing football in his hometown.[28] He has announced that he has been a fan of Persepolis since he was a child.[29][30]
{{cite web}}
: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link){{cite web}}
: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
Persepolis F.C. – current squad | |
---|---|
|
Iran squad – 2015 AFC Asian Cup | ||
---|---|---|
| ![]() |