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Afshin Ghotbi

Afshin Ghotbi
Ghotbi as manager of Foolad in 2019
Personal information
Date of birth (1964-02-08) 8 February 1964 (age 61)
Place of birth Tehran, Imperial State of Iran
College career
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1981–1985[1] UCLA Bruins
Managerial career
1984–1988 UCLA Bruins women
1988–2001 Global Soccer School[2]
1988–1991 La Cañada Spartans[2]
1997 San Fernando Valley[3]
1997–1998 United States (assistant)
2000–2002 South Korea (assistant)
2002–2004 Suwon Bluewings (assistant)
2004–2005 Los Angeles Galaxy (assistant)
2005–2007 South Korea (assistant)
2007–2008 Persepolis
2009–2011 Iran
2011–2014 Shimizu S-Pulse
2015–2016 Curaçao (assistant)
2016 Buriram United
2016–2018 Shijiazhuang Ever Bright
2018–2019 Foolad
2019–2021 Cangzhou Mighty Lions
2022–2025 Vancouver FC

Afshin Ghotbi (Persian: افشین قطبی, born 8 February 1964)[4] is an Iranian-American football coach.

Early life

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Ghotbi was born in Tehran. He is the son of a teacher in Iran[5] with whom he left Iran at the age of 13 after his father remarried and moved to Los Angeles, where he has been a resident for more than two decades. He received his BSc qualification in Electrical Engineering from UCLA where he was a member of the soccer team.[3][6]

FIFA World Cup Experience

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United States (1998)

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Ghotbi served as chief scout, analyst & backroom staff for the United States during the 1998 FIFA World Cup, contributing to tactical preparations and match analysis.

South Korea (2002 & 2006)

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He was an assistant coach for South Korea in 2002, helping the team reach the semi-finals, and returned in 2006 to provide tactical and technical support at the World Cup.

Career

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Early years

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Prior to coaching at the professional level, Ghotbi founded one of the best youth football academies named AGSS in Southern California, responsible for the discovery and development of players such as Peter Vagenas and John O'Brien and many more.

USMNT

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Ghotbi became assistant manager of the USMNT from 1997 to 1998, working under Steve Sampson. He also participated in the USMNT squad for 1998 FIFA World Cup, where he had an emotional moment as his adopted country he worked played against Iran, the country of his origin.[7]

LA Galaxy

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Afshin Ghotbi served as an assistant coach under Steve Sampson at LA Galaxy, contributing to the club’s historic MLS double in 2005. This achievement marked the only occasion in the club’s history, and one of only two instances in Major League Soccer history, where a team won both the MLS Cup and the Supporters’ Shield in the same season.

South Korea

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Ghotbi worked for Korea Republic national team under Dutchman Guus Hiddink from December 2000 till July 2002 as a football analyst.[8] He continued his journey in Korea by taking the role of an assistant coach of Samsung Bluewings from 2002 to 2004. He returned to Korean National Team, as an assistant coach under Dick Advocaat from October 2005 until July 2006. He continued as an assistant coach for Korea under Dutch head coach Pim Verbeek, who he knew back in 2000 as part of South Korea's 2002 World Cup perpetration, from July 2006 till July 2007.

Persepolis

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In August 2007, Afshin Ghotbi was appointed Head Coach of Persepolis F.C., one of Iran’s most prominent clubs with a fanbase exceeding 40 million supporters. During his tenure, fans affectionately nicknamed him "The Emperor" in recognition of his leadership and influence. He introduced a modern, disciplined approach to team management and player development, improving squad performance and professionalism.

In February 2008, Ghotbi was shortlisted for the Iran national football team coaching position, although the role went to Ali Daei. He led Persepolis to the Iranian Pro League championship in May 2008, securing the title through tactical innovation and consistent results.

100,000 Persepolis fans celebrating

Ghotbi was re-appointed as head coach on 3 July 2008, signing a two-year contract in an official meeting in Dubai, and continued to strengthen the club’s competitive and organizational structure. He resigned on 19 November 2008, concluding a period marked by tactical success, player development, and professional leadership, enhancing his international reputation as a championship-winning coach.

