Saman Ghoddos

Summary

Seyed Saman Ghoddoos[note 1] (Persian: سامان قدّوس; born 6 September 1993) is an Iranian professional footballer who plays as an attacking midfielder or striker for Premier League club Brentford and the Iran national team. A versatile player, Ghoddos can be deployed as a winger, full-back or wing-back.

Saman Ghoddos
سامان قدّوس
Ghoddos training at the 2018 FIFA World Cup
Personal information
Full name Seyed Saman Ghoddoos[1]
Birth name Saman Ghoddos[2][3][4][5]
Date of birth (1993-09-06) 6 September 1993 (age 30)[6]
Place of birth Malmö, Sweden[7][8]
Height 1.76 m (5 ft 9 in)[9]
Position(s) Attacking midfielder, winger, full-back/wing-back
Team information
Current team
Brentford
Number 14
Youth career
2000–2004 BK Vången
2004–2007 FC Malmö
2007–2011 IF Limhamn Bunkeflo
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2011–2012 IF Limhamn Bunkeflo 41 (4)
2013 Trelleborgs FF 18 (1)
2014–2015 Syrianska FC 54 (14)
2016–2018 Östersunds FK 65 (29)
2018–2020 Amiens 34 (5)
2020Brentford (loan) 16 (0)
2020– Brentford 77 (5)
International career
2017 Sweden 2 (1)
2017– Iran 50 (3)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 30 March 2024
‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 26 March 2024

Born in Sweden to Iranian parents, he initially played for the Sweden national team, before switching allegiance to Iran in 2017.

Club career edit

Östersund edit

2016 season edit

Saman Ghoddos scored 10 league goals in his first season in the Allsvenskan for Östersunds FK, including their first top-flight goal in his Allsvenskan debut on 4 April 2016 against Hammarby IF.[10] He scored a brace at his hometown club Malmö FF on 22 October in Swedbank Stadion. After his good performances in the 2016 season, Ghoddos drew interest from German club Hertha Berlin and Dutch club Ajax.[11][12]

2017 season edit

Ghoddos started the 2017 season in fine form, leading Östersund to the Swedish Cup final with six goals in six games, including an acrobatic goal in the quarter-final against Trelleborgs FF and a brace in the semi-final against Häcken.[13] He scored his seventh domestic cup goal of the season in the final, leading Östersund to the second qualifying round of the 2017–18 UEFA Europa League with manager Graham Potter.[14]

In his UEFA debut, Ghoddos scored a goal and provided an assist for a 2–0 win against Galatasaray on 13 July 2017.[15] In the return leg, Ghoddos won a penalty with a dribble past Fernando Muslera.[16] In a league match on 13 August, he scored a long-range goal from 40 meters out against Hammarby IF in Stockholm's Tele2 Arena.[17] On 24 August, Ghoddos scored two goals in the Europa League play-offs against PAOK to qualify his team to the group stages of the competition. He scored the club's first tournament proper goal in their group stage debut on 14 September.[18] He won the attacker of the year award at the end of the 2017 Allsvenskan season.[19] On 23 November, Ghoddos scored the winning goal to send his club to the knockout phase of the Europa League.[20]

2018 season edit

I believe that the most impressive in the first game was Ghoddos, who is a marvellous player. Technically and tactically, I was impressed by him.

Arsenal manager Arsène Wenger on Ghoddos, 22 February 2018.[21][22]

Ghoddos provided two assists in his side's 2–1 win in the second leg of the Europa League round of 32 against English Premier League side Arsenal in London, though they were defeated 4–2 on aggregate.[23] He scored his first league goal of the season on 15 April against IFK Göteborg, and scored a free kick on 30 April against Brommapojkarna.[24] On 14 May, he scored from a free kick against AIK in the Friends Arena.[25] He scored another goal in the next game during a derby match against GIF Sundsvall.[26] Upon returning from the World Cup, Ghoddos captained his club side and scored a goal in a 2–1 win at Hammarby.[27] He scored another free kick in the following match on 14 July at Malmö FF.[28] Ghoddos scored a brace in the following match against Trelleborg to become joint-top scorer of the 2018 Allsvenskan.[29] He subsequently won the Allsvenskan player of the month award for his performances in July.[30]

Amiens edit

On 23 August 2018, Ghoddos transferred to French Ligue 1 side Amiens SC signing a five-year contract. The transfer fee paid to Östersund was reported as 40 million SEK (about €3.8 million) plus bonuses which would make the transfer the third-most expensive in Allsvenskan history after Alexander Isak and Zlatan Ibrahimović.[31][32] However, the transfer was put in doubt by La Liga newcomers SD Huesca contacting FIFA to enquire about the validity of their own agreement to sign Ghoddos. Ghoddos had signed a contract with the Spanish club which also had a written agreement with Östersund. Previously, Stade Rennais had decided against signing Ghoddos.[33]

