Iranian striker Alireza Jahanbakhsh has officially joined FCV Dender, the club where Indonesian international Ragnar Oratmangoen also plays.
FCV Dender confirmed the acquisition of their newest Iranian forward, Alireza Jahanbakhsh, on the club’s official website. This move sees Jahanbakhsh joining the Belgian outfit on a free transfer, having been released by Heerenveen in July 2025.
In an official statement, FCV Dender announced, “Iranian international Alireza Jahanbakhsh has signed a 1-year contract with an option to extend with the club.” The 32-year-old veteran arrives with a formidable reputation, including a stint in the highly competitive Premier League from 2018 to 2021.
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Jahanbakhsh is considered a living legend for his national team, proudly boasting 95 international caps and contributing 17 goals throughout his illustrious career.
Adding a unique twist to his narrative, Alireza had a notable public disagreement with Thom Haye while representing Heerenveen in December 2024. The incident unfolded when Thom Haye, then playing for Almere City, made a ‘shushing’ gesture towards Heerenveen fans upon his substitution in the 62nd minute.
It is worth recalling that both Alireza and Thom Haye were once teammates at AZ Alkmaar in 2016. Reflecting on the incident in an interview with Dutch media outlet Omrop Frsylan, Alireza admonished Thom Haye, stating, “Tommy (Thom Haye), that was too much. You didn’t need to do that, no, you didn’t need to do that. You know yourself, it’s not good to do. It’s nothing, bro,” he added.
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Now, Alireza Jahanbakhsh will reunite with Indonesian national team player Ragnar Oratmangoen at FCV Dender. His immediate task will be to galvanize the team, which currently finds itself at the bottom of the Belgian League table.
Jahanbakhsh first rose to prominence as the Eredivisie top scorer during the 2017-2018 season, a sensational achievement that paved his way to a move to Brighton in the Premier League. Unfortunately, a persistent hamstring injury significantly hampered his impact and performance during his time at the English club.
Earlier in his career, Alireza also clinched the top scorer title at the AFF U-19 Cup in 2012. He was part of the Iran U-19 national team, a non-Southeast Asian side that was invited to the tournament as a replacement for the withdrawing Thailand.
The player, born in Jirandeh, Gilan, netted 4 goals in that tournament, sharing the top scorer honor with Sardar Azmoun, and simultaneously led the Iran U-19 national team to victory.
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Summary
Pemain depan Iran, Alireza Jahanbakhsh, resmi bergabung dengan FCV Dender, klub yang juga diperkuat oleh pemain internasional Indonesia Ragnar Oratmangoen. Ia tiba dengan status bebas transfer dan meneken kontrak satu tahun dengan opsi perpanjangan. Pemain veteran berusia 32 tahun ini diharapkan dapat mendongkrak performa tim yang saat ini berada di dasar klasemen Liga Belgia.
Jahanbakhsh memiliki reputasi mentereng sebagai pencetak gol terbanyak Eredivisie musim 2017-2018 dan juga AFF U-19 Cup 2012. Ia merupakan legenda timnas Iran dengan 95 caps dan 17 gol. Sebelumnya, ia juga sempat berselisih publik dengan Thom Haye pada Desember 2024, yang merupakan mantan rekan setimnya di AZ Alkmaar.
