Esteghlal Cultural and Athletic Club (Persian: باشگاه فرهنگی ورزشی استقلال ایران) is an Iranian sports club most widely known for its professional football team based in Tehran. It was founded as Taj (Persian: تاج), meaning 'Crown' in Persian and renamed after the Islamic Revoloution in 1979. Founded in 1945, they play in the IPL and have spent almost all of their history in the top tier in Iranian football; they spent one season in Iran's second division in 1993-1994. The club also had a similarly successful futsal section.
They play their home games at the 100,000 capacity Azadi Stadium in Tehran, and their average home attendance in the past 5 years is 25,000. The club's traditional kit colours are royal blue shirts, shorts and socks.
Esteghlal have been Asian Champions AFC Champions League 2 times and have also won 6 National Championship titles. Esteghlal together with Al-Hilal Riadh of Saudi Arabia are the second most successful clubs in Asian Champion's League, after Pohang Steelers of South Korea, with 2 champions titles and 2 runner up.
On 26 September 1945, three Iranian military officers Mirzani, Jananpour and Navab started a sports club on Ferdowsi Street, Tehran. Since
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