Behrang Safari
Encyclopedia
Behrang Safari is an Iran
ian-born Swedish
international
footballer who plays as a defender
for Anderlecht
in the Belgian Pro League.
, Iran with his family. They settled in the small town Höganäs
, and later moved to Lund
when he was five.
and played his first game in Allsvenskan
in July 2004 when he came on as a substitute. He won the Allsvenskan
in his first season and the following season he became a first-team regular.
On 15 June 2008, Malmö announced that Safari has been sold to FC Basel
in Switzerland
. This was confirmed one day later by FCB Online. He made his Basel debut on 23 July 2008 in a 1–0 win over Grasshopper-Club Zürich
at St. Jakob-Park
. He played his first European game in a Basel shirt on 30 July 2008 in a 1–1 Champions League Qualifying
match draw against IFK Göteborg
at Ullevi
. He scored his first goal for Basel in the 4–0 home win against BSC Young Boys
on 7 February 2010. This was to remain his sole league goal for the club. Safari won the Double with Basel in 2010 and the Swiss national championship again in 2011. He played 94 league games for Basel during his three year contract.
On 30 May 2011 he signed a contract for the Belgian club Anderlecht
.
for their friendly match tour in January 2008. He played in all of the matches, which were a 1–0 win over Costa Rica
, a 2–0 defeat to the United States
, and a 0–0 draw with Turkey
. During his debut game against Costa Rica, Safari set up the only goal of the game with a cross to Samuel Holmén
, who volleyed the ball into the back of the net.
Sweden played the Netherlands
away in Amsterdam
on 12 October 2010 in a Euro 2012 qualifying
match
at the Amsterdam Arena
. With Sweden trailing 1–0, Safari made a horrible mistake with a failed throw-in; he threw the ball backwards into the middle of the field, where it was picked up by Dutch player Wesley Sneijder
, who advanced towards the Swedish goal and put Ibrahim Afellay
free with the goalkeeper Andreas Isaksson
. Afellay scored easily, making the score 2–0 in favour of the Dutch. Sweden didn't recover from this and the final score was a 4–1 defeat. Safari was substituted for Oscar Wendt
during half-time due to his mistake.
Iran
Iran , officially the Islamic Republic of Iran , is a country in Southern and Western Asia. The name "Iran" has been in use natively since the Sassanian era and came into use internationally in 1935, before which the country was known to the Western world as Persia...
ian-born Swedish
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
international
Sweden national football team
The Swedish national football team represents Sweden in association football and is controlled by the Swedish Football Association, the governing body for Football in Sweden. Sweden's home ground is Råsunda Stadium in Stockholms län and their head coach is Erik Hamrén. Sweden made their first...
footballer who plays as a defender
Defender (association football)
Within the sport of association football, a defender is an outfield player whose primary role is to prevent the opposition from attacking....
for Anderlecht
R.S.C. Anderlecht
Royal Sporting Club Anderlecht, usually known as Anderlecht or RSCA , is a Belgian professional football club based in Anderlecht in the Brussels Capital Region. Anderlecht plays in the Belgian Pro League and is the most successful Belgian football team in European competitions as well as in the...
in the Belgian Pro League.
Early life
He came to Sweden as a two-year-old from TehranTehran
Tehran , 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...
, Iran with his family. They settled in the small town Höganäs
Höganäs
Höganäs is a locality and the seat of Höganäs Municipality, Skåne County, Sweden with 13,550 inhabitants in 2005.Höganäs is nationally known for its ceramics industry, Höganäs Keramik. Höganäs Keramik is part of Iittala Group....
, and later moved to Lund
Lund
-Main sights:During the 12th and 13th centuries, when the town was the seat of the archbishop, many churches and monasteries were built. At its peak, Lund had 27 churches, but most of them were demolished as result of the Reformation in 1536. Several medieval buildings remain, including Lund...
when he was five.