Ghoddos made his competitive debut for Amiens on 25 August 2018 in the Ligue 1 4–1 home win over Reims, scoring a goal for Amiens in the 58th minute. He thus became the first Iranian player to play in Ligue 1.[34][35]

On 29 August 2019, FIFA suspended Ghoddos from all games for four months plus a €4 million fine for his failed transfer to Huesca.[36] On 10 November 2020, the Court of Arbitration for Sport partially upheld the ruling with the fine being removed but Östersund being banned from signing new players for the next two transfer windows.[37]

Brentford edit

On 21 September 2020, Ghoddos joined English Championship side Brentford on a one-year loan deal with a subsequent option for a two-year permanent deal.[38] He made his club debut on 1 October 2020 with an assist to Marcus Forss in an EFL Cup match against Fulham.[39] He scored his first goal for the club and provided an assist on 9 January 2021 in an FA Cup match against Middlesbrough.[40]

On 14 January 2021, Ghoddos completed a permanent move to Brentford, with a contract that runs until the summer of 2023 with the option for an extra year.[41] He scored his first league goal for the club on 20 January 2021 against Luton Town.[42] In May 2021, Ghoddos and Brentford clinched promotion to the Premier League, the first top-flight appearance for the club in 74 years.[43] He made his Premier League debut on 21 August 2021 against Crystal Palace at Selhurst Park.[44] Ghoddos scored his first goal in the Premier League on 30 October 2021 against Burnley.[45] On 14 May 2023, Brentford announced that Ghoddos would be departing the club at the end of the 2022–23 season.[46] On 25 August 2023, Ghoddos re-signed with Brentford on a one-year deal for the 2023–24 season.[47] He scored his first goal of the season after coming on as a substitute in a 3–0 victory against Burnley on 21 October 2023, which was voted the Premier League Goal of the Month on 10 November 2023.[48][49]

International career edit

Sweden edit

Due to his Iranian heritage, Ghoddos was eligible to be called up by both Iran and Sweden. In December 2016, Ghoddos was called up by Sweden manager Janne Andersson for friendlies against Ivory Coast and Slovakia. He made his debut against the Ivory Coast on 8 January 2017 and scored his first international goal for Sweden in a 6–0 win over Slovakia on 12 January 2017.[50][51]

Iran edit

In June 2017, Ghoddos revealed that he had been approached by the Iranian federation.[52] In an interview in July 2017, Ghoddos stated that he may accept an invitation to play for Carlos Queiroz's Iran should he be given one.[53][54] He applied for Iranian citizenship on 21 August, stating that it is an honour to play for Sweden and his decision to represent either country is "fifty-fifty".[55][56] He was not called into Sweden's World Cup qualification squad on 23 August, with Janne Andersson opting to choose expatriate footballers and stating that Ghoddos is not far from a call-up if he were to remain with the Swedish national team.[57]

 
Ghoddos playing for Iran at the 2018 FIFA World Cup
 
Ghoddos playing for Iran against Morocco in the 2018 FIFA World Cup

On 25 August 2017, Ghoddos revealed in an interview that he acquired his Iranian passport from the embassy.[58] The following day, 26 August 2017, he announced on his Instagram page that he would be joining Iran for their 2018 World Cup qualifiers against South Korea and Syria.[59] Ghoddos was called up for the first time for the Iran senior team training camps on 27 August 2017 by coach Carlos Queiroz for Iran's 2018 FIFA World Cup qualifying matches against South Korea and Syria.[60] After Ghoddos couldn't make his debut for Iran due to administrative issues with FIFA, he was called into Sweden's World Cup qualification squad on 27 September for matches against Luxembourg and Netherlands.[61] However, on 29 September, the Swedish Football Association released a statement on their website stating Ghoddos had declined the offer, choosing to play for Iran instead.[62] He made his debut for Iran in a 2–0 friendly victory against Togo on 5 October 2017.[63][64][65] On 9 November, he scored his first goal for Iran in a friendly match against Panama.[66]

On 13 May 2018, Ghoddos was named in Queiroz's preliminary squad for the 2018 FIFA World Cup.[67] In an interview with Olof Lundh in May 2018, Ghoddos stated that if the Swedish federation had contacted him earlier, it's very likely for him to have chosen to represent Sweden, though he does not regret his decision to play for Iran.[68] Club teammate Emil Krafth later added that Ghoddos told him he wanted to play for Sweden.[69][70] He was named in Iran's final 23-man squad for the 2018 World Cup on 4 June 2018.[1] Ghoddos made his World Cup debut against Morocco on 15 June 2018, winning a free kick that led to a goal for Iran’s first World Cup win in twenty years.[71] He was used as a substitute in all three World Cup matches against Morocco, Spain and Portugal.[72] After the World Cup in November 2018, Ghoddos faced conscription issues in Iran.[73]

