41st edition of premier club football tournament organized by the AFC
International football competition
The 2022 AFC Champions League was the 41st edition of Asia's premier club football tournament organized by the Asian Football Confederation (AFC), and the 20th under the current AFC Champions League title.
This edition was the last in an all-year-round (spring-to-autumn) schedule despite actually being held from 2022 to 2023; from the next season onwards, the competition switched to an autumn-to-spring schedule.[2]
This edition saw increase in numbers of preliminary players registration with 35 players, up from 30 in previous editions. This paved the way for more foreign players to be included in squad, although the AFC "3+1" foreign players rule was in effect during the match.[3][4]
Due to the emerging complications caused by the Omicron variant of COVID-19 and the associated risks, as well as the unique circumstances surrounding the football schedule before and after the 2022 FIFA World Cup, it was confirmed that the final, originally scheduled for October 2022, would not be completed until May 2023. As the 2022 FIFA Club World Cup would already be held by that time, the AFC confirmed on 23 December 2022 that Al-Hilal would be their representative at the 2022 FIFA Club World Cup as the reigning champions from the 2021 AFC Champions League.
Al-Hilal of Saudi Arabia were the defending champions. Urawa Red Diamonds defeated Al-Hilal 2–1 on aggregate in the final to win their third title.[5] As Asian champions, they automatically qualified for the 2023–24 AFC Champions League qualifying play-offs since they did not qualify through their domestic performance. In addition, they earned the right to play in both the 2023 FIFA Club World Cup in Saudi Arabia and the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup in the United States.
2021 AFC Cup winners Al-Muharraq, having not obtained an AFC license, were not eligible to participate in this edition.[6]
Association team allocation
The 47 AFC member associations are ranked based on their clubs' performance over the last four years in AFC competitions (their national team's FIFA World Rankings no longer considered).[7] The slots are allocated by the following criteria according to the Entry Manual:[8]
- The associations are split into two regions (Article 3.1):
- The top 12 associations in each region are eligible to enter the AFC Champions League.
- In each region, there are five groups in the group stage, including 16 direct slots, with the 4 remaining slots filled through qualifying play-offs (Article 3.2). The slots in each region are distributed as follows:[9][10]
- The associations ranked 1st and 2nd are each allocated three direct slots and one play-off slot.
- The associations ranked 3rd and 4th are each allocated two direct slots and two play-off slots.
- The associations ranked 5th are each allocated one direct slot and two play-off slots.
- The associations ranked 6th are each allocated one direct slot and one play-off slot.
- The associations ranked 7th to 10th are each allocated one direct slot.
- The associations ranked 11th and 12th are each allocated one play-off slot.
- The AFC Champions League title holders and AFC Cup title holders are each allocated one play-off slot should they not qualify for the tournament through domestic performance (Article 3.6). The following rules are applied:
- If the AFC Champions League title holders or AFC Cup title holders are from associations ranked 1st to 6th, their association is allocated the same number of play-off slots, and they replace the lowest-seeded team from their association. Otherwise, their association is allocated one additional play-off slot, and they do not replace any team from their association (Articles 3.8, 3.9 and 3.10).
- If both the AFC Champions League title holders and AFC Cup title holders are from the same association which is allocated only one play-off slot, their association is allocated one additional play-off slot, and only the lowest-seeded team from their association is replaced as a result (Article 3.11).
- The AFC Champions League title holders and AFC Cup title holders are the lowest-seeded teams in the qualifying play-offs if they do not replace any team from their association (Article 3.12).
- If any association ranked 1st to 6th do not fulfill any one of the AFC Champions League criteria, they have all their direct slots converted into play-off slots. The direct slots given up are redistributed to the highest eligible association by the following criteria (Articles 3.13 and 3.14):
- For each association, the maximum number of total slots is four and the maximum number of direct slots is three (Articles 3.4 and 3.5).
- If any association ranked 3rd to 6th is allocated one additional direct slot, one play-off slot is annulled and not redistributed.
- If any association ranked 5th to 6th is allocated two additional direct slots, one play-off slot is annulled and not redistributed.
- If any association ranked 7th to 10th do not fulfill any one of the AFC Champions League criteria, they have their direct slot converted into play-off slot. The direct slot given up is redistributed to the next association ranked 11th or 12th, whose play-off slot is annulled and not redistributed, or if neither are eligible, the highest eligible association by the same criteria as mentioned above (Articles 3.16 and 3.17).
- If any association with only play-off slot(s), including any association ranked 11th to 12th or those mentioned above, do not fulfill the minimum AFC Champions League criteria, the play-off slot(s) are annulled and not redistributed (Articles 3.19 and 3.20).