Club
Safari came through the ranks at Malmö FFMalmö FF
Malmö Fotbollförening, also known simply as Malmö FF, are a Swedish professional football club based in Malmö. The club is affiliated with Skånes Fotbollförbund and play their home games at Swedbank Stadion. The club colours, reflected in their crest and kit, are sky blue and white...
and played his first game in Allsvenskan
Allsvenskan
Allsvenskan is a Swedish professional league for association football clubs. At the top of the Swedish football league system, it is the country's primary football competition. Contested by 16 clubs, it operates on a system of promotion and relegation with Superettan...
in July 2004 when he came on as a substitute. He won the Allsvenskan
Allsvenskan
Allsvenskan is a Swedish professional league for association football clubs. At the top of the Swedish football league system, it is the country's primary football competition. Contested by 16 clubs, it operates on a system of promotion and relegation with Superettan...
in his first season and the following season he became a first-team regular.
On 15 June 2008, Malmö announced that Safari has been sold to FC Basel
FC Basel
Fussball Club Basel 1893, widely known as FC Basel is a Swiss football club based in Basel. They are one of the most successful clubs in Swiss football, having won the Swiss Super League 14 times, the third most for any Swiss club. They were most successful in the late 1960s and 1970s, winning the...
in Switzerland
Switzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
. This was confirmed one day later by FCB Online. He made his Basel debut on 23 July 2008 in a 1–0 win over Grasshopper-Club Zürich
Grasshopper-Club Zürich
Grasshopper Club Zürich commonly referred to as simply GC, GCZ, or Grasshopper is a Swiss multisports club based in Zürich. The oldest and best known section of Grasshopper Club Zürich is its football team...
at St. Jakob-Park
St. Jakob-Park
' is a Swiss sports stadium in Basel. It is the largest football venue in Switzerland and home to FC Basel. "Joggeli", as the venue is nicknamed by the locals, was originally built with a capacity of 33,433 seats. The capacity was increased to 42,500 for Euro 2008, which was hosted by Switzerland...
. He played his first European game in a Basel shirt on 30 July 2008 in a 1–1 Champions League Qualifying
UEFA Champions League 2008–09
The 2008–09 UEFA Champions League was the 54th edition of Europe's premier club football tournament and the 17th edition under the current UEFA Champions League format. The final was played at the Stadio Olimpico in Rome on 27 May 2009. It was the eighth time the European Cup final has been held in...
match draw against IFK Göteborg
IFK Göteborg
IFK Göteborg is a Swedish professional football club based in Gothenburg. Founded in 1904, the club has won 18 national championship titles, five national cup titles, and two UEFA Cups....
at Ullevi
Ullevi
Ullevi is a stadium in Gothenburg, Sweden. The stadium was built for the 1958 FIFA World Cup, but since then Ullevi has also hosted the 1995 World Championships in Athletics and the 2006 European Championships in Athletics, the UEFA Cup Winners' Cup finals in 1983 and 1990, the UEFA Euro 1992...
. He scored his first goal for Basel in the 4–0 home win against BSC Young Boys
BSC Young Boys
Berner Sport Club Young Boys 1898 is a Swiss sporting club based in the capital city of Bern. The name is often abbreviated to YB . Abroad, YB is often referred to as Young Boys Bern. The club's colors are yellow and black....
on 7 February 2010. This was to remain his sole league goal for the club. Safari won the Double with Basel in 2010 and the Swiss national championship again in 2011. He played 94 league games for Basel during his three year contract.
On 30 May 2011 he signed a contract for the Belgian club Anderlecht
R.S.C. Anderlecht
Royal Sporting Club Anderlecht, usually known as Anderlecht or RSCA , is a Belgian professional football club based in Anderlecht in the Brussels Capital Region. Anderlecht plays in the Belgian Pro League and is the most successful Belgian football team in European competitions as well as in the...
.
International
Safari was called up to the Swedish national teamSweden national football team
The Swedish national football team represents Sweden in association football and is controlled by the Swedish Football Association, the governing body for Football in Sweden. Sweden's home ground is Råsunda Stadium in Stockholms län and their head coach is Erik Hamrén. Sweden made their first...
for their friendly match tour in January 2008. He played in all of the matches, which were a 1–0 win over Costa Rica
Costa Rica national football team
The Costa Rica national football team, nicknamed La Sele, is the national team of Costa Rica and is controlled by the Federación Costarricense de Fútbol. Costa Rica is the third most successful team in CONCACAF after Mexico and the United States...
, a 2–0 defeat to the United States
United States men's national soccer team
The United States men's national soccer team represents the United States in international association football competitions. It is controlled by the United States Soccer Federation and competes in CONCACAF...
