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2017 AFC Champions League

The 2017 AFC Champions League was the 36th edition of Asia's premier club football tournament organized by the Asian Football Confederation (AFC), and the 15th under the current AFC Champions League title.

Urawa Red Diamonds defeated Al-Hilal in the final to win their second AFC Champions League title, and qualified as the AFC representative at the 2017 FIFA Club World Cup in the United Arab Emirates.[1]

Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors were the defending champions, but they were excluded from the 2017 season due to a bribery scandal in the domestic K League Classic.[2] Jeonbuk appealed to the Court of Arbitration for Sport,[3] but their request for provisional measures was rejected on 3 February.[4]

Association team allocation

The AFC Competitions Committee proposed a revamp of the AFC club competitions on 25 January 2014,[5] which was ratified by the AFC Executive Committee on 16 April 2014.[6] 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):[7]

For the 2017 AFC Champions League, the associations were allocated slots according to their association ranking published on 30 November 2016,[8] 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.[7][9]

The slot allocation was announced on 7 December 2016, with India and Maldives returning to the West Region.[10] The final slot allocation, after unused slots were redistributed, was announced on 12 December 2016.[11][12]

Notes
  1. ^
    Iraq (IRQ): Iraq did not fulfill the AFC Champions League criteria.
  2. ^
    Kuwait (KUW): Kuwait could not enter due to FIFA's suspension of the Kuwait Football Association at the entry deadline.[14]
  3. ^
    Syria (SYR): Syria did not fulfill the AFC Champions League criteria.
  4. ^
    Lebanon (LIB): Lebanon did not fulfill the AFC Champions League criteria.
  5. ^
    Australia (AUS): The top division run by the Football Federation Australia, the A-League, only had nine Australia-based teams in the 2015–16 season, so Australia could only get a maximum of three total slots (Entry Manual 5.4).[7]
  6. ^
    Indonesia (IDN): Indonesia did not submit any entry.

Teams

The following 47 teams from 19 associations entered the competition.[11]

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. ^
    Hong Kong (HKG): Eastern, the 2015–16 Hong Kong Premier League champions, initially gave up their place in the AFC Champions League due to financial problems. As a result, the Hong Kong Football Association decided that Kitchee, the 2015–16 Hong Kong season play-off winners, would enter the group stage instead of the qualifying play-offs, while Southern District, the play-off runners-up, would enter the qualifying play-offs.[15] However, the AFC did not allow Kitchee to replace Eastern in the AFC Champions League group stage, and Kitchee would still enter the qualifying play-offs, while Southern District would not be able to participate in the AFC Champions League.[16][17] On 21 November 2016, the Hong Kong Football Association announced they had reversed their decision and would put forward Eastern and Kitchee as their representatives.[18]
  2. ^
    South Korea (KOR): On 18 January 2017, Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors, the 2016 K League Classic runners-up, were excluded from the 2017 AFC Champions League due to a bribery scandal in the domestic K League Classic.[19] As a result, Jeju United, the league 3rd place, entered the group stage instead of the qualifying play-offs to replace them, while Ulsan Hyundai, the league 4th place, entered the qualifying play-offs to replace Jeju United.[2]
  3. ^
    Saudi Arabia (KSA): Al-Ittihad, the 2015–16 Saudi Professional League 3rd place, could not participate in the AFC Champions League due to club licensing requirements problems. As a result, Al-Taawoun, the league 4th place, entered the group stage instead of the qualifying play-offs, while Al-Fateh, the league 5th place, entered the qualifying play-offs.[20]
  4. ^
    Singapore (SIN): Albirex Niigata Singapore, the 2016 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.
  5. ^
    Thailand (THA): Due to the death of King Bhumibol Adulyadej, the Football Association of Thailand cancelled the remainder of the 2016 Thai football season on 14 October 2016.[21] The standings of the 2016 Thai Premier League at the point of cancellation were declared as final, meaning Muangthong United and Bangkok United finished as the league champions and runners-up respectively.[22] The four semi-finalists of the 2016 Thai FA Cup were declared as co-winners, and a draw was held to decide which team would represent Thailand in the AFC Champions League, and was won by Sukhothai.[23]
2017 AFC Champions League is located in Asian Football Confederation
Al-Ahli
Al-Jazira Al-Wahda (p)
Al-Ain
Al-Ahli
Al-Hilal
Al-Taawoun
Al-Fateh (p)
Esteghlal K
Zob Ahan
Persepolis Esteghlal (p)
Qatar
Qatar
Teams from Qatar: Al-Rayyan Lekhwiya El Jaish (p) Al-Sadd (p)
Teams from Qatar:
Al-Rayyan
Lekhwiya
El Jaish (p)
Al-Sadd (p)
Lokomotiv Bunyodkor (p)
Nasaf (p)
Nasaf (p)
Al-Wehdat (p)
Bengaluru FC (p)
Al-Hidd (p)
FC Seoul
Suwon SB
Jeju U
Ulsan H (p)
Kashima A
Urawa RD
Kawasaki F
G Osaka (p)
Guangzhou E
Jiangsu S
Shanghai SIPG (p) Shanghai Sh (p)
Adelaide United
WS Wanderers
Brisbane Roar (p)
Muangthong U
Bangkok U (p)
Sukhothai (p)
Eastern Kitchee (p)
Hà Nội (p)
Johor DT (p)
Yadanarbon (p)
Global (p)
Global (p)
Tampines R (p)
class=notpageimage|
Location of teams of the 2017 AFC Champions League.
West Region
East Region
(p) Qualifying play-off participants

