Ex-Premier League player relocated to Iran for Cristiano Ronaldo – but joined wrong club
12/06/2024 07:03 AM
Thievy Bifouma relocated to Iran in the hopes of facing Cristiano Ronaldo in the AFC Champions League, but ended up joining the wrong team by accident.
The former LaLiga and Premier League forward had intended to join Esteghlal FC, hoping to have a chance to play against Ronaldo at Al-Nassr in Asia’s Champions League competition.
Bifouma, formerly of West Bromwich Albion in the 2013-14 season, had admitted that he unknowingly signed with the wrong club under the same name.
Speaking to an Iranian news outlet the Tasnim News Agency. Bifouma explained: "I had the chance to play in Turkey, but my wife didn’t want to move back there.”
He admitted that his ambitions before retirement was to play against footballing legend Cristiano Ronaldo.
“Considering that he is now in Asia and there was an opportunity for me to come to Iran, they talked to me about Esteghlal’s offer. And I reviewed the calendar of games and realised that they have a game against Al-Nassr,” he continued.
“I said to myself that this is where I wanted to go. I had no idea there were two teams named Esteghlal in Iran.”
Unbeknownst to him, there are indeed two different teams in Iran called Esteghlal. Bifouma’s confusion was only revealed after he arrived and signed the contract.
He recalled: “When I arrived in Tehran, my countryman Gael Kakuta called me and asked where I was. I told him, ‘I’m at the hotel undergoing medical tests.’ He then asked, ‘Which hotel are you in? I'd like to come and see you.’
“An hour later, he called again and teased me, saying, ‘You play for the small Esteghlal, while we're part of a bigger team. You defend, and we attack’.
“Regardless, it didn’t matter because we ended up winning the game against them in August, thanks to my goal.”
Despite the mix-up, Bifouma remained unbothered by the mistake, having scored three goals and provided two assists for his team in the Iranian top-flight.
However, his chances of facing his idol, the 39-year-old Ronaldo, may now be slim.
Bifouma’s intended destination was Esteghlal Khuzestan F.C, a team that regularly qualifies for the AFC Champions League and presently, is in the same group as Ronaldo’s Al-Nassr.
Ronaldo, who has a big birthday coming up when he turns 40 in February, will be out of contract in the summer.
The Portugal international has scored nine times and assisted twice in the Saudi Pro League so far this season, taking his tally in the Middle East to 73 goals and 18 assists.
He currently sits at a total of 774 career goals at club level, so the illustrious 1,000 mark still seems a little way off.
However, including his goals for Portugal, his total is 135.
Bifouma started his career at Espanyol’s B team before moving to the first team in 2011.
From there, he spent a year at West Bromwich Albion in the Premier League before a further three loan spells at Granada, Almeria and Reims.
