Javad Nekounam
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name |
Javad Nekounam | ||
| Height | 1.86 m (6 ft 1 in) | ||
| Position(s) | Defensive Midfielder | ||
| Team information | |||
Current team |
 CA Osasuna | ||
| Number | 24 | ||
| ‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 24 March 2007 | |||
Javad Nekounam (Template:PerB, born September 7, 1980 in Ray, Iran) is an Iranian football player who currently plays for CA Osasuna in La Liga and the Iran national football team. He usually plays in the defensive midfielder position. He is best known for his passing ability, ball distribution, and powerful long range shots, often from outside the 18 yard box.
Club career
Having played for Pas F.C. for several years, in 2005 Javad Nekounam signed a 5 month contract to play for Al Wahda in the UAE for $1M.[1] In January 2006 he joined another UAE club, Sharjah FC, although some European clubs such as Kaiserslautern and Tottenham Hotspur had shown interest in him.
After his performance at the 2006 FIFA World Cup many clubs in Europe have been in the running to sign him, but in the end La Liga side CA Osasuna signed Nekounam on a two-year contract.[2] The contract can be extended one more year with the player and club's agreement. Nekounam also has a €5 million minimum release-fee clause on his contract. He is the first Iranian player to be signed by a La Liga club. Nekounam was mainly targeted by Hertha BSC Berlin of the German Bundesliga and Lyon of Ligue 1 but he chose to go to Spain instead.
On February 22, 2007, Nekounam scored a vital goal in the last 20 seconds of extra time in the UEFA Cup match against Bordeaux, helping Osasuna move to the round of 16.
Club career statistics
Last update: 28 May 2007
| Season | Team | Country | Division | Apps | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 98/99 | Pas | Template:IRNf | 1 | 23 | 2 |
| 99/00 | Pas | Template:IRNf | 1 | 24 | 5 |
| 00/01 | Pas | Template:IRNf | 1 | 21 | 5 |
| 01/02 | Pas | Template:IRNf | 1 | ?? | 4 |
| 02/03 | Pas | Template:IRNf | 1 | ?? | 7 |
| 03/04 | Pas | Template:IRNf | 1 | ?? | 10 |
| 04/05 | Pas | Template:IRNf | 1 | ?? | 9 |
| 05/06 | Al-Wahda | Template:UAEf | 1 | 11 | 3 |
| 05/06 | Al-Sharjah | Template:UAEf | 1 | ?? | 5 |
| 06/07 | Osasuna | Template:ESPf | 1 | 24 | 2 |
International career
He began his professional career in Pas football club. He eventually made it to the starting lineup and after consistent impressive displays he was called up to the Iranian national team in May 2000. He soon became a starter for the national team during the 2002 World Cup Qualifiers. He has not lost his position since then and played in two of Iran's games during World Cup 2006 in Germany.
As of March 2007, he has 80 caps with Iran and has scored 14 goals for Team Melli.
Notes
- ^ "Nekounam states Euro ambition". SkySports.com. Retrieved 2007-04-07.
- ^ "Osasuna sign Javad Nekounam". PersianFootball. Retrieved 2006-07-07.
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External links
- Official Website
- Javad Nekounam at TeamMelli.com
- Javad Nekounam at Fifa World Cup Official Site
- Template:Sp icon Javad's profile on Official Website of C.A. Osasuna
- Nekounam states Euro ambition - Article from Sky Sports
- Javad Nekounam - Osasuna's New Star - Article from Goal.com
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