According to Varzesh 3, Mehdi Hasheminasab enjoyed boundless popularity among Persepolis fans; imagine a player scoring against Esteghlal four times in about a year and a half as a defender. Moreover, combining this brilliant technical record with emotional gestures full of pride and devotion would probably make a club's fans deeply fond of a player. This is a short narrative of Mehdi Hasheminasab's time at Persepolis; a defender who in a short span experienced the peak of popularity and, naturally, hatred among Persepolis supporters.
However, a match against Foolad on May 24, 2000, marked the end of Mehdi Hasheminasab's time at Persepolis. Persepolis hosted Foolad at Azadi Stadium in a ceremonial fixture, having secured the championship weeks prior; a day when Hasheminasab's bizarre behavior sealed his departure from Persepolis.
Before the match and unlike other Persepolis players, Mehdi Hasheminasab threw his bouquet of flowers toward the few blue-clad fans in the southern corner of Azadi Stadium, and this strange decision provoked the anger of Ali Parvin. Of course, within the first 10 minutes of the game, Mehdi Hasheminasab suffered a severe head injury and, covered in blood, was replaced by Hossein Abdi.
Mehdi Hasheminasab was heading toward the bench with a bandaged head and blood-soaked jersey when Ali Parvin, with his unique authority, did not allow Hasheminasab to sit on the bench, and he changed his path toward the locker room.
This was the final sequence of Mehdi Hasheminasab's three-year stint at Persepolis; a player who was peerless and unstoppable in the derby and achieved numerous honors wearing the club's shirt. But in the summer of 2000, the most controversial transfer in Iranian football history took place, and shortly after, we witnessed Mehdi Hasheminasab wearing the Esteghlal jersey. He also managed to score in the derby while playing for this team, immortalizing his name.
Naturally, the accumulation of these controversies led to Mehdi Hasheminasab's premature twilight in Iranian football; however, even after nearly three decades, it cannot be forgotten that Hasheminasab was one of the most fascinating players in Iranian football history. A defender who whenever he was on the pitch drew all attention to himself and was the number one choice of photographers and cameramen.
A player who during the rest of his career played three seasons for Esteghlal and later moved to teams like Pas, Saipa, and Aboomoslem. The tall defender was introduced to Iranian football in 1996 after shining against Ali Daei while playing for Köpetdag Ashgabat of Turkmenistan, and a few months later we witnessed his transfer to Persepolis. Subsequently, Mehdi Hasheminasab became an essential pillar of Ali Parvin's team in winning consecutive championship titles and played a major role in the team's locker room.
Yet, failure to reach an agreement over wages and a confrontation with Vahid Ghelich changed his situation at Persepolis, and toward the end of his tenure at the club, Hasheminasab became a benchwarmer. Hasheminasab's rebellious and unyielding spirit compelled him to move to Esteghlal, and the most controversial transfer in Iranian football history took place in the summer of 2000; where the beloved man of Persepolis fans faced the most severe attacks from them within a few months.
Source: Varzesh 3
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