New continental season will see a new Champions League format. 40 teams will now feature in the competition proper with 10 groups of four teams each. Top team from each group and six best second placed teams (three in each zone) will qualify to the second round. For the first time ever, group stage will feature teams from Jordan, India, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan (West) and Philippines (East). Singapore representative returns after a long wait. Competition will start with two preliminary rounds, same as before, single-leg knock-out format. Pairings are already known, with Esteghlal - Al-Ain being the most interesting. If all goes well, preliminary rounds will be play in March and April with group stage play set to start in April. Final is scheduled for 21/27 November 2021.
Group stage draw was made in Kuala Lumpur. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2021_AFC_Champions_League_group_stage Groups will be played in centralised venues, but in double round-robin basis. All will be played in one window - West zone will play 14 - 30 April, East will play 21 April - 7 May. Hosts will be known at a later day. It makes me wonder why they did not went with eight single round-robin 5-team groups as this (centralised groups) is hopefully one-off. Second round and quarterfinal will be played over as a single legs, semifinal and final over two legs.
https://www.the-afc.com/afc-home/media/media-releases/news/latest-decision-by-afc-entry-control-body Shandong Luneng expelled from ACL group stage for failing to pay salaries. Which club will replace them?
Chinese champion Jiangsu just folded. Shanghai Port replaced Shandong in playoff, now they will enter the group stage. Seems like there will be no Chinese team in playoff so I assume winner of preliminary match Brisbane - Kaya will qualify to group stage. Turkmenistani representative have also withdrawn from the competition.
I am seeing rumor that Shanghai Port will remain in playoff and that Pohang and Ratchaburi will enter Group Stage directly
It all starts today with West zone Playoff round. Three games today, one on Saturday. Group stage starts next week with groups played in UAE, Saudi Arabia, and India. East zone matches will be played in June and July.
The group games in the western division have concluded and 3 teams from Iran (Persepolis, Esteghlal, and Tractor) along with two Saudi clubs (Al Nasr and Al Hilal), two from the UAE (Sharjah and Al Wahda), as well as a Tajik club (Istiklal) (which made history by being the first club from Tajikstan to make it this far) advancing to the R16, The R16 match ups will be several months from now pitting Persepolis (IR) against Istiklal (TAJ), Esteghlal (IR) v. Al Hilal (KSA), Tractor (IR) v Al Nasr (KSA), and the two UAE clubs against one another.
I love this Istiklol team as well. Persepolis needs to watch them out carefully. Iranian teams did fairly well in the group stage of ACL 2021. It will be extremely difficult for Persepolis, Esteghlal, and Tractor Sazi to keep their key players due to much higher salary offer they may receive from other leagues. The good thing was that all Iranian teams had Iranian coaches. Iran football needs to spend/invest more on producing decent coaches in the country instead of wasting millions of dollars to bring foreign coaches. Although I am usually against brining non-Iranian Asian players to Iran league unless he is superior to our players but I really hope to see top players of Tajikistan football in Iran league if they do not get offer from any better league. In an interview with Iranian New Agencies, two Istiqlol players Rustam Yatimov and Zoir Juraboev said they welcome to play in Iran league if they receive an offer when this was asked from them by Iranian news agency. Here are the links: رستم یتیموف: ایران خیلی دوستت داریم :: ورزش سه (varzesh3.com) ستاره استقلال تاجیکستان: هراسی از تیم قدرتمند پرسپولیس نداریم - ایرنا (irna.ir) I personally do not like 40 teams in ACL. 32 teams was fine. If more countries want to get involved in it, IMO they could increase the number of play off slots/games instead of expanding the tournament to 40 teams.
Australian club sides have withdrawn from this seasons Champions League https://theworldgame.sbs.com.au/a-league-teams-withdraw-from-asian-champions-league
Since the CSL is resuming after the WCQs, the mainland Chinese clubs are only sending their youth squads. They can't afford to lose their main squads to quarantines after playing the ACL group matches abroad.
Kaya Iloilo from The Philippines defeated Shanghai in preliminary and qualified to the group stage. Although Shanghai played with B team, this must be a shocker!
https://www.sohu.com/a/473712591_46...-afccl-home.top-news-2.3.1624589060687p2qvrpz The Chinese media considers that to be more like a C team.
So we know now that the final will be held in Saudi Arabia as is the new policy of the final being a one-leg game rotating between east and west Asia. Still don't know where the club world cup will be played...
Pohang Steelers have just knocked off their most hated archrival Ulsan Hyundai in PSO. Final: Pohang vs. Al Hilal