HONG KONG, Sept 14 (Askume) – The revamped elite AFC Champions League will play a key role in encouraging new investment in Asian clubs, the Asian Football Confederation’s (AFC) top official said, as the body aims to revive the region’s football. sport.
The revamped top flight will begin on Monday with the field reduced from 40 to 24 teams, including the champions of Japan, Saudi Arabia, South Korea and China as well as UAE champions Al Ain.
The game will debut with a new format, trophies and logos, and the cash available will be tripled for the new champion, who will receive up to $12 million in prize money after the final on May 4.
“Our aim is to ensure we have high quality matches, not just quantity,” Windsor John, the governing body’s secretary general, told Askume about the reasons behind the change.
“The last tournament had 40 teams and a lot of games, and we focused on quality because we want Asian investors, foreign investors, to invest in Asian clubs.
“We told them we have the best players, so invest in our game, invest in our club.
“We also send a message to the players that top teams are playing here and they can come here and play some exciting games.”
The AFC has organised intercontinental club competitions since 1967 and launched the Asian Champions League in 2002, aimed at encouraging further development of professional leagues in South Korea, Japan and other places.
40 teams participated in the 2021 group stage, but with the new focus, the top flight was reduced to 24 teams and a second tier, the 32-team AFC Champions League, was introduced.
“After all these years, it’s time to rethink the competition,” John said.
“We want people to talk about our competitiveness not just in Asia but across Asia. You have to see the whole plan. We hope it will help develop club football.”
John said a change to the old format, which saw groups of 10 four teams play home and away, would bring much-needed variety.
The new version uses the Swiss league system, with clubs divided into 12-team leagues in East and West Asia, with each team playing against eight different opponents following a computer-assisted draw.
The top eight teams in each league will advance to the knockout round in March, and the quarter-finals, semi-finals and final will be held in Saudi Arabia in April and May.
John said, “In the new format you will get to see eight different types of games. Earlier there were only three teams and you had to play two games. From the sports point of view, this means that every game will be exciting.”
