AFC Champions League Elite

AFC Champions League Elite
	File:AFC Champions League crest.png
Founded	1967 (2002 in its current format)
Region	Asia (AFC)
Number of teams	32
Current champions	Pohang Steelers
Most successful club(s)	Pohang Steelers; (3 times)
	2010 AFC Champions League

The AFC Champions League is the premier Asian club football competition hosted annually by Asian Football Confederation (AFC). The tournament is contested among the top thirty-two clubs from top 10 Asian leagues joined with two more clubs who qualified through the playoffs. The champions receive about US$2.25 million in prize money (specific amount depends on record from the group stage) and a spot in the FIFA Club World Cup at the end of the year.

Starting 2009 season, the defending champion no longer receives an automatic berth, forcing them to qualify through their respective domestic league or cup competition. However, both 2008 champions, Gamba Osaka, and 2009 champions, Pohang Steelers, both managed to qualify for the following season. The qualifying round starts in late February and the single-match final takes place in early November at a neutral venue. In 2010, the qualifying rounds will start bit early, due to 2010 World Cup in the summer.

Pohang Steelers is currently the most successful club in the competition's history, having won their third title in 2009. League-wise, the Korean K-League has 8 titles and is the most successful league competition followed by the Japanese J. League which has 5 previous winners. In the last four season (2006–2009), both J and K League has captured 2 titles each, showing the dominance by the Eastern clubs.

History

Asian Champion Club Tournament Era (1967–1972)

The competition started as the Asian Champion Club Tournament back in 1967. Eight domestic champions from eight Asian leagues competed in the inaugural season. With the exception of the 1968 season, the tournament was held annually until 1971. During the first four editions, two Israeli clubs from Tel Aviv took three championships. In 1972, the tournament was canceled due to a lack of interest which eventually resulted in the withdrawal of all participants except for two. The tournament was not held for the next fourteen years; this was also because professionalism in Asian club football did not start till the late 1990s and early 2000s.

Asian Club Championship Era (1985/86–2001/02)

Using the old European Cup as a model, the tournament returned to Asia during the 1985/86 season with a new name, the Asian Club Championship. Entry was restricted to the domestic champions of certain Asian leagues. Even so, a few withdrawals were seen from year to year. From 1990, AFC introduced the Asian Cup Winners Cup which, as the name suggested, was also restricted to domestic cup winners. The winners of these two Asian tournaments then played for the Asian Super Cup.

AFC Champions League Era (2002/03–present)

2002/03 season

From 2002/03 season the three major Asian club competitions, Asian Champions Cup, Asian Cup Winners Cup, and Asian Super Cup were merged into one larger tournament and re-branded as the AFC Champions League. In the previous years, the domestic champions and cup winners were sorted into two different continental tournaments, but now both domestic champions and cup winners enter into this larger competition. In the first edition, after several qualifying rounds, a total of sixteen clubs participated in group stage. One club from each group hosted the group stage which were conducted with the single round-robin format in a week. Four group winners then qualified to the semifinals, which were the four hosts of the group stage. The semifinal and the final were contested in two-legged aggregate series.

2003/04 season

The 2003/04 season was cancelled due to the SARS virus outbreak.

2004–2008 seasons

The tournament was re-launched in 2004 season with 28 clubs from fourteen countries. Unlike previous year, tournament schedule was changed from March to November. In the group stage, the 28 clubs were divided into seven groups of four on a regional basis, separating East Asian and West Asian clubs to reduce traveling costs, and played double round-robin on a home and away basis. Then, the seven group winners along with the defending champions qualified to the quarterfinals. The quarterfinals, semifinals, and finals were two-legged series, with away goals, extra time, and penalties used as tie-breakers. In 2005 season Syrian clubs joined the competition, thus increasing the number of participating countries to 15, and two years later, following their transfer into the AFC in 2006, Australian clubs were also included in the tournament. With lack of professionalism in Asian football, many problem still existed in the tournament, such as on the field violence and late submission of the player registration. Many blamed the lack of prize money and expensive travel cost as the some of the reasons. However, with the introduction of FIFA World Club Championship in 2005 (now known as FIFA Club World Cup), inclusion of English media via the A-League, and two consecutive wins by Japanese sides (the most professional football league in Asia), allowed to set up a more competitive and more professional format in 2009.

2009–present

The Champions League expanded to 32 clubs and direct entry is limited to the top ten Asian leagues. Each country will receive up to 4 slots, though no more than one third of the number of teams in that country's top division, rounded downwards, depending on the strength of their league, league structure (professionalism), marketability, financial status, and other criteria set out by the AFC Pro-League committee.^[1] The assessment criteria and ranking for participating associations will be revised by AFC every two years, with the most recent ones being approved for 2011–2012 seasons.^[2]

The prize money has been significantly increased since 2009 season and the clubs can earn some prize money even at the group stage depending on their performance. The group stage is conducted in the same manner as the previous four tournaments; this time, however, now eight group winners and eight runners-up qualify to the Round of 16, in which group-winners play host to the runners-up in a single match format, matched regionally. The regional restriction is lifted from the further stages, though since 2010 season the clubs from the same country cannot face each other in the quarterfinals unless that country has three or more representatives in the quarterfinals. The quarterfinals and the semifinals are played in two-legged series, with away goal, extra time, and penalties used as tie-breakers. The final is played as a single match at a pre-determined neutral venue.

