Bonyadifard to officiate Tehran derby

TEHRAN – Mooud Bonyadifard has been appointed as the referee for the highly anticipated Esteghlal–Persepolis derby in Matchweek 5 of Iran’s Persian Gulf Pro League (PGPL).

Alireza Ildorom and Bahman Abdollahi will serve as Bonyadifard’s assistant referees, while Reza Mahdavi has been appointed as the fourth official. Esmaeil Safiri, head of the Iranian Football Federation’s Refereeing Committee, will supervise the officiating team.

In the VAR room, Meysam Heydari will serve as the video assistant referee, with Ali Ahmadi acting as the assistant VAR official.

The two rivals have met 106 times in all competitions, with Persepolis winning 29, Esteghlal winning 26, and 51 matches ending in draws.

The match will be held in Isfahan’s Naghsh-e Jahan Stadium on Wednesday.

Bonyadifard, 41, began his career in 2011by refereeing matches within the Persian Gulf Pro League, and in 2013, he became a FIFA listed referee.