Currently the IPL is the only league that is considered professional, despite many of its rules about club facilities and management being broken.
[2] For the first time, the league comprised also teams from many other cities and provinces including Sepahan from Isfahan and East Azerbaijan club Tractor.
[3] The first recognized Iranian football champion was Taj after beating PAS Tehran 2–1 in the final of the 1970–71 Local League.
[8][4][9] In 1972, the Takht Jamshid Cup was founded as the national league and included teams from all over the country.
The league was named after Takht-e Jamshid, the ancient Achaemenid capital known outside of Iran as Persepolis.
Persepolis became the first champions of the Takht Jamshid Cup, two points ahead of rival Taj.
Esteghlal claimed its first Takht Jamshid Cup title after winning the league ahead of Persepolis.
[12] The 1975–76 Takht Jamshid Cup was won by Persepolis with a great performance by Iranian football legend Ali Parvin.
[17][18] At this time the Takht Jamshid Cup was one of the strongest football leagues in Asia.
[19][20][21] Due to the Islamic Revolution and the Iran–Iraq War, the Takht Jamshid Cup was dissolved and also the lower leagues were unorganized.
Saipa won the Azadegan League title, sitting three points of runners-up Persepolis.
Persepolis won the 1999–2000 Azadegan League season, sitting seven points clear of rival Esteghlal.
On 12 August 2006, the Iranian Football Federation decided to change the name of the league once again.
[30] This was done to promote the name of the Persian Gulf, instead of the many variations which some nations and organizations use which Iran claims are incorrect.
The league logo was also changed, with the winner being selected from over 130 designs and unveiled on 14 November 2006.
[31] They continued to get better steady and slowly which made many people criticize that the league is sometimes stepping backwards.
The next season Esteghlal did the same thing and won the league for second time on the final matchday.
Azadegan League is now the name of the 2nd highest division in Iran, only the IPL is higher.