Schedule

The schedule of the competition was as follows.[24] Starting from 2017, matches in the West Region were played on Mondays and Tuesdays instead of Tuesdays and Wednesdays.[25]

Qualifying play-offs

In the qualifying play-offs, each tie was played as a single match. Extra time and penalty shoot-out were used to decide the winner if necessary (Regulations Article 9.2). The eight winners of the play-off round advanced to the group stage to join the 24 direct entrants. All losers in each round from associations with only play-off slots entered the AFC Cup group stage.[1]

The bracket of the qualifying play-offs for each region was determined by the AFC based on the association ranking of each team, with the team from the higher-ranked association hosting the match. Teams from the same association could not be placed into the same play-off.[12]

Preliminary round 1

Preliminary round 2

Play-off round

Group stage

The draw for the group stage was held on 13 December 2016, 16:00 MYT (UTC+8), at the Hilton Petaling Jaya in Petaling Jaya, Malaysia.[11][27][28] The 32 teams were drawn into eight groups of four: four groups each in the West Region (Groups A–D) and the East Region (Groups E–H). Teams from the same association could not be drawn into the same group.[12]In the group stage, each group was played on a home-and-away round-robin basis. The winners and runners-up of each group advanced to the round of 16 of the knockout stage.

Group A

Source: AFC
Notes:
  1. ^ a b Head-to-head results: Al-Ahli 2–1 Esteghlal, Esteghlal 1–1 Al-Ahli.
  2. ^ a b Head-to-head results: Al-Taawoun 1–0 Lokomotiv Tashkent, Lokomotiv Tashkent 4–4 Al-Taawoun.

Group B

Source: AFC

Group C

Source: AFC

Group D

Source: AFC

Group E

Source: AFC

Group F

Source: AFC
Notes:
  1. ^ a b Head-to-head results: Shanghai SIPG 3–2 Urawa Red Diamonds, Urawa Red Diamonds 1–0 Shanghai SIPG (Urawa Red Diamonds won on away goals).
  2. ^ a b Head-to-head results: FC Seoul 2–3 Western Sydney Wanderers, Western Sydney Wanderers 2–3 FC Seoul (tied on head-to-head results, ranked on total goal difference).

Group G

Source: AFC
Notes:
  1. ^ a b Head-to-head results: Guangzhou Evergrande 1–1 Kawasaki Frontale, Kawasaki Frontale 0–0 Guangzhou Evergrande (Kawasaki Frontale won on away goals).

