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Ali Jabbari (علی جباری) is an Iranian midfielder from Tehran. Born in 1946, he predominantly played domestically for Taj (currently Esteghlal) although he also had a stint with Rah Ahan. He represented Iran in the Asian Championship, Asian Games and Olympics.
Jabbari began his soccer career in school and with a plastic ball. He soon attracted the attention of club team Pahlavanpour before joining Rah Ahan. Jabbari would stay with Rah Ahan for 3 seasons before Taj swooping in and signing him in 1965. Jabbari would stay with Taj for a full decade.
With Taj Jabbari would take part in the Tehran Club Championship. A first place finish in the 1968-69 season thanks to Jabbari’s 5 goals would enable Taj to represent Iran in the 1970 Asian Club Championship the following April. Played at home and captained by Jabbari, Taj would win continental gold.
Also Jabbari would win another title at India’s invitational Delhi Cloth Mills Cup and adding another silver medal from Tehran’s League. Taj would finish in second place in the Tehran Club Cup with Jabbari scoring 5 goals along the way.
The following season Jabbari would win both the 1970-71 Tehran Club Championship and the 1970-71 National Championship where Jabbari would be chosen as the competition’s MVP. Taj would not be able to repeat their performance of the prior season and would win bronze with Jabbari scoring in the third place match.
Jabbari would pick up a bronze medal in the 1971-72 Iranian League Championship in addition to another Delhi Cloth Mills Cup championship and a Tehran Friendship Cup where Jabbari would score a late extra time winner in the semifinals. He would win the 1972-73 Tehran League with Jabbari contributing 8 goals before the establishment of the national Takht'e Jamshid Cup the following year.
In June Taj would participate in a 4-team friendly Ettehad Tournament against Persepolis, Pas and Oghab where Taj would win the title with 3 clean sheets and a game winner from Jabbari against Oghab.
The Takht'e Jamshid Cup would debut in the 1973-74 season with 12 teams. Taj would finish in second place while Jabbari would score 8 goals. The following season Taj would do one better as Jabbari would win gold in the 1974-75 season. He would play one more season with Taj although he would be mostly absent from the second half of the 1975-76 season before hanging up his boots at age 29.
Overall he would play 61 times in the Takhht’e Jamshid Cup scoring 15 goals in the process while converting 89 times throughout his career for Taj, a record that stood until 2013. Jabbari participated in 17 derby matches against Persepolis, captaining his side in 11 of them and scoring 5 goals.
Jabbari would temporarily come out of retirement to play a single game for Rah Ahan in 1976 in a 3-2 victory against Melli Bank in the Hazfi Cup. Years later as player/coach of Mohemmatsazi he would line up against Pas in 1982 in a losing effort in a shootout in Tehran’s Club Cup.
Jabbari would make his national team debut in the 1965 RCD Cup against Pakistan, scoring on his debut in a 4-1 win. The following year he would be a mainstay in the team that won silver at the 1966 Asian Games, tallying once in a group match against India.
In the 1968 Asian Championship, Jabbari played a bit part, being subbed out in each of Iran’s first 3 games. He would not take the field for the final against Israel. Nevertheless he would collect a gold medal while also contributing a goal against Hong Kong.
In 1969 he would participate in the Friendship Cup against foreign opposition where he would score a hatrick against Pakistan. The following year he would go on the win the 1970 RCD Cup at home. Later that year while he would be selected for the 1970 Asian Games, however, he would not take the field.
In 1971 Jabbari would take part in the Cyrus International Tournament against foreign opposition. His two goals in group play assisted the team in topping the group and advancing to the semifinals while ultimately Iran would win the tournament. Towards the end of the year Iran began its campaign to qualify for the 1972 Olympics. Jabbari would play a role in the qualifying scoring against Kuwait as Iran would qualify for the 1972 Olympics.
Prior to the Olympics Iran would defend its title in the 1972 Asian Championship which would be Jabbari’s greatest claim to fame. With Iran trailing 2-0 with 10 minutes to go against hosts Thailand, Jabbari would record the fastest hat-trick in AFC Asian Cup history, by scoring three times in an eight-minute span and leading Iran to a 3-2 win. In the final Jabbari would give Iran the lead for an ultimate 2-1 win against South Korea and a second Asian Championship.
Jabbari would not take part in Brazil’s Independence Cup but would join the team in the Olympics where he would start the first game against Hungary. Jabbari would prominently feature in the 1974 World Cup qualifiers scoring once again Kuwait although he would miss the crucial series against Australia as Iran would ultimately fail to qualify.
In preparation for the 1974 Asian Games, Iran hosted and won the 1974 Iran Cup as it entered an A and B squad in the tournament. Jabbari would play for the Iran A squad and score twice in the semifinals. Later that year Jabbari would play in all 7 games at the Asian Games, starting 6 and captaining the team twice in Ghelichkhani’s absence. He would score once in Iran’s opening game against Pakistan while the final, won 1-0 against Israel, would be his last international appearance.
Years after his retirement, internal turmoil at Taj (now Esteghlal) prompted him to return to the club in 1993 and act as its manager. His stay would be short as he would leave the team in 1994.