2023–24 AFC Champions League

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2023–24 AFC Champions League
Tournament details
DatesQualifying:
TBD
Competition proper:
TBD
TeamsCompetition proper: 40
Total (maximum): 55 (from 24 or 25 associations)
← 2022
→

The 2023–24 AFC Champions League will be the 42nd edition of Asia's premier club football tournament organized by the Asian Football Confederation (AFC), and the 21st under the current AFC Champions League title.

This season is the first to officially have a two-year (autumn-to-spring) schedule instead of an all-year-round (spring-to-autumn) schedule since the 2002–03 season.[1]

The winners of the tournament will automatically qualify for the , entering the qualifying play-offs, if they have not qualified through their domestic performance.[2]

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).[3] The slots are allocated by the following criteria according to the Entry Manual:[4]

  • 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:[5][6]
    • 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 this 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 2023–24 AFC Champions League, the associations are allocated slots according to their AFC Club Competitions Ranking which was published on 24 November 2021,[7][8][9] which takes into account their performance in the AFC Champions League and the AFC Cup during the period between 2018 and 2021.[a]

Participation for 2023–24 AFC Champions League
Participating
Not participating

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.

Note: Only teams assured of a place are displayed.[b]

Notes
  1. ^
    Hong Kong (HKG): Due to the COVID-19 pandemic in Hong Kong, the Hong Kong Premier League and all cup tournaments for the 2021–22 season were cancelled, with the teams to qualify for the Champions League yet to be announced.[10]

See also[]

Notes[]

  1. ^ the 2020 season is not included in the overall ranking due to the cancellation of the remaining match in the 2020 AFC Cup in the context of COVID-19 pandemic.
  2. ^ If the AFC Champions league winners are from top associations and have not qualified through their domestic performance, they will replace the lowest-seeded team from their association.

References[]

  1. ^ "AFC Executive Committee unveils dynamic enhancements to the AFC Club Competitions". the-AFC.com. Asian Football Confederation. 25 February 2022. Retrieved 25 February 2022.
  2. ^ "More Member Associations to benefit from inclusive AFC Champions League". the-afc.com. Asian Football Confederation. 23 November 2019. Retrieved 14 January 2020.
  3. ^ "AFC Club Competitions Ranking Mechanics". the-afc.com. Asian Football Confederation.
  4. ^ "Entry Manual for AFC Club Competitions (2021 Edition)". the-afc.com. Asian Football Confederation.
  5. ^ "More Member Associations to benefit from inclusive AFC Champions League". the-afc.com. Asian Football Confederation. 23 November 2019.
  6. ^ "Four Thailand clubs in AFC Champions League 2021; Philippines, Vietnam, Singapore also get group stage entry – Reports". Fox Sports Asia. 4 December 2019.
  7. ^ "Slot allocation for AFC Champions League and AFC Cup 2023 confirmed". AFC.
  8. ^ a b c "AFC Club Competitions Ranking". the-afc.com. Asian Football Confederation.
  9. ^ "AFC Country Ranking 2021". FootyRankings. 24 November 2021. Retrieved 10 December 2021.
  10. ^ "Arrangement of 2021-2022 BOC Life Hong Kong Premier League and cup matches". Hong Kong Football Association. 25 February 2022. Retrieved 2 March 2022.

External links[]

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