Group H

Source: AFC

Knockout stage

In the knockout stage, the 16 teams played a single-elimination tournament, with the teams split into the two regions until the final. Each tie was played on a home-and-away two-legged basis. The away goals rule, extra time (away goals would not apply in extra time) and penalty shoot-out were used to decide the winner if necessary (Regulations Article 11.3).[1]

Bracket

The bracket was decided after the draw for the knockout stage, which was held on 6 June 2017, 16:00 MYT (UTC+8), at the JW Marriott Hotel Kuala Lumpur in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.[12][26][29][30]

Round of 16

In the round of 16, the winners of one group played the runners-up of another group from the same region, with the matchups determined by the group stage draw, and the group winners hosting the second leg.[12]

Quarter-finals

The draw for the quarter-finals was held on 6 June 2017. In the quarter-finals, the four teams from the West Region played in two ties, and the four teams from the East Region played in two ties, with the matchups and order of legs decided by draw, without any seeding or country protection.[26][29][30]

Semi-finals

In the semi-finals, the two quarter-final winners from the West Region played each other, and the two quarter-final winners from the East Region played each other, with the order of legs determined by the quarter-final draw.[26]

Final

In the final, the two semi-final winners played each other, with the order of legs (first leg hosted by team from the West Region, second leg hosted by team from the East Region) reversed from the previous season's final.[26]

King Fahd International Stadium, Riyadh
Attendance: 59,136
Referee: Adham Makhadmeh (Jordan)
Saitama Stadium 2002, Saitama
Attendance: 57,727
Referee: Ravshan Irmatov (Uzbekistan)

Urawa Red Diamonds won 2–1 on aggregate.

Awards

Main awards

All-Star Squad

Source:[33]

Opta Best XI

Source:[34]

Top scorers

  Team eliminated / inactive for this round.

Note: Goals scored in the qualifying play-offs are not counted when determining top scorer (Regulations Article 64.4).[1]

Source: AFC[35]

