Moataz Al Shami (Abu Dhabi)
Al-Ittihad newspaper sources revealed that the Asian Football Confederation intends to double the marketing and sponsorship income for club championships within 3 years, after introducing the new system for competitions with the current season, which begins with the first round of the “AFC Champions League for Elite” and “Champions League 2” on September 16 and 17.
According to the current financial prizes, the champion of the first edition of the “Elite Champions League” this season will receive 44 million dirhams, or up to 12 million dollars, while the champion of the “Champions League 2” will receive about 4 million dollars, which is equivalent to approximately 15 million dirhams.
Expectations within the competitions management offices of the continental federation indicate that the new format of club competitions allows for strong and competitive matches in the East and West, in addition to increasing the participation and appearance of big clubs in the two tournaments, after allowing professional league clubs to participate in both tournaments together, which adds a public and media dimension to the tournaments, in addition to marketing and sponsorship gains.
Regarding the delay in announcing the schedule of matches for the “Elite Champions”, the Continental Competitions Administration decided to postpone it to discuss more proposals and requirements submitted by the tournament clubs, which participated in a special workshop held before the draw ceremony, to determine the necessary amendments before the start of the tournament, and the schedule of matches will be issued in the coming hours.
On the other hand, the AFC Marketing Committee praised the new brands for club competitions, which reflect the dawn of a new era for club competitions in the continental federation, which reflects the implementation of a comprehensive strategy to develop competitions during the coming period.
Abdullah Nasser Al Junaibi, First Vice President of the Football Association, President of the Professional League, and member of the Asian Executive Office, attended the Marketing Committee meetings on the sidelines of the draw ceremony for the “AFC Champions League 2” and “AFC Champions League Elite” tournaments, in his capacity as Vice President of the Committee and representative of the UAE. The Committee discussed the successes achieved during the tournaments that ended for national teams and clubs last season, especially the last edition of the Champions League won by Al Ain. It also discussed the marketing and audience positives and doubling the number of views for the continental tournaments, which reflects the successes of the Committee’s strategy.
It is noteworthy that the AFC club championships have entered a new era, with the draw for the league stage of the AFC Champions League Elite 2024-2025 being held in the Malaysian capital, Kuala Lumpur. The draw revealed the anticipated confrontations between the best 24 clubs in the Asian continent, in the first edition of the renewed continental championship.
For the first time, the league phase, which is considered a fundamental change in the AFC club competitions, is being implemented by holding two league tournaments, each of which includes 12 teams in the West and East regions.
The league stage matches will be held with the participation of 24 clubs, distributed over two regions, the West and the East, from September 16, 2024 to February 19, 2025, so that each team will meet eight different clubs, through 4 matches at home, and 4 matches away from home.
The best eight teams in each league will qualify for the round of 16, scheduled to be held in March 2025, followed by the final rounds, which will be held in a group system, starting from the quarter-finals, with Saudi Arabia hosting the final rounds from April 25 until the final match on May 4, 2025.
Through a draw, and based on a special electronic system, the four matches that each team will play at home, and the other four matches that it will play away from home, were determined.
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