A dedicated place to discuss the ongoing drive by the AFC to further develop Asian football leagues through their ACL Criteria. Recently, Special Mission Teams have been in Uzbekistan, Korea Republic, Australia, China amongest others to discuss on further improvements to be included in the 2012 edition of the ACL. Last year, only Japan met the full criteria. Please discuss further in a sensible manner.
Australia Australia recently received the SMT and were given the following recommendations: Competitions: 1. League to have a promotion and relegation system and reconsider the entire league structure. 2. To organise more matches with a knock-out Cup or League Cup competition. 3. Possibly increase the registration (number) of professional players. Media: 1. Create a mixed zone for the written press and TV/radio media. 2. Secure flexibility to expand media/press conference room and media working room. 3. Segregate the flow between the media and VIP by timing management and/or securing a different entry/exit. Marketing: 1. Create a sustainable growing fan base. 2. Find a solution for non-sponsors branding at stadiums. 3. Consider the option of multiple broadcasters. Technical: 1. Clubs to establish comprehensive youth development programmes and to hire technical experts to oversee the administrative and technical matters. 2. FFA to consider the integration of A-League clubs into the national and regional youth competitions system. 3. Emphasise on grassroots for U-8 and below. Legal: 1. The A-League operations and business activities to be done as activities of a legal entity. 2. FFA to avoid cross-ownership issues. Finance: 1. The clubs should manage their expenditure and increase sources of income. http://www.the-afc.com/en/component/content/article/35626-comprehensive-acl-formula-for-australia Any thoughts?
Indonesia recently received the SMT and apparently more than 100 clubs are ready to participate!! http://www.the-afc.com/en/news-cent...0-more-than-100-indonesian-clubs-eye-acl-2012
There's no denying the A-League needs reform. Not really for ACL, but just for itself. There's been a lot of voiced opinions about the state of the A-League in Australia. (Most of those coming from Fozz)
The SMT team are now in Saudi Arabia visting the following clubs: Al Qaseem, Al Tawan, Al Raed, Al Faisali, Al Fatah, Hajr and Al Qadisiya. None have which have qualified for any continental competition next year so makes me wonder, why do they bother.
You probably mean they're IN Qaseem to visit Ta'awon Ra'ed and Faisali. But it could be worse, they could be visiting Ansar. The state of the stadium in Medina is just embarrassing: [ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z9H9vFQs5FA"]?????? ???????? - ???? ????? ?????‎ - YouTube[/ame]
I was just quoting the AFC, I didn't think there was a AL Qaseem team but the AFC seem to thnk so, you'll probably lose points for that!!
LOL, what a brilliant suggestion. Pure genius. Where would we be without the great minds at the AFC? Seriously, the AFC needs to stop with this 'one size fits all' approach. Every country is different. Having p/l is impossible in a country that's been struggling to expand beyond 8 teams already. Also, I wonder if it's worth making all these changes to appease the AFC to gain more ACL places in a competition that gains very little money or interest anyway.
It will be interesting to see what happens if/when MBH ever comes back to the fold. It appeared to be his baby, will someone else drive all this through? Personally, I don't know why the AFC can't just invite every nation and play qualifying stages - back to what we had years ago. Whats wrong with this? The AFC youth tournaments accomadate everyone, so why can't the biggest club competition in the region?
Yeah, I'd prefer just the champions and cup winners qualifying. It gives the so-called developing leagues more exposure to the top teams, and it wouldn't feel like the same leagues playing each other in the group phase every year. But maybe the TV and marketing people wouldn't like this.
