The Asian Football Confederation (AFC) has announced a comprehensive revamp of its club competitions, culminating in the rebranding of its top-tier tournament to the AFC Champions League Elite. This very impactful change makes the entire experience feel much more like a true tournament. It takes a cue from the FIFA World Cup and the AFC Asian Cup as teams prepare to do battle in a new tournament format set to launch in 2023.
The reformatted tournament has made improving the experience of individual players and fans a priority. To further this goal, the AFC Champions League Elite will add a league stage, eliminating the familiar group stage. This change is intended to promote a more exciting, fast-paced competition. Unlike in past seasons, the final 16 teams will feature very little change, allowing for ongoing consistency in the in-season tournament structure.
Perhaps the most head-turning change though, comes in the quarterfinals and semifinals. They have moved away from two-legged ties to single-match eliminations. These matches will take place in a centralised venue over a ten-day period, providing an opportunity for fans to experience a concentrated burst of high-stakes football. The AFC has chosen Saudi Arabia as the centralised location for the ACL Elite Finals, marking a significant step in promoting football within the region.
While the tournament is still billed as an Asian championship, the tournament will be expanded to 24 teams, divided between East and West Asia. Each club will only play against the other eight clubs from their region, creating passion-filled local rivalries right from the start. Making history, for the first time ever, zonal segregation is gone! Now, East and West Asian teams can meet before the championship game. This change is designed to foster a more competitive playing field in the months leading up to the championship game.
The league stage is vitally important. The top eight teams continue on to the ACL Elite Finals. We hope this prepares you for exciting discoveries to come! In what could be a preview of the final, this year’s quarterfinal matchups are headlined by several of the most decorated clubs. Al Hilal against Gwangju, Al Ahli against Buriram United. Yokohama F. Marinos vs Al Nassr, Kawasaki Frontale vs Al Sadd. Each of these matchups have all the makings of both high-quality football and intense competition.
The motivation behind these changes is clear. The AFC seeks to craft an atmosphere akin to that of a footballing festival. Fans can look forward to a series of matches that not only showcase individual talent but promote a sense of community and excitement among supporters from diverse backgrounds.
As with every other edition of the AFC Champions League Elite, this latest version has been shaped by all that have come before it. The 2020 season, held in Qatar due to the coronavirus pandemic, provided unique challenges but demonstrated the potential for creating a cohesive tournament experience. Additionally, the East region was under a ‘tournament atmosphere’ for its round of 16, which started on December 6, 2021. This rapturous reception led the AFC to advance the concept of its competition format even more.
As this new approach develops, we will all just have to wait and see how well it works to help achieve the stated goals. The AFC Champions League Elite takes an audacious step into the future of Asian football. It seeks to become a home for its growing fanbase and raise the level of competitive play internationally on the continent.
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