BRIGHTON’S Alireza Jahanbakhsh has become a home-town hero in Iran – by donating £6,000 to help the poverty-hit area fight coronavirus.
The 50-cap winger has been heartbroken by his country suffering 853 deaths from the Covid-19 pandemic.
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Alireza Jahanbakhsh has stepped in to help out his home town Qazvin, in a poor region of Iran, battle coronavirusCredit: Rex Features
Wideman Alireza Jahanbakhsh cried after notching his first Brighton goal against Bournemouth on December 28Credit: PA:Press Association
Only China and Italy have had more cases than Iran, which has so far recorded 15,000 victims.
Jahanbakhsh has now given a billion rials to Qazvin, where he grew up.
The 26-year-old also posted a video urging locals to stay indoors and follow health advice to beat the virus.
The Seagulls paid a then-club record of around £17million for the AZ Alkmaar ace two years ago.
CRIED OVER FIRST GOAL
He was born in norther Iran town Jirandeh but moved with his family to Qazvin at a young age.
After 24 games and no goals in first season at the Amex, Jahanbakhsh bagged two memorable goals in nine matches this term, before football chiefs suspended action last week until at April due to the spread of coronavirus.
He cried when he netted his first Brighton strike – against Bournemouth on December 28.
And his second, against Chelsea on New Year’s Day, was a bicycle kick voted January’s Goal of the Month.
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Meanwhile, Brighton chief executive Paul Barber has been one of the football bigwigs calling for a 22-team Premier League next season to resolve fixture chaos caused by coronavirus.
He said: “The priority for us all is to play the remainder of the season. That’s what we all want. But we have to be realistic. None of us know where the situation with the virus is heading.
“It is a possibility, and an option, to leave the current 20 teams in the Premier League this season and bring just two teams up.”
Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
