SAEDNEWS: Iran captain Alireza Jahanbakhsh has returned to Dutch club football, signing a one-year contract with Excelsior Rotterdam after becoming a free agent following the end of his deal with Belgian side Dender.
According to SaedNews: Alireza Jahanbakhsh has a new club, and his latest move takes him back to a league where he has already made a lasting impression.
The 32-year-old Iran captain has signed a one-year contract with Excelsior Rotterdam after leaving Belgian club Dender as a free agent. The agreement also includes an option for an additional year, giving Jahanbakhsh the possibility of extending his stay in the Netherlands beyond the initial contract.
The move marks another chapter in a European career that has already taken Jahanbakhsh through several Dutch clubs, Belgium and international football at the highest level.
For Jahanbakhsh, the Netherlands is hardly unfamiliar territory. Before moving elsewhere in Europe, he established himself as one of the better-known Iranian players in Dutch football, representing NEC Nijmegen, AZ Alkmaar, Feyenoord and Heerenveen in the Eredivisie.
His most memorable period came at AZ Alkmaar. During the 2017-18 season, Jahanbakhsh finished as the Eredivisie's leading scorer with 21 goals. That achievement remains one of the defining moments of his club career in Europe and helped cement his reputation as a dangerous attacking player in Dutch football.
Now, years after that breakthrough, he is returning to the same football environment with Excelsior.
The Rotterdam club finished 13th in the Dutch Eredivisie last season, and Jahanbakhsh arrives with considerable experience behind him. His familiarity with the league could make the transition considerably more straightforward as he begins another challenge at club level.
His most recent campaign came in Belgium with Dender. Jahanbakhsh played 23 matches for the club last season, scoring once and providing two assists. With his contract subsequently expiring, he entered the market as a free agent before agreeing terms with Excelsior.
The timing of the move also comes after a major international milestone for the Iranian winger. Jahanbakhsh recently represented Iran at the 2026 FIFA World Cup, adding another major tournament appearance to an international career in which he has been a prominent figure for his national team.
His return to the Netherlands therefore carries an element of familiarity, but it is also a fresh test. At 32, Jahanbakhsh is moving into a different phase of his career, one in which experience and consistency can become just as important as pace and attacking explosiveness.
Excelsior's decision to bring him back to the Eredivisie also reconnects the player with a competition in which he has already experienced both personal success and the demands of regular top-flight football.
There is an especially intriguing detail in the agreement: the contract contains an option for another season. That means the initial one-year deal does not necessarily represent a short stop in Rotterdam. If the partnership works well, Jahanbakhsh could remain with the club for longer.
For an Iranian player who has spent a significant portion of his European career in the Netherlands, the move also offers a familiar setting at an important stage of his career. He knows the league, has played for several of its clubs and has previously experienced the pressure of competing for individual recognition.
His record at AZ Alkmaar remains the standout example. Scoring 21 goals in the 2017-18 Eredivisie campaign made him the league's top scorer, an achievement that remains a notable milestone for Iranian footballers playing in Europe.
The new chapter, however, begins from a different starting point. Excelsior finished 13th last season, while Jahanbakhsh arrives after a campaign in which he recorded one goal and two assists in 23 appearances for Dender.
Those numbers tell only part of the story. His career has included Dutch league success, spells with major clubs, international responsibility and the experience of playing at a World Cup. That background is now being brought to a new Excelsior team.
The one-year agreement, together with the extension option, leaves plenty to be decided on the pitch. Jahanbakhsh will now have the opportunity to show what he can contribute to a familiar league in a new environment.
For Iranian football followers, the move is also a return to a competition where one of the country's most recognizable European-based players once reached the top of the scoring charts. Whether his latest Eredivisie chapter will produce another memorable run remains to be seen.
What is already clear is that Jahanbakhsh is not stepping away from European football. Instead, after his spell in Belgium and appearance at the 2026 World Cup, he has chosen a league he knows well for the next stage of his career.
His return to the Netherlands could therefore prove more than a simple change of club. It is a reunion with a competition that played a major role in establishing his name in European football—and the next few months will show whether Excelsior can become another important chapter in that story.
