Ghelichkhani, Parviz

Parviz Ghelichkhani was a club and national team player who seemingly could and did play every position on the field aside from goalkeeper. He played for and earned titles with many of Iran’s well known (at the time) teams. He is one of the few players to represent both Taj (currently Esteghlal) and Persepolis. He is also the only player in the history of the Asian Championship with a hat trick of gold medals.

He started his career at the age of 18 with Kian before going through a who’s who of Tehran clubs that included Taj, Pas, Oghab, Daraei and Persepolis. While he had offers from clubs from Turkey, Germany and Greece, his lone venture abroad would be a solitary season in the US with the San Jose Earthquakes in 1978, which would be the final year of his playing career. On a club level he won two Tehran Championships and one National League title with Taj which enabled Taj to participate in the following year’s Asian Club Championship. While still a Taj player and a title in the Continental Championship is reflected on Ghelichkhani’s resume, however, due to an injury he did not participate in the games.

Ghelichkhani first represented Iran at the age of 18 at the 1964 Olympics. Following some internal turmoil and the exclusion of the backbone of the team, Ghelichkhani along with some other youngsters were drafted in. While Iran was eliminated in group play, however, Ghelichkhani maintained his spot on the team and two years later led Iran to a second place finish in the 1966 Asian Games. With the 1968 Asian Championship played on home soil, Ghelichkhani played an integral role. He scored in a 3-1 win over Burma, avenging Iran’s loss in the 1966 Asian Games Final. In the Final Iran faced Israel and with the game tied 1-1, a free kick was played short to Ghelichkhani who dribbled past one player and shot in between two others to give Iran the lead, an ultimate 2-1 win and its first continental title.

In spite of having Ghelichkhani and much of the 1968 team, and in addition some future national team stars on the roster, Iran crashed out of the 1970 Asian Games in group play. 1972 proved to be a busy year with Iran once again winning the Asian Championship with Ghelichkhani scoring from the spot in the semifinals against Cambodia. The following month he would score two goals against Ireland and Ecuador in Brazil’s Independence Cup. While Iran would once again be eliminated in the Olympics’ group play, however, Brazil would be defeated 1-0 in a game in which Ghelichkhani would miss a penalty kick.

For the first time Iran would participate in World Cup qualifiers and advance to the final round of Zone B. Facing a first leg 3-0 deficit, Ghelichkhani almost singlehandedly brought Iran back from the dead with two goals in the first 32 minutes. He almost scored another goal with a fierce downward header which the keeper somehow parried but the third goal eluded Iran and thus Australia advanced to the AFC/OFC final round. 

Ghelichkhani would then captain Iran on home soil during the 1974 Asian Games which Iran would capture behind two goals from him. Two years later Iran would once again host the Asian Championship and Ghelichkhani would complete his hat trick of Asian Championships. Ghelichkhani’s last major tournament would be the 1976 Olympics. For the first time Iran advanced from its group although fell to the Soviet Union 2-1 in the quarterfinals with Ghelichkhani scoring Iran’s lone goal.

His political activities in 1971 landed him in jail and a subsequent televised apology. His continued insistence upon it caused him to get blacklisted from the national team after the 1976 Asian Championship and he announced his retirement in 1977 in a friendly against Hungary. Without him Iran qualified for the 1978 World Cup and Ghelichkhani let national team coach Mohajerani know that if needed he would be available for the team. While Mohajerani was able to secure permission for his return from the government (contingent upon him refraining from political activities), other players objected to his inclusion, claiming a spot in the World Cup should be for those who earned it during qualification. As such a World Cup presence eluded him.