Current Regulations

Qualification

The qualifications are based on AFC Final Assessment Rankings (see below). The assessments was conducted by AFC Pro-League committee during 2006–2008, and is based on the football competitiveness, professionalism, marketability, and financial status of the league and its clubs. Leagues can have up to four spots, but no more than one third of the number of teams in that country's top division, rounded downwards. However, some leagues may have to enter their clubs through qualifying playoffs. The previous year AFC Cup finalists may also enter qualifying play-offs given that their league meets the AFC Champions League criteria. The assessment ranking will be updated every two years, as the next one will be published in November 2010.^[3]

AFC Final Assessment Ranking for 2009–2010 seasons ^[4]

West Asia
Pos	Member Association	Points (total 500)	Clubs	Spots
Pos	Member Association	Points (total 500)	Clubs	Group stage	Play-off	AFC Cup
4	Saudi Arabia	365	14	4	0	0
5	UAE	356	12	3	1	0
7	Iran	340	18	4	0	0
9	Uzbekistan	289	16	2	0	1
10	Qatar	270	10	2	0	0
13	India	202	10	0	1	1
15	Syria	229	14	0	0	2
16	Jordan	212	12	0	0	2
17	Kuwait	203	8	0	0	2
20	Oman	140	12	0	0	2
21	Bahrain	139	10	0	0	2
22	Yemen	-	14	0	0	2

	Meet the criteria
	Do not meet the criteria

East Asia
Pos	Member Association	Points (total 500)	Clubs	Spots
Pos	Member Association	Points (total 500)	Clubs	Group stage	Play-off	AFC Cup
1	Japan	470	18	4	0	0
2	Korea Republic	441	15	4	0	0
3	China PR	431	16	4	0	0
6	Australia	343	11	2	0	0
8	Indonesia	296	18	1	1	1
11	Singapore	279	12	0	1	1
12	Thailand	221	16	0	1	1
14	Vietnam	191	14	0	1	1
18	Malaysia	179	14	0	0	2
19	Hong Kong	148	10	0	0	2

^† One of the A-League clubs, Wellington Phoenix, is based in New Zealand, an OFC member country. They are unable to qualify for the ACL.^[5]

Format

Qualifying play-off

8 teams, 2 knock-out rounds, each 1 leg, on a regional basis, 2 winners qualify for the group stage.

Group Stage

A total of 32 clubs are divided into 8 groups of four, based on region i.e. East Asian and South-east Asian clubs are drawn in Group E to H, while the rest are grouped in Group A to D. Each group is a double round robin, for a total of 6 matches for each team. Clubs receive 3 points for a win, 1 point for a draw, and 0 points for a loss. The clubs are ranked according to points and tie breakers are in following order:

Points earned between the clubs in question
Goal Difference between the clubs in question
Goals For between the clubs in question
Goal Difference within the group
Goals For within the group

The eight group winners and eight runners-up qualify to the Knock-out Round.

Knock-out Round, Round-of-16

Group winners vs group runners-up, 1 leg, on a regional basis.

Knock-out Round, Quarterfinals & Semifinal

All 8 clubs are randomly matched; however, starting 2010 season^[6], the clubs from same country cannot face each other in the quarter-finals. The games are conducted in 2 legs -home and away- where the aggregate goals decides the match winner. If the aggregate goals cannot produce a winner the away goals rule is used. If still tied the clubs play extra time, where the away goals rule still applies. If still tied after extra time, the game goes to penalties.

Final

One 90-min game at a neutral venue. If tied after regulation, extra-time, penalty kick will be used to produce a winner.

Prize money

The budget for the tournament has increased from US $4 million in 2008 to US $20 million in 2009, with the total prize pool now equalling US $14 million. The winner receives US $1.5 million in prize money plus additional winnings collected from the earlier rounds.^[10]^[11] Clubs receive a travel subsidy for each away match. Thus, for each round of 16 tie, only one club receives a travel subsidy.

Group stages

Win: $40,000
Draw: $20,000
Loss: $0
Travel subsidy: $30,000 x 3

Round of 16

Participation: $50,000
Travel subsidy: $40,000

Quarter-finals

Participation: $80,000
Travel subsidy: $50,000

Semi-finals

Participation: $120,000
Travel subsidy: $60,000

Final

Champions: $1.5 million
Runners-up: $750,000
Travel subsidy: $60,000

Participating Associations

Associations	Spots
Associations	2002/03	2004	2005	2006	2007	2008	2009	2010
East Asia
Australia	–	–	–	–	2	2	2	2
China PR	2	2	2	2	2	2	4	4
Indonesia	0	2	2	0	2	0	1	1
Japan	2	2	2	2	2	3	4	4
Korea Republic	2	2	2	2	3	2	4	4
Singapore	0	0	0	0	0	0	1	1
Thailand	2	2	2	0	1	2	0	0
Vietnam	0	2	2	2	1	2	0	0
Total	8	12	12	8	13	13	16	16
West Asia
Bahrain	0	2	0	0	0	0	0	0
India	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
Iran	2	2	2	2	1	2	4	4
Iraq	1	2	2	2	2	2	0	0
Kuwait	0	2	2	2	2	2	0	0
Qatar	1	2	2	2	2	2	2	2
Saudi Arabia	1	2	3	3	2	2	4	4
Syria	0	0	2	2	2	2	0	0
Turkmenistan	1	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
UAE	1	3	2	2	2	2	4	4
Uzbekistan	1	2	2	2	2	2	2	2
Total	8	17	17	17	15	16	16	16
Total
	16	29	29	25	28	29	32	32

Asian Champions League Finals