- For each association, the maximum number of total slots is one-third of the total number of eligible teams (excluding foreign teams) in the top division (Article 3.4). If this rule is applied, any direct slots given up are redistributed by the same criteria as mentioned above, and play-off slots are annulled and not redistributed (Article 9.10).
- All participating teams must be granted an AFC Champions League license, and apart from cup winners, finish in the top half of their top division (Articles 7.1 and 9.5). If any association do not have enough teams which satisfy these criteria, any direct slots given up are redistributed by the same criteria as mentioned above, and play-off slots are annulled and not redistributed (Article 9.9).
- If any team granted a license refuses to participate, their slot, either direct or play-off, is annulled and not redistributed (Article 9.11).
Association ranking
For the 2022-23 AFC Champions League, the associations are allocated slots according to their AFC Club Competitions Ranking which was published on 29 November 2019,[11][12] which takes into account their performance in the AFC Champions League and the AFC Cup during the period between 2016 and 2019.
- Notes
- ^
Iran (IRN): On 7 January 2022, the AFC announced that Esteghlal and Persepolis had not satisfied the mandatory criteria of the AFC Club Licensing Regulations, and their licences were withdrawn by the AFC's independent Entry Control Body, and thus were declared ineligible to participate in the 2022 AFC Champions League.[13]
- ^
Iraq (IRQ): Al-Najaf, the
2020–21 Iraqi Premier League third place, failed to obtain an AFC license,
[14] and
Al-Shorta, the league's fourth placed team, declined to participate in Al-Najaf's place.
[15] Therefore, Iraq's second play-off round slot was annulled.
- ^
Lebanon (LBN): Lebanon did not implement the club licensing system.[16]
- ^
China (CHN): Changchun Yatai, withdrew from the competition after the draw,
[17] with
Shanghai Port withdrawing on 11 April, as a result of lockdown measures enforced in Shanghai as a result of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.
[18] - ^
North Korea (PRK): North Korea did not implement the club licensing system.[16]
- ^
Myanmar (MYA): The team from Myanmar which originally entered the AFC Champions League,
Shan United, withdrew from the competition after the draw.
[19]
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
- ^
Title holders (TH): Al-Hilal are the
title holders.
- ^
Jordan (JOR): The
2021 Jordanian Pro League champions
Al-Ramtha were not granted an AFC Champions League license.
[16] - ^
Saudi Arabia (KSA): Al-Ittihad, the
2020–21 Saudi Professional League third place, failed to obtain an AFC license.
[20] As a result,
Al-Taawoun, the league's fourth-placed team, entered the qualifying play-offs.
[21] - ^
- ^
Philippines (PHI): Due to the
COVID-19 pandemic in the Philippines, the
2021 Philippines Football League was cancelled. The Philippine Football Federation has nominated
United City, the
2020 Philippines Football League champions, to participate.
[22] - ^
Syria (SYR): The
2020–21 Syrian Premier League champions
Tishreen were not granted an AFC Champions League license, and will play in the 2022 AFC Cup instead.
[16][23] - ^
Turkmenistan (TKM): Only Ahal were granted an AFC Champions League license, so the Ýokary Liga champions
Altyn Asyr were only eligible for the 2022 AFC Cup.
[16][23] - ^
Vietnam (VIE): Due to the
COVID-19 pandemic in Vietnam, the
2021 V.League 1 and
2021 Vietnamese Cup were both abandoned by the
Vietnam Football Federation. It was decided that the league's first-place team
Hoang Anh Gia Lai at the time of abandonment would take the AFC Champions League slot,
[24] with the AFC Cup slots to go to the second-and third-placed teams.
[25] - ^
Withdrawn Teams 1 (WDN1): Shan United withdrew from the competition on 19 January 2022.[26]
- ^
Withdrawn Teams 2 (WDN2): Changchun Yatai withdrew from the competition on 1 March 2022.[27]
- ^
Withdrawn Teams 3 (WDN3): Shanghai Port withdrew from the competition on 11 April 2022, as a result of the lockdown measures enforced in Shanghai.[18]