Iran national team

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After just three weeks after being announced as manager, Mayeli Kohan became the spearhead of a heated dispute between himself and Esteghlal F.C. manager Amir Ghalenoei.[9] This resulted in the IRIFF forcing Mayeli Kohan's resignation as manager of Team Melli.[9] A week later, Ghotbi agreed to succeed Mayeli Kohan as head coach of the Iranian national football team, becoming the first American to take the job.[10] After this appointment, Ghotbi said in an interview "A life dream, a longtime ambition and a journey written in the stars is about to be realized I have to thank all the people around the world who have cheered, supported and inspired me to have this opportunity",[11] Despite taking only one goal and five points in three matches in 11 days, Iran fell short to qualify for the World Cup 2010.

He continued to coach Team Melli in 2011 AFC Asian Cup qualification where they won three matches out of four and lost the other one to Jordan Away and in which the team earned 13 points and qualified as the group leaders. With some wonderful results in friendlies (such as winning against Bosnia-Herzegovina and China and South Korea in their land and winning 8 matches in a row in 2010), Ghotbi earned the trust of the fans and qualified for the Asian Cup in Qatar. Later on he finished second in West Asian Football Federation Championship 2010. Iran was the only team in the AFC Asian Cup 2010 competition to win all three group matches beating Iraq, North Korea and United Emirates with scoring six goals and conceding one. Iran faced South Korea in the quarter-finals and lost South Korea by a goal from Yoon Bit-garam in extra time after a 0–0 regulation result.

Shimizu S-Pulse

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After the Asian Cup, Ghotbi signed three-year contract with Japan's J. League Division 1 side Shimizu S-Pulse.[12] He led the team for the end of 2011 season which ended in the tenth rank. In his second season at the club, his team started the league very successfully but later on they lost their form and finished the league in 9th place with one progress. They also reached the final game of J. League Cup but lost 1–2 to Kashima Antlers. On 30 July 2014, Ghotbi left Shimizu by mutual contest after leaving the club at the 12th place.

During his 3.5-year tenure in the J.League, Ghotbi managed one of the youngest squads in the league’s history, focusing on the development of Japanese players, securing the signing of former Arsenal and Sweden international Freddie Ljungberg, and overseeing high-profile transfers including Eddy Bosnar and Alex Brosque.

Buriram United

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On 24 May 2016, Thai League T1 side Buriram United made an announcement of the appointments of Ghotbi. He became the first Asian American foreign head coach of the club. On 28 May, Ghotbi made his managerial debut for Buriram United in a domestic league game against Nakhon Ratchasima and collected the win with 1–0 result. On 21 August, his contract was terminated after three months in charge.[13]

Shijiazhuang Ever Bright

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Ghotbi was appointed by China League One team Shijiazhuang Ever Bright in November 2016. In the 2017 season, the team finished third.[14] After being dismissed in 2018, he returned for a second spell in July 2019.[15] He led the team to promotion into the Chinese Super League that year.[16] He left by mutual consent in September 2021.[17]

As head coach of Shijiazhuang Ever Bright, he became the first Iranian-American coach to achieve promotion to the Chinese Super League, leading the club during one of its most successful periods.

Vancouver FC

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In November 2022, Ghotbi was named the first head coach of Canadian Premier League expansion side Vancouver FC. “Launching a professional football club from scratch is no easy feat,” said Vancouver FC President Rob Friend.[18]

Afshin Ghotbi served as the inaugural head coach of Vancouver FC in the Canadian Premier League from the club’s formation in 2023 until 2025. Tasked with building the team from the ground up, he established its playing philosophy, structure, and player development system. Afshin Ghotbi led Vancouver FC to its first-ever Canadian Championship Semi-Final, competing alongside the Vancouver Whitecaps, Forge FC, and Atlético Ottawa. During his tenure, multiple players earned national team call-ups, including TJ Tahid (Canada U17 & Ghana U20), James Cameron (Canada U20), Kevin Podgorni (Canada U17), Gabi Bitar (Lebanon), Mikael Cantave (Haiti), and Grady McDonnell (Ireland U17). The 2025 squad also included more than half a dozen players attracting interest from European clubs, reflecting his eye for talent and focus on player advancement.[19] Despite challenges in league standings, his tenure was noted for vision, structural foundations, and a commitment to building a meaningful presence for the community and Canadian soccer. On 23 July 2025, the club and Ghotbi mutually agreed to part ways.[20]

