Ashkan Dejagah
Encyclopedia
Ashkan Dejagah is an Iranian-German
footballer who Currently plays for VfL Wolfsburg
, usually as a striker
or a winger. He has represented Germany
at youth levels.
in the opening match of 2004–05, playing the last five minutes in a 2–2 home draw, in his only first team appearance that year, thus becoming the youngest player to ever play for the club since it was founded in 1892. In his three years at Hertha, he also played in the regional league, being the team's top scorer in 2005–06, with twelve goals in 23 appearances. Hertha's manager Falko Götz
showed continuous faith in him by gradually giving the youngster playing time in the Bundesliga, as well as three UEFA Cup
showdowns in 2005–06, playing the following season in the Intertoto Cup against FC Moscow. In 2007 he joined Wolfsburg. In his first season at Wolfsburg he showed himself as a talent with scoring eight goals and in second season he was a regular part of the Bundesliga winner team. In the 2009–10 season, after selection of Armin Veh
as club manager he missed his place in starting line up and he could not return to starting team under Steve McClaren
. With the return of Felix Magath
he found his form and in the 2011–12 season, he showed himself as a key player with scoring two and assisting three goals in seven matches.
, Dejagah managed to score seven goals in 15 international games, including two against the Netherlands
after his team was down 2–0. In 2005, he was invited to play for Germany's U-21, and was given the coveted number 10 shirt.
It had been suggested that Dejagah might play for Iran
at international level rather than Germany, but he claimed to have never really considered it an option. Having played for Germany at the age of 21, he was originally no longer eligible to play for Iran, however, FIFA rule changes in July 2009 mean that he can now play for Iran. In late December, Iran's coach Afshin Ghotbi
approached Dejagah in regards to playing for Iran at the upcoming 2011 AFC Asian Cup
in Qatar, but his playing for Iran is on hold as he wanted to pursue first team with his club Wolfsburg instead. On 21 September 2011, he was invited to the Iran national team
by Carlos Queiroz
. A minor injury as well as unclear military status kept him out of the 23 man squad for the World Cup qualifier against Bahrain.
, citing “very personal reasons” and saying “everybody knows I am half Iranian”. Charlotte Knobloch
, President of the Central Council of Jews in Germany, and Ronald Pofalla
, General Secretary of the Christian Democratic Union
, demanded that Dejagah be excluded from Germany's national team. Dejagah confirmed in a Stern
interview, that he only made that choice because of his family and not because of political, antisemitic or racist reasons. After a personal meeting with Theo Zwanziger
, the president of the German Football Association
, and national technical director Matthias Sammer
, he convinced both of his personal reasons and was not excluded from Germany's national team.
| 2004–05 || rowspan="3"|Hertha BSC || rowspan="8"|Bundesliga
|| 1 || 0 || 0 || 0 || — || — || 1 || 0
|-
| 2005–06 || 3 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 3 || 0 || 6 || 0
|-
| 2006–07 || 22 || 1 || 2 || 0 || 1 || 0 || 25 || 1
|-
| 2007–08 || rowspan="5"|VfL Wolfsburg
|| 31 || 8 || 5 || 1 || — || — || 36 || 9
|-
| 2008–09 || 27 || 3 || 4 || 1 || 7 || 0 || 38 || 4
|-
| 2009–10
|| 24 || 1 || 1 || 0 || 8 || 0 || 33 || 1
|-
| 2010–11
|| 23 || 3 || 0 || 0 || — || — || 23 || 3
|-
| 2011–12
|| 9 || 2 || 1 || 0 || — || — || 10 || 2
|-
140 || 18 || 13 || 2 || 19 || 0 || 172 || 20
Iranians in Germany
Iranians in Germany include immigrants from Iran to Germany as well as their descendants of Iranian heritage or background. There are 100 000 to 120 000 ethnic Iranians living in Germany. With around 25.000 people of Iranian descent, Hamburg is the main center of the Iranian Diaspora There are a...
footballer who Currently plays for VfL Wolfsburg
VfL Wolfsburg
VfL Wolfsburg is a professional German association football club based in Wolfsburg, Lower Saxony, who play in the Bundesliga football competition. Wolfsburg have won the Bundesliga once in their history, in the 2008–09 season, and were DFB-Pokal runners-up in 1995. The current head coach is Felix...
