Jalal Cheraghpour

{{Short description|Iranian football manager (born 1950)}} {{Use dmy dates|date=April 2026}} {{Infobox football biography | name = Jalal Cheraghpour | image = Jalalcheraghpour portrait 2025.jpg | caption = Jalalcheraghpour in 2025 | full_name = | birth_date = {{birth date and age|1950|12|22|df=y}} | birth_place = [[Tehran]], Iran | position = [[Defender (association football)|defender]] | youthclubs1 = | years1 = 1975 | clubs1 = [[Rah Ahan F.C.|Rah Ahan Tehran]] | manageryears1 = 1970s–1980s | managerclubs1 = Various ([[#Coaching career|see below]]) | manageryears2 = 1982 | managerclubs2 = [[Iran national football team]] | manageryears3 = 1993 | managerclubs3 = [[Bank Tejarat F.C.|Bank Tejarat]] | manageryears4 = 1994 | managerclubs4 = [[Bank Sepah F.C.|Bank Sepah]] | manageryears5 = 1994 | managerclubs5 = [[Iran national under-23 football team|Iran U23]] (assistant) | manageryears6 = 1995–1996 | managerclubs6 = [[Persepolis F.C.|Persepolis]] (technical manager) | manageryears7 = 1996 | managerclubs7 = [[Iran national under-23 football team|Iran U23]] (assistant) | manageryears8 = 1997–1998 | managerclubs8 = [[Esteghlal Ahvaz F.C.|Esteghlal Ahvaz]] | manageryears9 = 2000–2004 | managerclubs9 = [[Niroye Zamini F.C.|Niroye Zamini]] | manageryears10 = 2004–2005 | managerclubs10 = [[Esteghlal Rasht F.C.|Esteghlal Rasht]] (technical manager) | manageryears11 = 2005–2006 | managerclubs11 = [[Tractor S.C.|Tractor Sazi Tabriz]] (technical manager) | manageryears12 = 2007 | managerclubs12 = [[Pas Hamedan F.C.|Pas Hamedan]] (technical manager) | manageryears13 = 2008 | managerclubs13 = [[Shirin Faraz Kermanshah F.C.|Shirin Faraz]] (technical manager) | manageryears14 = 2008–2012 | managerclubs14 = [[Mes Kerman F.C.|Mes Kerman]] (academy manager) | manageryears15 = 2013–2016 | managerclubs15 = [[Esteghlal Ahvaz F.C.|Esteghlal Ahvaz]] (academy manager) | manageryears16 = 2019 | managerclubs16 = [[Shahrdari Bandar Abbas F.C.|Shahrdari Bandar Abbas]] (technical manager) | manageryears17 = 2025 | managerclubs17 = [[Esteghlal F.C.|Esteghlal]] (technical manager)<ref>{{cite news |title=چراغپور به کادر فنی استقلال اضافه شد |url=https://www.yjc.ir/fa/news/8942062/ |publisher=باشگاه خبرنگاران جوان |date= }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=اولین انتخاب جباری در استقلال: جلال! |url=https://www.varzesh3.com/news/2121899/ |publisher=ورزش سه |date= }}</ref> | manageryears18 = 2025 | managerclubs18 = [[Mes Kerman F.C.|Mes Kerman]] (academy manager)<ref>{{cite news |title=جلال چراغپور مدیر آکادمی مس کرمان شد |url=https://www.mehrnews.com/news/6552228/ |publisher=خبرگزاری مهر |date= }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=آغاز همکاری مربی سابق استقلال با مس کرمان |url=https://www.varzesh3.com/news/2143020/ |publisher=ورزش سه |date= }}</ref> | manageryears19 = 2025– | managerclubs19 = [[Mes Rafsanjan F.C.|Mes Rafsanjan]] (technical manager)<ref>{{cite news |title=توافق مجتبی جباری با مس رفسنجان |url=https://snn.ir/fa/news/1340541/ |publisher=خبرگزاری دانشجو |date= }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=مجتبی جباری سرمربی مس رفسنجان شد |url=https://www.tarafdari.com/node/2691146 |publisher=طرفداری |date= }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=Mojtaba Jabbari takes charge of Mes Rafsanjan |url=https://www.tehrantimes.com/news/521412/ |publisher=Tehran Times |date=9 December 2025}}</ref> }}

''Jalal Cheraghpour''' (born 22 December 1950) is an Iranian [[association football|football]] manager and former player.

== Early life and education == Cheraghpour was born on 22 December 1950 in the Arbab Mahdi Nezamabad neighborhood of [[Tehran]], Iran. He graduated from Tehran's Teachers' Training College (Daneshsaray-e Aali), later working as a teacher in Iran's Ministry of Education.

