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2018 AFC Champions League

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2018 AFC Champions League
Tournament details
Dates16 January – 10 November 2018
TeamsMaximum of 53 (from Maximum of 24 associations)
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The 2018 AFC Champions League will be the 37th edition of Asia's premier club football tournament organized by the Asian Football Confederation (AFC), and the 16th under the current AFC Champions League title.

The winners of the 2018 AFC Champions League will qualify as the AFC representative at the 2018 FIFA Club World Cup in the United Arab Emirates.[1] If a team from the United Arab Emirates wins the AFC Champions League, the runners-up will also qualify (in place of the winners of the 2017–18 UAE Pro-League).

Association team allocation

The AFC Competitions Committee proposed a revamp of the AFC club competitions on 25 January 2014,[2] which was ratified by the AFC Executive Committee on 16 April 2014.[3] The 46 AFC member associations (excluding the associate member Northern Mariana Islands) are ranked based on their national team's and clubs' performance over the last four years in AFC competitions, with the allocation of slots for the 2017 and 2018 editions of the AFC club competitions determined by the 2016 AFC rankings (Entry Manual Article 2.2):[4]

  • The associations are split into two regions:
  • In each region, there are four groups in the group stage, including a total of 12 direct slots, with the 4 remaining slots filled through play-offs.
  • The top 12 associations in each region as per the AFC rankings are eligible to enter the AFC Champions League, as long as they fulfill the AFC Champions League criteria.
  • The top six associations in each region get at least one direct slot in the group stage, while the remaining associations get only play-off slots:
    • The associations ranked 1st and 2nd each get three direct slots and one play-off slot.
    • The associations ranked 3rd and 4th each get two direct slots and two play-off slots.
    • The associations ranked 5th each get one direct slot and two play-off slots.
    • The associations ranked 6th each get one direct slot and one play-off slot.
    • The associations ranked 7th to 12th each get one play-off slot.
  • The maximum number of slots for each association is one-third of the total number of clubs in the top division.
  • If any association gives up its direct slots, they are redistributed to the highest eligible association, with each association limited to a maximum of three direct slots.
  • If any association gives up its play-off slots, they are annulled and not redistributed to any other association.

For the 2018 AFC Champions League, the associations are allocated slots according to their association ranking published on 30 November 2016,[5] which takes into account their performance in the AFC Champions League and the AFC Cup, as well as their national team's FIFA World Rankings, during the period between 2013 and 2016.[4][6]

Participation for 2018 AFC Champions League
Participating
Not participating
Notes
  1. ^
    Australia (AUS): The top division run by the Football Federation Australia, the A-League, only have nine Australia-based teams in the 2016–17 season, so Australia can only get a maximum of three total slots.
  2. ^
    Kuwait (KUW): The Kuwait Football Association is currently suspended by FIFA (as of November 2017). If the suspension is not lifted by the entry deadline, Kuwaiti teams will be excluded from the competition.[7]

Teams

In the following table, the number of appearances and last appearance count only those since the 2002–03 season (including qualifying rounds), when the competition was rebranded as the AFC Champions League.

Notes
  1. ^
    Indonesia (IDN): Bhayangkara, the 2017 Indonesia League 1 champions, failed to obtain an AFC licence. As a result, Bali United, the league runners-up, entered the qualifying play-offs.[8]
  2. ^
    Qatar (QAT): El Jaish, the 2016–17 Qatar Stars League 4th place, were merged into Lekhwiya to form Al-Duhail after the 2016–17 season.[9] As a result, Al-Gharafa, the league 5th place, entered the qualifying play-offs.
  3. ^
    Singapore (SIN): Albirex Niigata Singapore, the 2017 S.League champions, is a satellite team of Japanese club Albirex Niigata and thus ineligible to represent Singapore in AFC club competitions. As a result, Tampines Rovers, the league runners-up, entered the qualifying play-offs.
  4. ^
    United Arab Emirates (UAE): Al-Ahli, the 2016–17 UAE Pro-League 3rd place, merged with Al-Shabab and Dubai to form Shabab Al-Ahli Dubai after the 2016–17 season, and were excluded from the AFC Champions League for failing to be in existence for the necessary three year requirement. As a result, Al-Ain, the league 4th place, entered the qualifying play-offs (initially they failed to obtain an AFC license but later won their appeal).[10][11]

Schedule

The schedule of the competition is as follows.[12]

Stage Round Draw date First leg Second leg
Preliminary stage Preliminary round 1 No draw 16 January 2018
Preliminary round 2 23 January 2018
Play-off stage Play-off round 30 January 2018
Group stage Matchday 1 TBA December 2017 12–14 February 2018
Matchday 2 19–21 February 2018
Matchday 3 5–7 March 2018
Matchday 4 12–14 March 2018
Matchday 5 2–4 April 2018
Matchday 6 16–18 April 2018
Knockout stage Round of 16 7–9 May 2018 14–16 May 2018
Quarter-finals TBA May/June 2018 27–29 August 2018 17–19 September 2018
Semi-finals 1–3 October 2018 22–24 October 2018
Final 3 November 2018 10 November 2018

See also

References

  1. ^ "2018 AFC Champions League Competition Regulations" (PDF). AFC.
  2. ^ "Revamp of AFC competitions". AFC. 25 January 2014.
  3. ^ "ExCo approves expanded AFC Asian Cup finals". AFC. 16 April 2014.
  4. ^ a b "Entry Manual: AFC Club Competitions 2017–2020" (PDF). AFC.
  5. ^ a b c "AFC MA Ranking (as of 30 November 2016)" (PDF). AFC.
  6. ^ "AFC Club Competitions Ranking Mechanics (2016 version)" (PDF). AFC.
  7. ^ "FIFA Congress drives football forward, first female secretary general appointed". FIFA. Retrieved 13 May 2016.
  8. ^ "PSSI Tolak Banding Klub Terkait Lisensi AFC" [PSSI reject club appeals related to AFC license] (in Indonesian). Goal.com. 31 October 2017. Retrieved 1 November 2017.
  9. ^ "Lekhwiya, Al Jaish Clubs to Merge into One Club under the Name of Al Duhail Sports Club". www.qna.org.qa. Retrieved 11 April 2017.
  10. ^ "Al Ain ruled out of next year's ACL". Gulf News. 17 October 2017. Retrieved 20 October 2017.
  11. ^ "Al Ain cleared to play in AFC Champions League". Gulf News. 31 October 2017. Retrieved 1 November 2017.
  12. ^ "AFC Competitions Calendar 2018" (PDF). AFC. 15 November 2017.
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