I don't see why Australia needs to have a soccer league system with promotion and relegation... The AFC Champions League criteria has got to be one of the worst ideas ever implemented in Asian football history. The expulsion of Kuwaiti clubs from the Champions League was also among the many decisions I was personally against. It served no positive purpose, in my opinion, and I'm sure I'm not the only person in Kuwait who was disgruntled by it. Even the Syrians probably felt hard done-by it, especially since their teams were performing well in the Champions League. In my opinion, the criteria was nothing more than Mohammed bin Hammam's attempt to exclude/include whoever he wanted with regards to Asia's grandest club competition. There is no basis for a country like the UAE, for example, to have 3 or more clubs in the Champions League, when their performances over the past few years have been nothing short of a major disappointment. And let's not forget one of their clubs withdrew from the competition 2 years ago, without facing any consequences (whatsoever) for that decision. When Iraqi, Kuwaiti and Syrian clubs played in the Champions League between 2006 and 2008, no club from Qatar or the UAE was able to overcome the group stages of the competition and reach the quarter finals and/or semi finals. So despite all the mumbo-jumbo about how 'professional' Qatari clubs are, they weren't able to mimic what a few semi-professional clubs in Kuwait and Syria did. Don't get me wrong, though. I really like Qatar, as a country; I love its people and I admire Sheikha Mozah. But things like Mohammed bin Hammam's political conflicts with Kuwait and Saudi Arabia, as well as World Cup 2022, can really infuriate people over time. For what it's worth, I want to see Kuwaiti clubs go through privatization and professionalization, and I hope it happens soon. Having said that, it's not like we're light years behind the Gulf nations that are participating in the Champions League. They also have to adopt a true sense of privatization. Most of the clubs in Qatar are floated by Sheikhs and it's unhealthy. The financial model in these countries are an economic burden, i.e. practically unsustainable. If at all, Kuwait are more sustainable because the government backs all 14 sports clubs, whereas Qatari clubs are being kept alive by the voluntary support of people with deep pockets. In the long-term, Qatar's situation is a lot worse. Yet, the Champions League criteria seems to have neglected the issue of financial sustainability, which only Iran (and Saudi Arabia, to some extent) have partially accomplished in the Middle East, so far. Well, that's about all I can say for the time being. Please forgive me for the long post.
Yousuf al-Serkal, of the UAE, will most likely try finishing what Mohammed bin Hammam started, given that he was one of his disciples in the AFC. As for bin Hammam, I hope he never returns to the spotlight. All he's done since he took over the AFC was create unnecessary tensions between his country and Kuwait and Saudi Arabia. Relations between Qatar and these two countries hit an all-time low, simply because of a few differences he had with several people in the respective nations' football federations. I'm glad he's gone and I'm glad FIFA ratted him out. His personal interests got in the way of different countries' long-term relationships. No sport should ever get in the way of two or more countries' friendships. Mohammed bin Hammam might go down in history as a person who took some good initiatives. However, the regional tension he was behind (for a number of years) outweighs all the small positive changes he's made while running the AFC.
I respect the AFC for trying to get leagues to improve but I they really need to work on their continental competitions. They could be so much better, so much more inclusive, and confined to one season. I'll use the example of Wehdat who are still favorites to lift the AFC Cup but had to see their manager and star player go to Kuwait SC (who are also still in the competition) and on top of that lose their best defender in the transfer window a long with a slew of important role players. Why can't the schedule be amended so this competition takes place between September and May? I applaud the fact that AFC Cup finalists get a chance to qualify for the CL now but the fact that they have to meet certain criteria is ridiculous. Some countries are just to cash-strapped to develop their leagues, it's a fact of life and the fact that they're competing with satellite coverage of teams in Europe makes it that much harder. I say expand the play-off round give everyone who won a league championship a chance to compete in the ACL if they fail parachute them down to the President's Cup/AFC Cup. It makes a lot more sense than having the 3rd place UFL team in the competition.
Maybe australian clubs have nothing better to do, but here in japan the clubs are already too busy. Why should japanese teams (and other advanced leagues) travel to some way out country just to risk injury and fatigue when a huge victory is guaranteed anyway?
But what we are working towards in theory is a similiar format to UEFA, you wouldn't then be sending your teams to some way out country. For example Japan would probably have 3 clubs in the group stage anyway and 1 team that plays a playoff. It would be different for other nations like UAE for example who have struggled recently, they would maybe have 1 direct qualifier and one team in a playoff. Do you see a match like Al Ain against Kawasaki Frontale in a playoff as a huge victory for Kawasaki? If you do, then it's probably the death of the ACL. We need a structured format, I'm not pitting Japan against Sri Lanka for example, it would be more like Sri Lanka against Singapore to begin with and move on up. As for your comments about huge victories, then Ok I guess, your following Japanese teams, you have what you want already, but why should over half of the AFC membership be singled out because of criteria that includes having stadiums that are way to big for the clubs playing in them. Having airports near the ground, having fancy foot paths etc. Why should anyone be singled out for none footballing reasons?
Before this ever happens, the AFC need to introduce a AFC calendar for all nations to adhere to. Every nation would need to fit into the same scale, if not, you always get the East and West split. Although the AFC do give a chance to the finalists, why is it that these teams don't appear to have a chance before hand. It's like saying your not good enough to play ACL but we might change our minds if you win the AFC Cup. Come on AFC, they are either good enough or not criteria wise, so why they leave this door open if they have already told you you weren't good wnough?
