Iran footballer’s car goes under hammer for charity

PressTV – TEHRAN, An aging car belonging to Iranian soccer legend Ali Karimi sells for around USD 150,000 at a charity auction.

Karimi’s red station wagon Paykan fetched 5,080 million Iranian rials as it went under the hammer in the city of Mashhad in northeastern Khorassan-Razavi Province, reported Iranian media on Monday.

The soccer prodigy, who spent glorious years with Bundesliga giants Bayern Munich, said he will donate the money to a care home for the disabled in the city.

“I have many memories with this car and I am happy that its sale brought more joy to the disabled in this facility,” said Karimi after the auction.

He said he wished a return to the past when he drove the cheap car on the roads. Karimi had said in an earlier interview that he drove the same car to the Persepolis club when he was first admitted to the Tehran powerhouse. That was well in the late 1990s when Karimi earned a living by using the car as a taxi.

Spending years in the Iranian top-flight soccer, Karimi has been known as one of the richest footballers in the country. He has been actively contributing to social campaigns through playing in various charity matches, selling his jerseys and holding fund-raisers for the poor across the country.

Karimi started his professional career with Fath Tehran before joining Persepolis in 1998. He then moved to the United Arab Emirates where he played for Al-Ahli until 2005. Karimi’s prolific tenure in the Arab country convinced officials in Bayern Munich to sign him on a two-year contract. He also spent several months with Shalke 04 in Germany before ending his professional club career with Traktorsazi in 2014.

In 2004, Karimi won the Asian Footballer of the Year award, becoming the fourth Iranian player to be crowned with the title.

Karimi netted 38 goals in his 127 matches with Iranian national team between 1998 and 2012. He was nicknamed Jadugar (magician) due to his magnificent dribbling skills.