Shahrokhi, Mehrab

Mehrab Shahrokhi (محراب شاهرخی) was an Afro-Iranian defender from Khuzestan Province. He was nicknamed The Black Bomber because of his style of play, dark skin and his strong kicks. His soccer career stretched from the early 60s until the mid 70s and encompassed more than 300 games.

Born in Sar Bandar, Shahrokhi began his career playing for Shenaye Ahvaz Club. In 1963 he moved to Tehran and began playing for Shahin F.C. After three years and following some issues with Shahin’s management, he joined Daraei F.C. He only spent a year at Daraei before moving first to Paykan F.C. and then to Persepolis F.C. With Persepolis he won the Iranian championship in 1972 and 1974 to add to the Tehran League championship that he had won with Paykan in 1970. Shahrokhi would spend five years at Persepolis and then make one last move to Shahbaz before retiring in 1976 as player/coach.

Having made his debut a year prior, Shahrokhi was part of the Iranian team that qualified for the 1964 Olympics and scored his lone national team goal in the qualification process. However prior to the games, along with a number of other Shahin players, he withdrew from the squad in protest to several Shahin players being omitted in favor of their rivals at Daraei. The withdrawal would result in a one-year ban for him for both club and country. He would later be recalled and played in all of the games enroute to Iran’s first Asian championship in 1968. A year later he played his 15^th and last game for Iran against Pakistan.

Shahrokhi later managed Persepolis from 1977 until 1982. While he won the Tehran League in 1980, a year later he narrowly missed out on a championship after withdrawing Persepolis from a game against Homa (and a subsequent 3-0 loss enforced) in protest to insistence by the Physical Education Department’s upon a name change for the club. Later during a game in Shiraz, events behind the scenes were pinned on Shahrokhi and as a result he was replaced with Parvin. Shahrokhi subsequently coached Shahin before retiring from coaching.

Following a stroke on his birthday in 1993, he passed away at the young age of 49.

Author’s note: In 1991 I was lucky enough to play a pickup game with and against a few former national team players including Shahrokhi (and Saeed Maraghechian) in south of Tehran. I was placed on the team with him and throughout the scrimmage he offered me both praise and guidance depending on the situation and my actions. It would be a young team vs. the veterans although strangely they had placed me on the veteran team even though I was only 20. It all came to an end though when one of the young players tried a risky and intentional foul to stop Shahrokhi. He understandably became upset and after reprimanding the younger player for such an unnecessary move in a friendly game (for which the player offered no apology and instead defended his move), Shahrokhi left the field bringing the game to a halt. The pickup games never resumed (or at least they didn't tell me when and where).