Wonderful post. I completely agree with you! The AFC club competitions should start in the northern hemisphere's autumn season and end in spring season. The main transfer window should not cut through the AFC Cup or Champions League seasons. Kuwait SC have also lost players over the summer. I might argue our squad is currently weaker than it was back in June. I thought the signings we made were quite decent, and there were a few players I thought should depart the club, but I didn't expect us to lose players like Ismail Al Ajmi, Rodrigo Vergilio and Waleed Ali, all at once. I also thought we were eventually going to buy Hassan Abdel Fattah, after loaning him from Al-Wahdat SC. I hate to see all these big changes occur while we're still competing in the AFC Cup.
A recent visit to Saudi Arabia was coducted and the following points were rasied: There are some areas that I’m sure Saudi Arabia, its league and clubs can focus on such as the lack of clubs personnel’s involvement in match organisation, lack of various age group youth teams and competitive youth competitions such as the U-6 to the U-12. “There is also a lack of fan-oriented services and programmes, over reliance on contribution by individuals or club board members and lack of understanding by clubs of the Saudi Professional League’s (SPL) vision and implementation plans. “The clubs can also improve on their sponsorship strategy and approach. Presently, all commercial rights are given to a single sponsor leading to limited revenue streams. The outsourced services also lead to a lack of continuity and capability building of clubs. Right, so relegation/promotion not an issue even though two seasons ago they didn't have any and ast season ended ugly and Al Wehda were relegated even though they in fact should have stayed up, but off the field events kicked them out. But, AFC Special Mission Team can't even be bothered to ask questions about it. http://www.the-afc.com/en/news-cent...36419-ksa-should-bank-on-its-strengths-suzuki
I don't know how Hafith "whip whip" al-Medlej and friends do it. They sure know how to spin a tall tale to these inspectors. They've managed to flip reality 180 degrees! So now our strengths are: 1) Visionary and forward looking FA! (more like incompetent dinosaurs) 2) Great media coverage!! (TV rights anulled and coverage given to state TV) 3) Mass popularity!!! (Pathetic attendence records, waning interest all round) As for the clubs, their hands are tied. They don't control ticketing, or their image rights.
South Korea to bring in relegation/promotion in 2013. http://www.the-afc.com/en/news-cent...orts-kors-professionalism-efforts-says-suzuki http://www.the-afc.com/en/news-cent...gation-system-will-be-k-leagues-turning-point
The Special Mission Team is currently in Qatar, I'd be interested to see what recommendations, if any, they make. A team are also in Indonesia, which makes me wonder what they are inspecting, I assume they won't be covering the whole of Indonesia, whereas in Qatar they are going to see every team stadium and training field, which makes me wonder how can they fully inspect a much bigger country like Indonesia properly?
Oman hoping to go pro and enter the ACL in 2012-13 http://www.the-afc.com/en/news-cent...-chief-al-busaidi-aims-pro-league-in-20122013
Qatar recently received the Special Mission Team who gave the following good and bad points in there review: Good Points: - Good club facilities (stadiums, training sites, club houses, etc) - Complete composition of coaches and supporting staff (in each age group) - Good auditing practices - High standard and uniformed match organisation - Centralised marketing strategies - Outstanding leadership of QSL - Strong media coverage and TV broadcasting - Strong government support As for areas of improvement for the QSL and clubs, Suzuki brought to light the following: - Low attendance - Fan psychology (purchasing tickets to watch football games outdoor is not according to tradition) - Over-reliance on the local organising committee - Limited clubs’ capability in generating revenue http://www.the-afc.com/en/news-cent...-news/36638-qatar-strong-in-gandy-says-suzuki
they actually doing the inspection from first division (ISL clubs) to second division clubs (Divisi utama) and they have a lot of staff that working for the inspection/verification. here is the pictures of their inspection for Persibo http://www.skyscrapercity.com/showpost.php?p=84417141&postcount=739 Cheers
The AFC have now been in the UAE, here's their report: -- Well equipped stadiums facilities (operational rooms, tribunes, etc) -- Strong support from the government -- Most of the clubs own the facilities (stadiums, training ground, etc) -- Extensive national TV coverage and strong local media support -- General understanding of ‘stadium flow’ has improved compared to last year -- Improvement in fulfilling the ACL criteria The following areas of improvement were also pointed out by Suzuki: -- Poor match attendance (average league attendance is below minimum requirements) -- Not all clubs implement match day experience programmes or implement them partially -- Fan psychology: Watching football games outdoor is not according to tradition http://www.the-afc.com/en/news-centre/inside-afc/676-afc-news/36733-uae-have-improved-suzuki