, usually as a striker
Striker
Forwards, also known as strikers, are the players on a team in association football who play nearest to the opposing team's goal, and are therefore principally responsible for scoring goals...
or a winger. He has represented Germany
Germany national youth football team
This article includes current squads of Germany U20, U19, U18, U17, U16 and U15 national football teams.-Current technical staff:- Germany national under-20 squad :- Germany national under-19 squad :- Germany national under-18 squad :...
at youth levels.
Club career
Dejagah made his pro debut against VfL BochumVfL Bochum
Verein für Leibesübungen Bochum 1848 Fußballgemeinschaft, commonly referred to as simply VfL Bochum, is a German association football club based in the city of Bochum, North Rhine-Westphalia.-Founding to World War II:...
in the opening match of 2004–05, playing the last five minutes in a 2–2 home draw, in his only first team appearance that year, thus becoming the youngest player to ever play for the club since it was founded in 1892. In his three years at Hertha, he also played in the regional league, being the team's top scorer in 2005–06, with twelve goals in 23 appearances. Hertha's manager Falko Götz
Falko Götz
Falko Götz is a German former football player and current manager.He is the current manager of Vietnam national football team and Vietnam Under-23..-Career:...
showed continuous faith in him by gradually giving the youngster playing time in the Bundesliga, as well as three UEFA Cup
UEFA Cup
The UEFA Europa League is an annual association football cup competition organised by UEFA since 1971 for eligible European football clubs. It is the second most prestigious European club football contest after the UEFA Champions League...
showdowns in 2005–06, playing the following season in the Intertoto Cup against FC Moscow. In 2007 he joined Wolfsburg. In his first season at Wolfsburg he showed himself as a talent with scoring eight goals and in second season he was a regular part of the Bundesliga winner team. In the 2009–10 season, after selection of Armin Veh
Armin Veh
Armin Veh is a German former footballer and current manager who works for Eintracht Frankfurt. He won the German championship with Bundesliga team VfB Stuttgart on 19 May 2007. Veh and his team also had the chance to win "the double" by winning the DFB-Cup on 26 May 2007 in Berlin, but lost 2–3 in...
as club manager he missed his place in starting line up and he could not return to starting team under Steve McClaren
Steve McClaren
Stephen "Steve" McClaren is an English football manager and former player.McClaren was previously manager of VfL Wolfsburg in Germany between May 2010 and February 2011, having left his post at Dutch side FC Twente, with whom he won the club's first Eredivisie championship in the 2009–10 season...
. With the return of Felix Magath
Felix Magath
Wolfgang-Felix Magath is a former German football central midfielder and current manager of VfL Wolfsburg.-Playing career:...
he found his form and in the 2011–12 season, he showed himself as a key player with scoring two and assisting three goals in seven matches.
International career
In 2004, upon being called up to the German U-19 teamGermany national youth football team
This article includes current squads of Germany U20, U19, U18, U17, U16 and U15 national football teams.-Current technical staff:- Germany national under-20 squad :- Germany national under-19 squad :- Germany national under-18 squad :...
, Dejagah managed to score seven goals in 15 international games, including two against the Netherlands
Netherlands national under-21 football team
The Netherlands national under-21 football team is the national under-21 team of the Netherlands and is controlled by the Royal Dutch Football Association. The team competes in the European Under-21 Championship, held every two years....
after his team was down 2–0. In 2005, he was invited to play for Germany's U-21, and was given the coveted number 10 shirt.
