The revamped Asian Champions League Elite is set to launch a new chapter in Asian football, with a renewed focus on enhancing the quality of the competition. The senior-most official of the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) has highlighted that the overhaul aims to attract fresh investment and elevate the sport across the continent.
Kicking off on Monday, the reconfigured competition will feature a streamlined field of 24 teams, reduced from the previous 40. This elite roster includes top clubs from Japan, Saudi Arabia, South Korea, China, and title holders Al-Ain from the United Arab Emirates. The competition introduces a new format, trophy, and logo, along with a significant increase in prize money, with the champions standing to win up to $12 million after the final on May 4.
Windsor John, the AFC’s general secretary, emphasized the rationale behind the changes: “The motivation was to ensure that we have quality matches rather than just quantity,” he told Reuters. “The last competition had 40 teams and a lot of matches. We’ve focused on quality because we wanted Asian investors, foreign investors to invest in Asian clubs. We’re telling them we have the cream playing, so come and invest in our competitions and clubs.”
The AFC has been organizing continental club competitions since 1967, with the Asian Champions League introduced in 2002 to foster the development of professional leagues in South Korea, Japan, and beyond. The group phase expanded to 40 clubs in 2021, but the new format scales this back to 24 teams, complemented by the introduction of the Asian Champions League Two, a second-tier event featuring 32 teams.
“It was time to relook at the competition after so many years,” John remarked. “We want people, not just in Asia, to talk about our competition. You have to look at the whole package. We hope it will drive club football forward.”
The revamped format replaces the old system of 10 four-team groups playing home-and-away fixtures with a Swiss League system. Teams will now be divided into two 12-team leagues, one for East Asia and one for West Asia, with each team facing eight different opponents in a draw. The top eight teams from each league will advance to the knockout rounds in March, and Saudi Arabia will host the quarter-finals, semi-finals, and final at a centralized venue in April and May.
“The new format gives you eight different flavors,” John added. “Before, it was only three teams, and you had to play these twice. On a sporting side, that means every match will be exciting.”
The Asian Champions League Elite aims to redefine continental club football by prioritizing quality, attracting investment, and delivering thrilling matches for fans across the globe.
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