Location of teams of the
2022 AFC Champions League.
Brown: Group A;
Red: Group B;
Orange: Group C;
Yellow: Group D;
Pink: Group E;
Green: Group F;
Blue: Group G;
Cyan: Group H;
Turquoise: Group I;
Purple: Group J;
Qualifying play-offs
Schedule
The schedule of the competition was as follows. The final version was originally announced on 13 January 2022,[28] with the following modifications made on 9 December 2022: the West Region knockout stage matches were pushed back by two weeks in February, while the final was moved from 19 and 26 February to 29 April and 6 May 2023.[29]
Original schedule
The original schedule of the competition, as planned in 2019 before the pandemic, included a two-legged knockout stage.[30]
In June 2021, a minor revision was made to the schedule of the preliminary and play-off stages: matches were moved one week earlier in January.[31]
First major revision to schedule
On 5 July 2021, the AFC announced the first revised schedule of the competition, featuring a centralized group stage and single-leg knockout stage matches.[32]
Second major revision to schedule
On 13 January 2022, the AFC announced the second revised schedule of the competition, with the knockout stage of the West Region pushed back to February 2023, and a two-legged format restored for the final.[28]
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.[33]The bracket of the qualifying play-offs for each region was determined based on each team's association ranking and their seeding within their association, with the team from the higher-ranked association hosting the match. Teams from the same association could not be placed into the same tie. The seven winners of the play-off round (three from West Region and four from East Region) advanced to the group stage to join the 33 direct entrants.
Preliminary round
A total of two teams played in the preliminary round.
Play-off round
Group stage
The draw for the group stage was held on 17 January 2022 at the AFC House in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. The 40 teams were drawn into ten groups of four: five groups each in the West Region (Groups A–E) and the East Region (Groups F–J). For each region, teams were seeded into four pots and drawn into the relevant positions within each group, based on their association ranking and their seeding within their association, in consideration of the technical balance between groups. Teams from the same association could not be drawn into the same group.
In the group stage, each group was played in a double round-robin format in centralised venues. The winners of each group and three best runners-up from each region advanced to the round of 16 of the knockout stage.
Group A
Source: AFC
(H) Hosts
Notes:
- ^ a b Equal on head-to-head points. Head-to-head goal difference: Al-Hilal +1, Al-Rayyan –1.
Group B
Source: AFC
(H) Hosts
Notes:
- ^ a b Head-to-head points: Mumbai City 6, Al-Quwa Al-Jawiya 0.
Group C
Source: AFC
Group D
Source: AFC
Rules for classification:
Tiebreakers(H) Hosts
Notes:
- ^ a b Head-to-head points: Al-Taawoun 4, Sepahan 1.
Group E
Source: AFC
(H) Hosts
Notes:
- ^ a b Head-to-head points: Al-Faisaly 4, Nasaf Qarshi 1.
Group F
Source: AFC
Notes:
- ^ a b Head-to-head points: Daegu FC 4, Urawa Red Diamonds 1.
Group G
Source: AFC
(H) Hosts
Group H
Source: AFC
(H) Hosts
Group I
Source: AFC
(H) Hosts
Group J
Source: AFC
(H) Hosts
Ranking of second-placed teams
West Region
Source: AFC
Rules for classification: 1) Points; 2) Goal difference; 3) Goals scored; 4) Disciplinary points; 5) Drawing of lots.
East Region
As Group J only had three teams remaining, the results against fourth-placed teams in Groups F–I were omitted in this ranking.[36]
Source: AFC
Rules for classification: 1) Points; 2) Goal difference; 3) Goals scored; 4) Disciplinary points; 5) Drawing of lots.
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. All ties were played as a single-leg match (Regulations Article 9.1), except for the final, which was played over two legs. Extra time and penalty shoot-out were used to decide the winners if necessary (Regulations Article 9.3 and 10.1).[33]
Bracket
Round of 16
The round of 16 was played over one leg, with the matchups determined by the combination tables based on which group runners-up qualified.
Quarter-finals
The quarter-finals were played over one leg.
Semi-finals
The semi-finals were played over one leg.
Final
The final was played over two legs.
Urawa Red Diamonds won 2–1 on aggregate.
Top scorers
Team eliminated for this round.
Player was not in the team but the team was still active for this round.
Note: Goals scored in the qualifying play-offs and matches voided by AFC are not counted when determining top scorer (Regulations Article 64.4).[33]
See also
Notes
- ^ Shan United withdrew from the AFC Champions League and Melbourne Victory entered the play-off round instead of the preliminary round.[34]
- ^ Changchun Yatai withdrew from the competition after the draw. AFC decided to cancel the play-off match, and the winner of preliminary stage, Sydney FC, automatically advanced to the group stage.[35]
References
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- ^ "More Member Associations to benefit from inclusive AFC Champions League". the-afc.com. Asian Football Confederation. 23 November 2019. Archived from the original on 27 November 2019. Retrieved 14 January 2020.
- ^ "AFC's club competitions set for strategic reforms". the-AFC.com. Asian Football Confederation. 30 November 2021. Archived from the original on 25 February 2022. Retrieved 25 February 2022.
- ^ Orlowitz, Dan (6 May 2023). "Urawa beats Al Hilal to capture third Asian Champions League title". The Japan Times. Retrieved 6 May 2023.
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- ^ "Entry Manual for AFC Club Competitions (2021 Edition)". the-afc.com. Asian Football Confederation. Archived from the original on 2020-11-01. Retrieved 2020-09-15.