It had been suggested that Dejagah might play for Iran
Iran national football team
The national football team of Iran represents Iran in international football competitions and is controlled by the Football Federation Islamic Republic of Iran...
at international level rather than Germany, but he claimed to have never really considered it an option. Having played for Germany at the age of 21, he was originally no longer eligible to play for Iran, however, FIFA rule changes in July 2009 mean that he can now play for Iran. In late December, Iran's coach Afshin Ghotbi
Afshin Ghotbi
Afshin Ghotbi is an Iranian-American football coach and current head coach of the Japanese side Shimizu S-Pulse in J-League.-Early life:Though his family were from Shiraz, Mr. Afshin Ghotbi was born in the country's capital Tehran...
approached Dejagah in regards to playing for Iran at the upcoming 2011 AFC Asian Cup
2011 AFC Asian Cup
The 2011 AFC Asian Cup finals were held in Qatar on 7–29 January 2011. It was the fifteenth time the tournament has been held, and the second time it has been hosted by Qatar, the other being the 1988 AFC Asian Cup...
in Qatar, but his playing for Iran is on hold as he wanted to pursue first team with his club Wolfsburg instead. On 21 September 2011, he was invited to the Iran national team
Iran national football team
The national football team of Iran represents Iran in international football competitions and is controlled by the Football Federation Islamic Republic of Iran...
by Carlos Queiroz
Carlos Queiroz
Carlos Manuel Brito Leal Queiroz ComIH is a Portuguese football manager. He is currently the manager of the Iran national football team. A former manager of Real Madrid, and Portugal national football team, he has also twice been Alex Ferguson's assistant manager at English club Manchester...
. A minor injury as well as unclear military status kept him out of the 23 man squad for the World Cup qualifier against Bahrain.
Controversy
In October 2007, Dejagah refused to play an under-21 international match of Germany against IsraelIsrael national under-21 football team
Israel's national Under-21 team , also known as Israel Under-21s or Israel U-21s, is considered to be the feeder team for the Israel national football team...
, citing “very personal reasons” and saying “everybody knows I am half Iranian”. Charlotte Knobloch
Charlotte Knobloch
Charlotte Knobloch was elected President of Zentralrat der Juden in Deutschland in June, 2006. She is also Vice President of the European Jewish Congress and the World Jewish Congress...
, President of the Central Council of Jews in Germany, and Ronald Pofalla
Ronald Pofalla
Ronald Pofalla is a German politician, currently serving as the Chief of Staff of the German Chancellery and a Federal Minister for Special Affairs in the Second Cabinet Merkel....
, General Secretary of the Christian Democratic Union
Christian Democratic Union (Germany)
The Christian Democratic Union of Germany is a Christian democratic and conservative political party in Germany. It is regarded as on the centre-right of the German political spectrum...
, demanded that Dejagah be excluded from Germany's national team. Dejagah confirmed in a Stern
Stern (magazine)
Stern is a weekly news magazine published in Germany. It was founded in 1948 by Henri Nannen, and is currently published by Gruner + Jahr, a subsidiary of Bertelsmann. In the first quarter of 2006, its print run was 1.019 million copies and it reached 7.84 million readers according to...
interview, that he only made that choice because of his family and not because of political, antisemitic or racist reasons. After a personal meeting with Theo Zwanziger
Theo Zwanziger
Dr. Theo Zwanziger is a German lawyer and sports official. He is the current president of the German Football Association . For his contributions to German football, he received the Bundesverdienstkreuz in 2005.- Career :...
, the president of the German Football Association
German Football Association
The German Football Association is the governing body of football in Germany. A founding member of both FIFA and UEFA, the DFB organises the German football leagues, including the national league, the Bundesliga, and the men's and women's national teams. The DFB is based in Frankfurt and is...
, and national technical director Matthias Sammer
Matthias Sammer
Matthias Sammer is a retired German football player and coach who is now working as technical director of the DFB . He played as a midfielder, and later in his career as a sweeper....
, he convinced both of his personal reasons and was not excluded from Germany's national team.
Club career statistics
|-| 2004–05 || rowspan="3"|Hertha BSC || rowspan="8"|Bundesliga
Fußball-Bundesliga
The Fußball-Bundesliga is a professional association football league in Germany. At the top of Germany's football league system, it is the country's primary football competition. It is contested by 18 teams and operates on a system of promotion and relegation with the 2. Bundesliga...
