[custom_adv] Nasser Hejazi (14 December 1949 – 23 May 2011), nicknamed "the legendary Iranian goalkeeper", was a football player and coach who most notably played for Esteghlal FC (Taj). [custom_adv] Considered as the best goalkeeper in the history of football and Asia, he was capped 62 times for the national football team. In 2000, the Asian Football Confederation ranked him the second best Asian goalkeeper of the 20th century. [custom_adv] He was goalkeeper of national team in the 1960s and 1970s and won the AFC Asian Cup on two occasions in 1972 and 1976, and Asian Games title once, and competed in the 1972 Munich Olympics and 1976 Montreal Olympics and 1978 FIFA World Cup. [custom_adv] As a Manager, he won an Azadegan League in 1998 and a Bangladesh League in 1988, as well as a runner-up place in AFC Champions League in 1999. [custom_adv] Hejazi was born on 14 December 1949. His father, Ali Akbar had a real estate agency and was a Azerbaijani from Tabriz. He was admitted to Allameh Tabatabai University in 1977. He was later enrolled in Nader F.C. in 1964 and played for club until 1965. After that, he signed a contract with Taj and started his career in a professional club. [custom_adv] Since the beginning of the 1973–74 season, Esteghlal has played its home games at the Azadi which has a seating capacity of 78,116, though it is able to hold more people during important matches. [custom_adv] Esteghlal is the most popular football club in Asia. Esteghlal set an attendance record for an Asian Club Championship match in 1999 when 125,000 supporters watched their final against Júbilo Iwata. The club is owned and supported by the Ministry of Sport and Youth. [custom_adv] Esteghlal is one of the largest teams in Iran And the third most proud team in Asia. Bering one of the oldest existing football clubs, it carries a deep history football. [custom_adv] Nasser Hejazi (14 December 1949 – 23 May 2011), nicknamed "the legendary Iranian goalkeeper", was a football player and coach who most notably played for Esteghlal FC (Taj).