Player of the week awards

See also

References

  1. ^ a b c d e "2017 AFC Champions League Competition Regulations" (PDF). AFC. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2017-12-15. Retrieved 2017-12-05.
  2. ^ a b "Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors ineligible for AFC Champions League 2017". AFC. 18 January 2017.
  3. ^ "JEONBUK HYUNDAI MOTORS FILE A REQUEST FOR PROVISIONAL MEASURES AT THE COURT OF ARBITRATION FOR SPORT (CAS)" (PDF). CAS. 27 January 2017.
  4. ^ "COURT OF ARBITRATION FOR SPORT (CAS) REJECTS THE REQUEST FOR PROVISIONAL MEASURES FILED BY JEONBUK HYUNDAI MOTORS" (PDF). CAS. 3 February 2017.
  5. ^ "Revamp of AFC competitions". AFC. 25 January 2014.
  6. ^ "ExCo approves expanded AFC Asian Cup finals". AFC. 16 April 2014.
  7. ^ a b c "Entry Manual: AFC Club Competitions 2017–2020" (PDF). AFC.
  8. ^ a b c "AFC MA Ranking (as of 30 November 2016)" (PDF). AFC.
  9. ^ "AFC Club Competitions Ranking Mechanics (2016 version)" (PDF). AFC.
  10. ^ a b "AFC Champions League 2017 slot allocation and draw date set". AFC. 7 December 2016. Archived from the original on 10 December 2016. Retrieved 7 December 2016.
  11. ^ a b c "Champions Jeonbuk to learn ACL 2017 opponents on Tuesday". AFC. 12 December 2016.
  12. ^ a b c d e "AFC Champions League 2017 Draw Mechanism" (PDF). AFC. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2017-12-06. Retrieved 2017-12-05.
  13. ^ "MA's Licensed Club 2017" (PDF). AFC. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2017-12-15. Retrieved 2017-12-05.
  14. ^ "FIFA Congress drives football forward, first female secretary general appointed". FIFA. Archived from the original on May 16, 2016. Retrieved 13 May 2016.
  15. ^ "Money talks: Hong Kong Premier League champions Eastern give up historic AFC Champions League place after losing financial backing". South China Morning Post. 18 July 2016.
  16. ^ "Hong Kong's Champions League debut in doubt with AFC set to block Kitchee's bid to replace Premier League winners Eastern". South China Morning Post. 17 November 2016.
  17. ^ "Eastern 'ready to return' to AFC Champions League as Kitchee attack Hong Kong FA chief for 'blunder' in eligibility fiasco". South China Morning Post. 18 November 2015.
  18. ^ "Chan Yuen-ting poised to become first female head coach in the AFC Champions League after Eastern are reinstated". South China Morning Post. 21 November 2016.
  19. ^ "Reigning champions disqualified from top Asian club football tournament". english.yonhapnews.co.kr. 18 January 2017. Retrieved 18 January 2017.
  20. ^ "التعاون إلى دوري آسيا مباشرة والفتح يخوض الملحق". alriyadh.com (in Arabic). Al Riyadh. 23 October 2016. Retrieved 24 October 2016.
  21. ^ "ประกาศ : เรื่องยุติการแข่งขันกีฬาฟุตบอล ฟุตซอล ฟุตบอลชายหาด ประจำฤดูกาล ๒๕๕๙". 14 October 2016. Archived from the original on 14 February 2019. Retrieved 7 September 2019.
  22. ^ "Kirins bag title as league ties are cancelled". Bangkok Post. 15 October 2016.
  23. ^ "OFFICIAL : สุโขทัยจับสลากได้สิทธิ์ลุย ACL 2017". GOAL.com. 20 October 2016.
  24. ^ "AFC Calendar of Competitions 2017" (PDF). AFC.
  25. ^ "AFC Competitions Committee decisions". AFC. 12 April 2016.
  26. ^ a b c d e "AFC Champions League 2017: And then there were eight..." AFC. 5 June 2017.
  27. ^ "AFC Champions League 2017: Official Draw". YouTube. 13 December 2016.
  28. ^ "AFC Champions League 2017 draw concluded". AFC. 14 December 2016.
  29. ^ a b "AFC Champions League 2017 - Official Draw". YouTube. 6 June 2017.
  30. ^ a b "AFC Champions League quarter-final ties confirmed". AFC. 6 June 2017.
  31. ^ "Yosuke Kashiwagi clinches AFC Champions League MVP Award". AFC. 25 November 2017. Retrieved 25 November 2017.
  32. ^ "Omar Khribin bags AFC Champions League Top Scorer Award". AFC. 25 November 2017. Retrieved 25 November 2017.
  33. ^ "AFC Champions League 2017 Technical Report". AFC. Retrieved 2022-05-12.
  34. ^ "The Best ACL2017 XI announced!". Asian Football Confederation. 2020-07-05. Retrieved 2022-05-10.
  35. ^ "Top Goal Scorers (by Stage) – 2017 AFC Champions League (Group Stage, Round of 16, Knock-out Stage)". the-afc.com. AFC.
  36. ^ "ACL MD1 Toyota Player of the Week". AFC. 27 February 2017.
  37. ^ "ACL 2017 MD2 Toyota Player of the Week: Kim In-sung". AFC. 3 March 2017.
  38. ^ "ACL 2017 MD3 Toyota Player of the Week: Yun Il-lok". AFC. 16 March 2017.
  39. ^ "ACL 2017 MD4 Toyota Player of the Week: Ko Seung-beom". AFC. 14 April 2017.
  40. ^ "ACL 2017 MD5 Toyota Player of the Week: Khalid Eisa". AFC. 28 April 2017.
  41. ^ "ACL 2017 MD6 Toyota Player of the Week: Nicolas Milesi". AFC. 12 May 2017.
  42. ^ "#ACL2017 Round of 16 Toyota Player of the Week: Teerasil Dangda". AFC. 25 May 2017.
  43. ^ "#ACL2017 Toyota Player of the Week: Omar Abdulrahman". AFC. 1 June 2017.
  44. ^ "ACL 2017 Quarter-final 1st leg Toyota Player of the Week: Yu Kobayashi". AFC. 25 August 2017.
  45. ^ "ACL 2017 Quarter-final 2nd Leg Toyota Player of the Week: Carlos Eduardo". AFC. 14 September 2017.
  46. ^ "ACL 2017 Semi-final 1st leg Toyota Player of the Week: Omar Khribin". AFC. 28 September 2017.
  47. ^ "ACL 2017 Semi-final 2nd leg Toyota Player of the Week: Godwin Mensha". AFC. 19 October 2017.
  48. ^ "ACL2017 Final Toyota Player of the Week: Mohammed Al Burayk". AFC. 27 November 2017.

External links