Tehran Derby One of World’s Greatest: Winfried Schaefer

The match between Persepolis and Esteghlal in Iran Professional League (IPL) will be held on Saturday in Tehran’s Azadi Stadium.

Esteghlal has a chance to move up to the top of the table with a win over arch-rival Persepolis.

“Tehran derby is among the greatest derbies in the world. We are happy for playing in this match. Our fans have supported us in three previous matches I headed my team in derby. Now, we are in the second place in the table and will try to move up to the top. I would like to thank my players and the fans,” Schaefer said in the pre-match news conference.

“Esteghlal players will always play their hearts out against the rivals but the match against Persepolis will be a special match for them. I hope we will be the winner after the final whistle,” the German coach added.  

Asked if they will show an attacking football, Schaefer said, “First, we want to control the match. We know that how dangerous Persepolis is behind the area. However both teams will try to win the game.”