, and a 0–0 draw with Turkey
Turkey national football team
The Turkey national football team represents Turkey in association football and is controlled by the Turkish Football Federation, the governing body for football in Turkey. They are affiliated with UEFA...
. During his debut game against Costa Rica, Safari set up the only goal of the game with a cross to Samuel Holmén
Samuel Holmén
Samuel Holmén is a Swedish professional football midfielder, currently playing for the Turkish League side İstanbul BB.-Elfsborg:...
, who volleyed the ball into the back of the net.
Sweden played the Netherlands
Netherlands national football team
The Netherlands National Football Team represents the Netherlands in association football and is controlled by the Royal Dutch Football Association , the governing body for football in the Netherlands...
away in Amsterdam
Amsterdam
Amsterdam is the largest city and the capital of the Netherlands. The current position of Amsterdam as capital city of the Kingdom of the Netherlands is governed by the constitution of August 24, 1815 and its successors. Amsterdam has a population of 783,364 within city limits, an urban population...
on 12 October 2010 in a Euro 2012 qualifying
UEFA Euro 2012 qualifying
The qualifying competition for UEFA Euro 2012 is a series of parallel association football competitions held over 2010 and 2011 to decide the qualifiers for UEFA Euro 2012, to be held in Poland and Ukraine...
match
UEFA Euro 2012 qualifying Group E
This page shows the standings and results for Group E of the UEFA Euro 2012 qualifying tournament.-Standings:*Note: Sweden qualified directly for the finals as the best runners-up.- Results and fixtures :...
at the Amsterdam Arena
Amsterdam ArenA
Amsterdam Arena is a stadium in Amsterdam, Netherlands. It is the largest stadium in the nation and it was built from 1993 to 1996 at a cost of €140 million, and was officially opened on 14 August 1996. It has been used for association football, American football, concerts, and other events...
. With Sweden trailing 1–0, Safari made a horrible mistake with a failed throw-in; he threw the ball backwards into the middle of the field, where it was picked up by Dutch player Wesley Sneijder
Wesley Sneijder
Wesley Sneijder is a Dutch footballer playing as an attacking midfielder for Internazionale. He was named UEFA midfielder of the season as well as one of the three best midfielders in the world for 2010 by FIFA....
, who advanced towards the Swedish goal and put Ibrahim Afellay
Ibrahim Afellay
Ibrahim Afellay is a Dutch professional footballer who plays for FC Barcelona as an attacking midfielder or winger.He has played for the Dutch national youth team and is now part of the senior Dutch national team, which he represented at UEFA Euro 2008 and the 2010 FIFA World Cup, the latter of...
free with the goalkeeper Andreas Isaksson
Andreas Isaksson
Andreas Isaksson is a Swedish footballer who plays as a goalkeeper for Dutch club PSV Eindhoven and for the Swedish national team.-Club career:...
. Afellay scored easily, making the score 2–0 in favour of the Dutch. Sweden didn't recover from this and the final score was a 4–1 defeat. Safari was substituted for Oscar Wendt
Oscar Wendt
Oscar Wendt is a Swedish footballer who currently plays as a left back for Borussia Mönchengladbach and the Swedish national team.When Oscar Wendt transferred to F.C...
during half-time due to his mistake.
Honours
Basel- Swiss Super LeagueSwiss Super LeagueThe Swiss Super League or Axpo Super League is the top tier of the Swiss Football League. The Swiss Super League is currently ranked 16th according to UEFA's ranking of league coefficients, which is based upon Swiss team performances in European competitions.-Names:-Participating clubs:The teams...
: 2010, 2011 - Swiss CupSchweizer CupThe Swiss Cup is a football cup tournament that has been organised annually since 1926 by the Swiss Football Association . The winner is allowed to take part in the UEFA Europa League. Between 2003 and 2008 the cup has been sponsored and known as the Swisscom Cup.-Finals:All played...
: 20102009–10 Swiss CupThe 2009–10 Swiss Cup was the 85th season of Switzerland's annual football cup competition. It began on 17 September with the first game of Round 1 and ended on 9 May 2010 with the Final held at St. Jakob-Park, Basel. The competition was won by FC Basel, who defeated second-level side...