|| 1 || 0 || 0 || 0 || — || — || 1 || 0
|-
| 2005–06 || 3 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 3 || 0 || 6 || 0
|-
| 2006–07 || 22 || 1 || 2 || 0 || 1 || 0 || 25 || 1
|-
| 2007–08 || rowspan="5"|VfL Wolfsburg
VfL Wolfsburg
VfL Wolfsburg is a professional German association football club based in Wolfsburg, Lower Saxony, who play in the Bundesliga football competition. Wolfsburg have won the Bundesliga once in their history, in the 2008–09 season, and were DFB-Pokal runners-up in 1995. The current head coach is Felix...
|| 31 || 8 || 5 || 1 || — || — || 36 || 9
|-
| 2008–09 || 27 || 3 || 4 || 1 || 7 || 0 || 38 || 4
|-
| 2009–10
2009–10 Fußball-Bundesliga
The 2009–10 Fußball-Bundesliga was the 47th season of the Fußball-Bundesliga, Germany's premier football league. The season commenced on 7 August 2009 with the traditional season opening match involving the defending champions VfL Wolfsburg and VfB Stuttgart. The last games were played on 8 May 2010...
|| 24 || 1 || 1 || 0 || 8 || 0 || 33 || 1
|-
| 2010–11
2010–11 Fußball-Bundesliga
The 2010–11 Fußball-Bundesliga was the 48th season of the Fußball-Bundesliga, Germany's premier football league. The season started on the weekend of 21 August 2010 with the traditional season opening match involving the defending champions and ended with the last games on 14 May 2011. The winter...
|| 23 || 3 || 0 || 0 || — || — || 23 || 3
|-
| 2011–12
2011–12 Fußball-Bundesliga
The 2011–12 Fußball-Bundesliga is the 49th season of the Fußball-Bundesliga, Germany's premier football league. The season started on 5 August 2011 with the season opening match involving defending champions Borussia Dortmund and will end with the last games on 5 May 2012...
|| 9 || 2 || 1 || 0 || — || — || 10 || 2
|-
140 || 18 || 13 || 2 || 19 || 0 || 172 || 20
Club
VfL WolfsburgVfL Wolfsburg
VfL Wolfsburg is a professional German association football club based in Wolfsburg, Lower Saxony, who play in the Bundesliga football competition. Wolfsburg have won the Bundesliga once in their history, in the 2008–09 season, and were DFB-Pokal runners-up in 1995. The current head coach is Felix...
- BundesligaFußball-BundesligaThe Fußball-Bundesliga is a professional association football league in Germany. At the top of Germany's football league system, it is the country's primary football competition. It is contested by 18 teams and operates on a system of promotion and relegation with the 2. Bundesliga...
: 2008–09
International
Germany under-21Germany national under-21 football team
The Germany national under-21 football team represents the under-21s of Germany in the UEFA European Under-21 Football Championship and is controlled by the German Football Association , the governing body of football in Germany....
- UEFA European Under-21 Football ChampionshipUEFA European Under-21 Football ChampionshipThe European Under-21 Football Championship is a football competition organised by the sport's European governing body, UEFA. It is held every two years. The competition has existed in its current form since 1978. It was preceded by the Under 23 Challenge Cup which ran from 1967 to 1970...
: 20092009 UEFA European Under-21 Football ChampionshipThe 2009 UEFA European Under-21 Football Championship began on 15 June 2009, and was the 17th UEFA European Under-21 Football Championship. This was the first tournament after the competition reverted to a two-year format, following the single-year 2006-07 competition, which allowed the change to...
Trivia
- Dejagah has two tattoos on his right wrist one saying Ashkan in PersianPersian languagePersian is an Iranian language within the Indo-Iranian branch of the Indo-European languages. It is primarily spoken in Iran, Afghanistan, Tajikistan and countries which historically came under Persian influence...
and another saying TehranTehranTehran , sometimes spelled Teheran, is the capital of Iran and Tehran Province. With an estimated population of 8,429,807; it is also Iran's largest urban area and city, one of the largest cities in Western Asia, and is the world's 19th largest city.In the 20th century, Tehran was subject to...
in EnglishEnglish languageEnglish is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
, where he was born. He also has on his left wrist BerlinBerlinBerlin is the capital city of Germany and is one of the 16 states of Germany. With a population of 3.45 million people, Berlin is Germany's largest city. It is the second most populous city proper and the seventh most populous urban area in the European Union...
, where he was raised.