Behzadi, Homayoun

Homayoun Behzadi (همایون بهزادی) is an Iranian forward from Khorramabad in Lorestan province although he moved to Tehran at a young age. Born in 1942, he spent the entirety of his career in Iran’s domestic league including two stretches with Persepolis. He would start his career as a central defender before shifting to left back, left midfielder and finally forward. He would go on to win titles with each of the clubs he represented in addition to national team championships.

Behzadi would join Shahin’s youth setup at an early age and lineup for its affiliated teams such as Koolak and Simorgh. After four years he would be promoted to the main team in 1958. He would remain with Shahin for a decade before finally leaving in 1968 due to Shahin’s dissolution. During this time Behzadi would win the Tehran League Championship in the 1965-66 season while finishing in second place twice in 1961-62 and 1962-63 while winning the Tehran Hazfi Cup in the latter.

He would spend a single season with Persepolis in the 1968-69 season although following an injury suffered in the 1968 Asian Championship he would spend much time on the sidelines rehabilitating. He would then join Paykan on loan. He would win the Tehran League Championship in his first year with them. With Paykan he would also win gold in the 1970 Friendship Cup against foreign and domestic opposition.

He would return to Persepolis thereafter. He would win the championship in the final season of the old national league in 1971-72 contributing 8 goals in the process. Also in early 1972 Persepolis would face Brazilian club Cruzeiro in the opening game of Aryamehr Stadium in which Behzadi would go on to score one of Persepolis’s goals in a 4-2 defeat. Later that year a Tehran selection would face a travelling Bayern Munich side and the Iranians would win 6-3 with Behzadi netting one of the goals. He would once again win gold in the first season of the Takht’e Jamshid Cup in the 1973-74 season. Prior to the season Persepolis would play in a friendly tournament against other Tehran teams and in a 1-0 loss to Taj Behzadi would receive his marching orders late in the game. 

Englishman Alan Rogers was Persepolis’s coach although due to family issues he had returned to England and was absent for 44 days. During this stretch Behzadi would run the team practices. He would pick up Rogers from the airport the night before the Tehran derby against Taj and hand him a lineup. During the derby Behzadi would make history by not only scoring a hatrick but also contributing to a historical 6-0 demolition of their rivals. He would also score in the return match in a 1-1 tie.

He would play one more season with Persepolis in 1974-75 where he would finish runners-up before hanging up his boots, his last match being a friendly against the Soviet Union’s Neftchi Baku. 

Following his retirement he would briefly coach Persepolis before managing Shahin’s youth team.

Behzadi received his first call up to the national team before lining up for Shahin. He was invited to the team to participate in the 1960 Asian Championship qualifiers in India and would have been the youngest member of the team, however, he was not granted permission to travel by his mother. 

He would finally make his national team debut in 1962 in a friendly against Iraq. He would be an integral part of the squad for the 1964 Olympic qualifiers in which he contributed 4 goals in Iran’s successful qualifying campaign. Behzadi would have participated in the 1964 Olympics, however, disagreements between the IFF and club team Shahin resulted in Behzadi missing out on making the roster and playing in the 1964 Olympics.

In 1965 he would win the RCD Cup against Turkey and Pakistan scoring twice in the process. He would be a starter the following year in the 1966 Asian Games. He would score twice in 7 games as Iran reached the final and collected a silver medal after losing to Burma. 

The following year he would again score in the RCD Cup as Iran begin preparations to host the next Asian Championship. Iran would go on to win the 1968 Asian Championship at home with Behzadi scoring in every game including the final against Israel. Although Behzadi was injured for the Final and originally was on the bench, however, once subbed in he turned over the 1-0 deficit and with his goal also became the tournament’s top scorer.

With younger players emerging, Behzadi was not called up for the 1970 Asian Games. He was recalled for the 1971 Cyrus International Tournament against foreign opposition where he scored twice and ultimately won gold. Behzadi would be called up for the 1972 Asian Cup and while he would go scoreless, he would provide 2 assists (one in the final to Kalani for the game winning goal) and as such he would win a second Asian Cup gold medal. Behzadi would be used sporadically in the qualification for the 1972 Olympics and while Iran would advance to the 1972 Olympics, however, Behzadi would not make the trip and his national team career would come to a close.

In 2013 Behzadi was inducted in Persepolis’s Hall of Fame. He suffered a heart attack and was transferred to Tehran hospital in April of 2013. He was released the following month. In 2014 he was selected for the AFC Hall of Fame (along with Ali Daei). On Jan. 22, 2016, Behzadi died in his home at the age of 74.