Tue, 30 Nov, -0001
How they qualified: 2nd place - Iranian league 2010-11; beat Zobahan (IRN) 3-1 and Al Ettifaq (KSA) 2-0 in play-off
Established 1945
Home stadium Azadi Stadium (100,000)
Website www.fcesteghlal.ir
Club Honours
Asian Club Championship winners 2 - 1971, 1991
Iranian league champions 7 - 1971, 85, 90, 98, 2001, 06, 09
Hazfi Cup winners 5 - 1977, 1996, 2000, 02, 08
Previous ACL appearances
2003 - Group stage
2009 - Group stage
2010 - Round of 16
2011 - Group stage
Forced into the play-offs after finishing runners-up in the Iranian league last season, Esteghlal brushed aside the challenge of Iranian league rivals Zobahan and Saudi club Al Ettifaq to confirm their spot in the group stage of the AFC Champions League for a four consecutive season.
Qualification for Asia's premier club competition is not enough though for the Blues, who are one of Iran's best-supported club and have a rich history in Asian club football after winning the Asian Club Championship twice and finishing runners-up on two other occasions.
For all of their success on the continental stage, the Tehran club have yet to make much impression on the AFC Champions League. In four appearances, they have only reached the knockout stage once, in 2010 when they went out in the round of 16, and they fell agonisingly short last year when they were pipped to second spot in their group on goal difference.
After their near misses last season, Esteghlal have made extensive changes to their squad with several of the stars including goalkeeper Vahid Talebloo, midfielder Iman Mobali and striker Farhad Majidi leaving and the likes of goalkeeper Mehdi Rahmati, defender Khosro Heidari and midfielder Andranik Teymourian arriving in their place.
But while they made the early running in the Iranian league during the 2011-12 season, a recent run of only three wins in eight games has seen them caught and overtaken at the top of the table by reigning two-time champions Sepahan.
Expectations
On paper, Esteghlal appear to be one of the strongest sides in their group and they should have more than enough quality to advance to the knockout stage for only the second time. However, they must sort out their dreadful away form in the AFC Champions League as they have managed only one win in the 10 matches that they have played outside of Iran in the past three years.
Coach
Parviz Mazloumi
The younger brother of legendary Esteghlal and Iran international striker Gholam Hosein Mazloumi, Parviz Mazloumi also played for the Blues for over a decade. He returned to the club as their head coach in 2010 after spells at several Iranian sides including Mes Kerman, who he led to an unlikely third-place finish in the league in 2009.
Did you know?
Despite winning the Iranian league championship in 2006, Esteghlal were barred from competing in the AFC Champions League the following year after the club were late in submitting their player registration list. It was not the first time that a club had been sanctioned for the offence as Thailand's Provincial Electricity Authority and Thai Tobacco Monopoly and Indonesian sides Arema Malang and Persipura Jayapura were disqualified for a similar reason in 2006.
Key Player
Seyed Mehdi Rahmati
After winning back-to-back Iranian league titles at Sepahan, Iran international goalkeeper Seyed Mehdi Rahmati returned to Esteghlal for a second spell at the start of the 2011-12 season. The 1.87-metre tall stopper has firmly established himself as the Team Melli No.1 in recent years after long being overlooked for the position and his good form for Esteghlal this season has kept them firmly in the hunt for another league title.