== Playing career == Cheraghpour began his football career in the late 1960s, playing in Tehran's local football scene as a [[defender (association football)|defender]]. In 1971, he was selected by [[Frank O'Farrell]] for the [[Iran national under-23 football team|Iran U-23 national team]], marking a significant milestone. By 1975, he played for [[Rah Ahan F.C.|Rah Ahan Tehran]] under coach Parviz Aboutaleb. Renowned for his man-marking skills against prominent players such as [[Ali Parvin]], Nasser Nooraei, and [[Parviz Ghelichkhani]], Cheraghpour was frequently featured in newspapers and regularly named to the "Team of the Week." A [[Meniscus (anatomy)|meniscus]] injury forced his early retirement, prompting a transition to coaching.

== Coaching career == Cheraghpour completed [[FIFA]] and [[Asian Football Confederation|AFC]] coaching courses and attended advanced training programs in Hungary and Malaysia. His coaching and administrative career includes:

* '''1970s–1980s''': Head coach for clubs including Payam and Kheybar Khorramabad. * '''1982''': Head coach of the [[Iran national football team]] for the [[Football at the 1982 Asian Games|1982 Asian Games]] in [[Delhi]], appointed at age 31. * '''1980s''': Head of the Education Committee of the [[Islamic Republic of Iran Football Federation]]. * '''1993''': Head coach of [[Bank Tejarat F.C.|Bank Tejarat]]. * '''1994''': Head coach of [[Bank Sepah F.C.|Bank Sepah]]. * '''1994''': Assistant coach to [[Hassan Habibi]] for the [[Iran national under-23 football team|Iran U-23 team]], alongside Homayoun Shahrokhi and Saleh Nia, under the presidency of Dariush Mostafavi. * '''1995–1996''': Technical manager of [[Persepolis F.C.|Persepolis]]. * '''1996''': Assistant coach under Hagi Pedis Anvar for Iran's [[Football at the 1996 Summer Olympics – Men's qualification|Olympic qualifying campaign]] for the [[1996 Summer Olympics|1996 Atlanta Olympics]], working with Mohammad Reza Karbakhsh and Jamshid Rashidi. * '''1997–1998''': Head coach of [[Esteghlal Ahvaz F.C.|Esteghlal Ahvaz]]. * '''2000–2004''': Head coach of [[Niroye Zamini F.C.|Niroye Zamini]]. * '''2004–2005''': Technical manager of [[Esteghlal Rasht F.C.|Esteghlal Rasht]]. * '''2005–2006''': Technical manager of [[Tractor S.C.|Tractor Sazi Tabriz]]. * '''2007''': Technical manager of [[Pas Hamedan F.C.|Pas Hamedan]]. * '''2008''': Technical manager of [[Shirin Faraz Kermanshah F.C.|Shirin Faraz]]. * '''2008–2012''': Academy manager of [[Mes Kerman F.C.|Mes Kerman]]. * '''2013–2016''': Academy manager of [[Esteghlal Ahvaz F.C.|Esteghlal Ahvaz]]. * '''2019''': Technical manager of [[Shahrdari Bandar Abbas F.C.|Shahrdari Bandar Abbas]]. * '''2020s''': Appointed Head of the Education Committee of the [[Islamic Republic of Iran Football Federation]] under President Shahab Azizi Khadem. * '''2025–present''': Assistant manager of [[Esteghlal F.C.|Esteghlal]].

== Personal life == In 2005, Cheraghpour underwent open-heart surgery at Kasra Hospital in Tehran, performed by Dr. Mandegar. Following medical advice to avoid pollution, he relocated to [[Gilan Province|Gilan]], Iran, where he currently resides.

== Legacy == Cheraghpour's extensive career in Iranian football, spanning playing, coaching, and administrative roles, has significantly influenced the sport's development in Iran. His expertise in player development and tactical coaching remains widely recognized.

== References == {{reflist}} * General sources: Iranian football records, newspaper archives, and Football Federation of Iran documentation.

{{DEFAULTSORT:Cheraghpour, Jalal}} [[Category:1950 births]] [[Category:Iranian men's footballers]] [[Category:Iranian football managers]] [[Category:Rah Ahan Tehran F.C. players]] [[Category:Iran national football team managers]] [[Category:Footballers from Tehran]] [[Category:Esteghlal F.C. managers]] [[Category:Tractor S.C. managers]]

[[Category:Living people]] [[Category:Esteghlal Ahvaz F.C. managers]] [[Category:Persepolis F.C. non-playing staff]]