Managerial statistics

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As of 23 July 2025
Team From To Record
G W D L GF GA GD Win %
United States San Fernando Valley 1997 1997 18 9 7 2 30 31 −1 050.00
Iran Persepolis 27 July 2007 18 November 2008 51 26 15 10 88 59 +29 050.98
Iran Iran 22 April 2009 22 January 2011 30 16 6 8 39 27 +12 053.33
Japan Shimizu S-Pulse[21] 1 February 2011 30 July 2014 146 59 29 58 219 198 +21 040.41
Thailand Buriram United 24 May 2016 20 August 2016 22 12 7 3 61 28 +33 054.55
China Shijiazhuang Ever Bright 7 November 2016 1 November 2018 51 25 19 7 80 55 +25 049.02
Iran Foolad 1 December 2018 1 June 2019 16 6 5 5 17 21 −4 037.50
China Cangzhou Mighty Lions 20 July 2019 6 September 2021 65 25 13 27 60 72 −12 038.46
Canada Vancouver FC 2 November 2022 23 July 2025 76 16 22 38 74 128 −54 021.05
Career totals 475 194 123 158 668 619 +49 040.84

Note: Penalty shoot-outs are counted as draws

Honours

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Persepolis

Shimizu S-Pulse

Shijiazhuang Ever Bright

Individual

References

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  1. ^ "UCLA alums leading U.S. and Iran toward World Cup". Los Angeles Times.
  2. ^ a b Afshin Ghotbi. afshinghotbi.com
  3. ^ a b United Soccer Leagues (USL) Archived 10 June 2011 at the Wayback Machine. Uslsoccer.com (13 July 2009). Retrieved on 22 August 2013.
  4. ^ "Afshin Ghobti's Official Bio". Retrieved 19 August 2013.
  5. ^ "Aftab" (in Persian). Aftab.
  6. ^ Duerden, John (31 October 2007). "Meet the American who could lead Iran". The Guardian. London.
  7. ^ "Afshin Ghotbi: '1998 had a bigger magnitude for Iranians than Americans'". TheGuardian.com. 18 December 2019.
  8. ^ Bell, Jack (23 April 2009). "Iran Asks Iranian-American to Salvage Cup Bid". The New York Times. Retrieved 23 April 2010.
  9. ^ a b IFF confirms Mayelikohan resignation. PersianLeague.com (22 April 2009). Retrieved on 22 August 2013.
  10. ^ Iran Appoint Afshin Ghotbi As National Team Coach. Goal.com (22 April 2009). Retrieved on 22 August 2013.
  11. ^ Bell, Jack (23 April 2009). "Iran Asks Iranian-American to Salvage Cup Bid". The New York Times.
  12. ^ "Ghotbi took control Shimizu S-Pulse". Afshin Ghotbi. 26 January 2011. Archived from the original on 6 May 2011.
  13. ^ "BREAKING! ผลงานไม่เข้าเป้า!บุรีรัมย์แยกทาง"ก็อตบิ"ก่อนพักเบรค | Goal.com".
  14. ^ "Summary - China League One - China PR - Results, fixtures, tables and news - Soccerway". uk.soccerway.com. Retrieved 8 July 2022.
  15. ^ "Shijiazhuang's Iranian coach Ghotbi has high hopes for Chinese football". South China Morning Post. 25 July 2020. Retrieved 8 July 2022.
  16. ^ "Summary - China League One - China PR - Results, fixtures, tables and news - Soccerway".
  17. ^ "China's Cangzhou parts company with Iranian coach Ghotbi". Reuters. 6 September 2021. Retrieved 8 July 2022.
  18. ^ "Instagram". www.instagram.com. Retrieved 20 August 2025.
  19. ^ "Built a Club from the Ground Up | Afshin Ghotbi". Retrieved 20 August 2025.
  20. ^ FC, Vancouver (23 July 2025). "Vancouver FC Parts Ways with Head Coach Afshin Ghotbi". Vancouver FC. Retrieved 20 August 2025.
  21. ^ J.League data site(in Japanese)
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Awards and achievements
Preceded by Iran Pro League Winning Manager
2007–08 		Succeeded by