Soroush Rafiei (Persian: سروش رفیعی) is an Iranian professional footballer who plays for Persian Gulf Pro League club Persepolis and the Iran national team.
He started his career with Fajr Sepasi and helped them to promote to the 2011–12 Persian Gulf Cup.
Rafiei, 28, was a member of Foolad football team from 2011 to 2017 and helped the Ahvaz-based football team win Iran Professional League (IPL) title in 2014.
In the summer of 2015 Rafiei signed a two–year contract with Tractor to spend his conscription period at the club.[1] In 2016, Rafiei has been linked with a move to Greek professional football club, AEK Athens in the next transfer window. Also, Persian giants Persepolis and Esteghlal Tehran showed interest in him.[2]
On 9 January 2017, Rafiei signed a 6-month contract with Persian Gulf Pro League club Persepolis.[3][4] He was given the number 7, which had previously been retired in honor of club legend Ali Parvin.[5] He scored a goal against Esteghlal in 84th Tehran Derby.[6] Rafiee returned to Persepolis for 2018–19 but due to fifa ban, he loaned to Foolad till winter.
Before June 2017, news and rumours linked Rafiei with a move to Al Sadd.[7][8] But before start of 2017–18 season, Rafiee joined the Qatari Al-Khor football team for one year, and wore number 7 in the team.[9] At the end of the season, Al-Khor picked up an alternate player for Rafiei and did not renew his contract with the club.[10] He considered playing in Iran's football league more difficult than playing in Qatar.[11]
On 8 July 2018, Rafiei joined Persepolis on a new 18-month deal.[12]
On 24 July 2018, Rafiei joined Foolad on a new 6-month deal.[13][14]
In August 2019, Rafiei joined Shahr Khodro on a two-year deal.[15][16]
On 13 January 2020, Rafiei joined Sepahan S.C. on a 18-month deal.[17][18] In Sepahan, he played a key role in the middle of the field. He had a high number of assists for Sepahan.[19]
On 15 June 2022, Rafiei joined Persian Gulf Pro League side Persepolis on a new two-year deal. This was his third contract with Persepolis.[20][21]
| Club | Division | Season | League | Hazfi Cup | Asia | Total | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | |||
| Fajr Sepasi | Pro League | 2009–10 | 20 | 5 | 0 | 0 | – | 20 | 5 | |
| Azadegan League | 2010–11 | 20 | 5 | 0 | 0 | – | 20 | 5 | ||
| Total | 40 | 10 | 0 | 0 | _ | 40 | 10 | |||
| Foolad | Pro League | 2011–12 | 19 | 1 | 1 | 1 | – | 20 | 2 | |
| 2012–13 | 16 | 1 | 0 | 0 | – | 16 | 1 | |||
| 2013–14 | 29 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 8 | 0 | 39 | 4 | ||
| 2014–15 | 15 | 7 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 17 | 7 | ||
| Total | 79 | 12 | 4 | 2 | 9 | 0 | 92 | 14 | ||
| Tractor (loan) | Pro League | 2015–16 | 25 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 34 | 4 |
| 2016–17 | 14 | 1 | 3 | 0 | – | 17 | 1 | |||
| Total | 39 | 5 | 5 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 51 | 5 | ||
| Persepolis | Pro League | 2016–17 | 14 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 1 | 21 | 4 |
| Total | 14 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 1 | 21 | 4 | ||
| Al-Khor | QSL | 2017–18 | 19 | 5 | 1 | 0 | – | 20 | 5 | |
| Total | 19 | 5 | 1 | 0 | – | 20 | 5 | |||
| Persepolis | Pro League | 2018–19 | 12 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 20 | 1 |
| Total | 12 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 20 | 1 | ||
| Foolad (loan) | Pro League | 2018–19 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | – | 6 | 0 | |
| Total | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | – | 6 | 0 | |||
| Shahr Khodro | Pro League | 2019 | 10 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 11 | 0 |
| Total | 10 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 11 | 0 | ||
| Sepahan | Pro League | 2020 | 11 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 6 | 1 | 18 | 3 |
| 2020–21 | 26 | 2 | 0 | 0 | – | 26 | 2 | |||
| 2021–22 | 23 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 6 | 1 | 31 | 3 | ||
| Total | 60 | 6 | 3 | 0 | 12 | 2 | 75 | 8 | ||
| Persepolis | Pro League | 2022–23 | 25 | 1 | 5 | 0 | — | 30 | 1 | |
| 2023–24 | 27 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 34 | 0 | ||
| 2024–25 | 27 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 35 | 2 | ||
| 2025–26 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 2 | 0 | |||
| Total | 81 | 3 | 7 | 0 | 13 | 0 | 101 | 3 | ||
| Career total | 360 | 45 | 24 | 2 | 53 | 3 | 437 | 50 | ||
He was called up to the Iran national football team in October 2014 by Carlos Queiroz. He made his debut in a match against South Korea on 18 November 2014. He was called into Iran's 2015 AFC Asian Cup squad on 30 December 2014 by Carlos Queiroz.[22] In May 2018 he was named in Iran's preliminary squad for the 2018 World Cup in Russia[23] but did not make the final 23.[24]
Rafiei is a technical playmaker.[25] In Iranian sports media, he has been mentioned as "a midfielder who dribbles as cool as ever and his playing is just enough".[26]
Argentinian manager and former player, Gabriel Calderón criticized his style of play due to "lack of speed" in his game plan.[27]
Rafiei was born in Shiraz, Iran and started playing football in his hometown.[28] He has announced that he has been a fan of Persepolis since he was a child.[29][30]
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