He was named in Queiroz’s final squad for the 2019 AFC Asian Cup on 26 December 2018.[74] In the team's opening match of the tournament, Ghoddos came on as a second-half substitute and scored the final goal in a 5–0 victory over Yemen.[75]

In November 2022, Ghoddos was named in the final squad for the 2022 FIFA World Cup.[76] The following year, Ghoddos was named in Iran's 2023 AFC Asian Cup squad, stating in an interview with Olof Lundh during the tournament that there are certain difficulties with playing for Iran's national team and that their conversations are taped by government officials.[77]

Style of play edit

Ghoddos plays as an attacking midfielder, striker or winger, and has been praised for his technical ability and clinical finishing.[22]

Outside football edit

Personal life edit

Ghoddos was born and raised in Malmö and speaks English, Swedish, and Persian. His parents were born in Iran and hail from the city of Ahvaz.[53]

Sponsorship edit

He has a contract with American sportswear supplier Nike and wears the Mercurial Vapor line.[78]

Name edit

Ghoddos was born in Malmö as Saman Ghoddos.[2][3][4][5][8] Upon switching allegiance to Iran in 2017, he was given the name Seyed Saman Ghoddoos in Iran.[1]

Career statistics edit

Club edit

As of match played 30 March 2024[79]
Appearances and goals by club, season and competition
Club Season League National cup[a] League cup[b] Continental Total
Division Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals
Limhamn Bunkeflo 2011 Division 1 17 0 2 0 19 0
2012 Division 1 24 4 1 0 25 4
Total 41 4 3 0 44 4
Trelleborgs FF 2013 Division 1 18 1 0 0 18 1
Syrianska FC 2014 Superettan 29 6 3 1 32 7
2015 Superettan 25 8 4 2 29 10
Total 54 14 7 3 61 17
Östersunds FK 2016 Allsvenskan 27 10 4 2 31 12
2017 Allsvenskan 23 8 6 6 13[c] 5 42 19
2018 Allsvenskan 15 9 5 2 20 11
Total 65 27 15 10 13 5 93 42
Amiens 2018–19 Ligue 1 27 4 0 0 1 0 28 4
2019–20 Ligue 1 5 1 1 0 1 0 7 1
2020–21 Ligue 2 2 0 0 0 0 0 2 0
Total 34 5 1 0 2 0 37 5
Brentford (loan) 2020–21 Championship 16 0 1 1 2 0 19 1
Brentford 2020–21 Championship 27 3 1 0 0 0 28 3
2021–22 Premier League 17 1 2 0 4 0 23 1
2022–23 Premier League 15 0 1 0 2 0 18 0
2023–24 Premier League 18 1 0 0 1 0 19 1
Total 93 5 5 1 9 0 107 6
Career total 305 56 31 14 11 0 13 5 360 75

International edit

As of match played 26 March 2024[80]
Appearances and goals by national team and year
National team Year Apps1 Goals
Sweden 2017 2 1
Total 2 1
Iran 2017 4 1
2018 11 0
2019 6 1
2020 1 0
2021 7 0
2022 5 0
2023 6 0
2024 10 1
Total 50 3
Career total 52 4
  • 1.^ Including friendly match against the Ivory Coast that Swedish Football Association counts but is not officially recognized by FIFA.[81]

International goals

Scores and results list Sweden's and Iran's goal tally first.[80]
No. Date Venue Cap Opponent Score Result Competition
  Sweden goals
1 12 January 2017 Armed Forces Stadium, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates 2   Slovakia 6–0 6–0 Friendly
  Iran goals
1 9 November 2017 Liebenauer Stadium, Graz, Austria 3   Panama 2–0 2–1 Friendly
2 7 January 2019 Mohammed bin Zayed Stadium, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates 16   Yemen 5–0 5–0 2019 AFC Asian Cup
3 9 January 2024 Al Rayyan Training, Al Ryyan, Qatar 42   Indonesia 1–0 5–0 Friendly

Honours edit

Östersunds FK

Brentford

Individual

Notes edit

  1. ^ Born in Sweden as Saman Ghoddos, his full name in Iran is Seyed Saman Ghoddoos[1]

References edit

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  2. ^ a b "Saman Ghoddos". Archived from the original on 12 June 2018. Retrieved 11 June 2018.
  3. ^ a b "Saman Ghoddos — svenskfotboll.se". 8 December 2015. Archived from the original on 8 December 2015.
  4. ^ a b "Saman Ghoddos". www.brentfordfc.com. Retrieved 21 November 2022.
  5. ^ a b "Saman Ghoddos Brentford Forward, Profile & Stats | Premier League". www.premierleague.com. Retrieved 21 November 2022.
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  7. ^ "Saman Ghoddos". Global Sports Archive. Retrieved 10 November 2021.
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  29. ^ "TV: ÖFK körde över TFF - när Ghoddos hade stor show".
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External links edit