- ^ "More Member Associations to benefit from inclusive AFC Champions League". the-afc.com. Asian Football Confederation. 23 November 2019. Archived from the original on 27 November 2019. Retrieved 29 December 2020.
- ^ "Four Thailand clubs in AFC Champions League 2021; Philippines, Vietnam, Singapore also get group stage entry – Reports". Fox Sports Asia. 4 December 2019. Archived from the original on 6 December 2019. Retrieved 29 December 2020.
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- ^ "AFC Country Ranking 2019". FootyRankings. 24 November 2019. Archived from the original on 9 June 2019. Retrieved 24 November 2019.
- ^ "Latest Decisions by AFC Entry Control Body". the-afc.com. Asian Football Confederation. 7 January 2022. Archived from the original on 7 January 2022. Retrieved 7 January 2022.
- ^ "إتحاد القدم: ثلاث أندية تحصلوا على الرخصة للمشاركة في دوري أبطال آسيا". Archived from the original on 2021-11-22. Retrieved 2021-11-22.
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- ^ a b c d e "List of Licensed Clubs for the 2022 AFC Champions League" (PDF). the-AFC.com. Asian Football Confederation. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2021-12-05. Retrieved 2021-12-01.
- ^ "Latest update on the AFC Champions League 2022". the-afc.com. Asian Football Confederation. 1 March 2022. Archived from the original on 1 March 2022. Retrieved 1 March 2022.
- ^ a b "Latest update on the AFC Champions League 2022". the-AFC.com. Asian Football Confederation. 11 April 2022. Archived from the original on 22 April 2022. Retrieved 11 April 2022.
- ^ "AFC confirms the withdrawal of Myanmar clubs". the-afc.com. Asian Football Confederation. 19 January 2022. Archived from the original on 20 January 2022. Retrieved 19 January 2022.
- ^ "رسمياً.. عدم منح الاتحاد والنصر الرخصة الآسيوية". Archived from the original on 2021-11-02. Retrieved 2021-11-01.
- ^ "الهلال والشباب والفيصلي والتعاون لأبطال آسيا". November 2021. Archived from the original on 2021-11-01. Retrieved 2021-11-01.
- ^ Terrado, Jonas (31 October 2021). "United City to skip Copa Paulino Alcantara". Manila Bulletin. Archived from the original on 4 November 2021. Retrieved 1 November 2021.
- ^ a b "List of Licensed Clubs for the 2022 AFC Cup" (PDF). the-AFC.com. Asian Football Confederation. Archived (PDF) from the original on 2022-03-27. Retrieved 2021-12-01.
- ^ Duc Dong (27 November 2021). "Hoang Anh Gia Lai to represent Vietnam in AFC Champions League 2022". VN Express International. Archived from the original on 1 January 2022. Retrieved 1 January 2022.
- ^
- ^ "AFC confirms the withdrawal of Myanmar clubs". the-AFC.com. Asian Football Confederation. 19 January 2022. Archived from the original on 20 January 2022. Retrieved 19 January 2022.
- ^ "Latest update on the AFC Champions League 2022". the-AFC.com. Asian Football Confederation. 1 March 2022. Archived from the original on 1 March 2022. Retrieved 1 March 2022.
- ^ a b "Latest update on the AFC Champions League 2022". the-AFC. Archived from the original on 13 January 2022. Retrieved 13 January 2022.
- ^ "Latest update on the AFC Champions League 2022". the-AFC. 9 December 2022. Archived from the original on 21 December 2022. Retrieved 24 December 2022.
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- ^ "AFC competitions calendar 2022". Asian Football Confederation. 29 November 2019. Archived from the original on 21 June 2021. Retrieved 24 December 2022.
- ^ "Latest update on the AFC Club Competitions in 2021 and 2022". the-afc.com. Asian Football Confederation. 5 July 2021. Archived from the original on 24 December 2022. Retrieved 24 December 2022.
- ^ a b c d "AFC Champions League 2022 Competition Regulations" (PDF). the-AFC.com. Asian Football Confederation.
- ^ "AFC confirms the withdrawal of Myanmar clubs". the-AFC.com. Asian Football Confederation. 19 January 2022.
- ^ "Latest update on the AFC Champions League 2022". the-AFC.com. Asian Football Confederation. 1 March 2022.
- ^ a b "Latest update on the AFC Champions League 2022™". the-AFC.com. Asian Football Confederation. 11 April 2022. Retrieved 11 April 2022.
External links
Al-Quwa Al-Jawiya
Al-Zawraa
Al-Sadd
Al-Duhail
Al-Rayyan
Ulsan Hyundai
Daegu FC
Yokohama F. Marinos
BG Pathum United