Ali Karimi

Mohammad Ali Karimi Pashaki, better known as Ali Karimi, is a retired Iranian footballer and coach, considered by many to be one of the greatest Asian players of all time. He became known by the nickname 'Asian Maradona' due to his technical ability, dribbling skills, and game vision as a playmaking midfielder. He began his professional career at Fath Tehran in 1996, at the age of 18, before transferring to Persepolis, one of the biggest clubs in Iran, where he established himself as one of the main players in the national championship. In 2001, he transferred to Al-Ahli, from the United Arab Emirates, where he had a standout spell statistically, winning the league's top scorer award in the 2003-04 season. In 2005, Karimi signed with Bayern Munich, becoming the third Iranian player to wear the shirt of the German club, after Ali Daei and Vahid Hashemian. He played two seasons in Bavaria, appearing in 42 official matches across the Bundesliga, Champions League, German Cup and League Cup. He ended his professional career in 2014, after 18 years as a player. For the Iran national team, Karimi played in 127 matches and scored 38 goals, being elected Asian Player of the Year in 2004, the same year he was the top scorer at the AFC Asian Cup.