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Persian Gulf Pro League 2018/19  

Persian Gulf Pro League 2018/19

Tehran Times - Iran Professional League (IPL) 2018/19 season will kick off on July 26.

Defending champions Persepolis will play Padideh in the opening match in Mashhad.

The Tehran derby between Persepolis and Esteghlal has been scheduled for Week 8.

The Iran Professional League is a professional football league competition for clubs at the highest level of the Iranian football league system.

Persepolis are the most-decorated football team with 11 titles, followed by Esteghlal with eight titles.

It was founded in 1970 as the Takht Jamshid Cup, but the current format was adopted in 2001. Contested by 16 teams, it is ranked by the Asian Football Confederation as the 2nd best league in Asia and the best league in Western Asia.

The Persian Gulf Pro League is the top tier of an extensive pyramid-like structure, above the Azadegan League (or 1st Division), the 2nd division, the 3rd Division and the lower local leagues. Since the league's creation in 2001, seven different teams have become league champions.