Mehrdad Minavand
Mehrdad Minavand (; 30 November 1975 – 27 January 2021) was an Iranian professional footballer and coach. He played mostly as a left midfielder but was also deployed as a left winger or left-back. Club career. Minavand was born in Tehran. He played for a few clubs, including Keshavarz F.C., Persepolis FC, Sturm Graz (Austria), Sporting Charleroi (Belgium) and Al-Shabab (United Arab Emirates) as well as Sepahan. He last played for Rah Ahan FC, but left the team after the 2005–06 season. He played 21 matches in UEFA Champions League and he is all-time record holder among  the Iranian footballers in this feature. International career. He played for the Iran national football team and was a participant at the 1998 FIFA World Cup. Death. On 21 January 2021, Minavand was hospitalised due to COVID-19. Six days later it was announced that he had died from the virus, aged 45. Honours. Persepolis Sturm Graz Individual