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According to the thoughts of senior AFC officials, the 2020 AFC Champions League will not be canceled. But in the context of the epidemic, the question of how the AFC Champions League went smoothly this season continues to plague the AFC. The AFC is reported to have recently drafted a new AFC competition plan in accordance with the “racing system,” that is, the East and West Asia regions play separately, starting from the group stage until they occur. the champions of each region, thus compressing the event cycle to the fullest extent. Spend enough time with the professional league of the AFC member association.
With effective prevention and control of the epidemic on a global scale, the restart of football matches in various countries (regions) is no longer a fantasy. Within Asia, the Korean K-League is scheduled to start on the 8th of this month. The league in some Southeast Asian countries like Vietnam will also restart in mid to late May. West Asian countries announced that they will restart the 2019-20 national competition no later than August.
These countries have recently contacted the AFC, hoping to confirm the specific schedule of national team matches and club matches in Asia in the second half of this year as soon as possible, in order to finalize the schedule. specific to various national and national events according to the calendar of intercontinental events. For example, when the AFC Champions League is restarted it is particularly interesting. This also put pressure on the AFC.
Under the original agreement, the AFC had planned to announce new times for various events in late April, including the new schedule for the AFC Champions League and the last four rounds of the group round of the World Cup qualifying rounds in which the national team participated in. But so far AFC has yet to deliver a clear message and a specific timetable. This is because the impact of the epidemic on football continues. Taking East Asia as an example, Japan recently announced an extension of the state of emergency. Such problems also make it impossible for the AFC to clearly define the start time of related events.
The AFC is reported to have recently continued to contact several member associations. In addition to the arrangement of the competition calendar, the content of the communication also involves topics such as the appointment of referees for the AFC Champions League and other events. The AFC umpires department also implemented umpire training through online methods during the epidemic to ensure normal law enforcement after the restart of the AFC Champions League.
As for the question of the postponement of the AFC Champions League, the AFC has also repeatedly demonstrated this. Previously, in order to ensure the smooth progress of the AFC Champions League this year, the AFC had proposed to replace the home and away system for the group stage and 1/8 finals, and the Asian regions East and West Asia separated. Countries, and make sure that all teams in each group play in a neutral position. For example, the career plan for the West Asia Region is scheduled for Uzbekistan and Qatar, and the career plan for the East Asia Region is scheduled for Malaysia and the Philippines. After the quarterfinals occur, the AFC will begin the quarterfinals, semifinals, and finals in September, October, and November according to the competition’s original schedule, and will continue to use the home and away system.
Regarding this motion, the relevant associations in the West Asia region generally expressed their approval, but the Japan and South Korea Football Associations in the East Asia region clearly expressed their opposition. The attitude of the Chinese Football Association was initially similar to that of the Japan and Korea Football Associations, and the Association also presented views on the single round robin game against the tournament system proposal. However, the AFC did not give a specific response.
AFC is reportedly currently considering a new program. Specifically, this year’s AFC Champions League will be scheduled for August, with the tournament system completely replacing the home and away system. For the sake of fairness, the results of the group matches that have been completed are not counted. The AFC will choose a venue instead of forcing teams to play neutral. Under this plan, the four teams from the West Asia region will meet in one place, and the group stage will be a one-round round. Then the top 2 from each group will qualify, and then the quarterfinals and semifinals of the single round will be held until the champion of the West Asia region occurs.
The East Asia region also refers to the same method of competition. This means that teams entering the finals can participate in up to 6 games, and teams participating in the championship finals have finally been created. Until November, the East Asia Regional Championship team will reach the final with the West Asia Regional Championship team to produce this year’s championship. According to the original AFC schedule, the two rounds of the final will be held on November 22 and 28, respectively.
The main reason for the AFC to formulate this plan is that home and away matches in the AFC Champions League will take up a lot of playing time, affecting the progress of various association events. The form of 16 tournaments can greatly reduce the period of competition, giving way to leagues in various countries.
Currently, the Qatar Football Association is actively communicating with the AFC. Because Qatar hosts the 2022 World Cup, it has built a series of air-conditioned stadiums to ensure that the game can run smoothly in the hot summer. Regarding the organization of events in the East Asia region, further consultation is needed.
Qatar World Cup Venue
In view of this year’s special situation, AFC also plans to formulate new rules for the AFC Champions League this year. Considering the epidemic situation, the AFC will adopt the empty court method for the AFC Champions League.
As for the final championship in November, they will not be subject to similar restrictions. If this plan cannot be implemented, the AFC will launch an alternative plan. That is, teams from all regions are still concentrated in one place: the group stage and 1/8 finals still use the tournament system, and only use the one-round system. Subsequently, according to the established plan, the quarterfinals, semifinals and finals will be held in September, October and November, respectively. The original round trip system conforms to a single winning system, the purpose is also to compress the competition cycle. A single game can be organized in a neutral location, or it can be organized on one of the two sides, the AFC will launch specific rules.
AFC Secretary General Windsor publicly thanked AFC affiliated associations and professional leagues for their support of AFC work. At the same time, the AFC also supported member association efforts and work to restore the soccer game.
The AFC is slated to restart the AFC Champions League in early August. The premise is that all participating teams are ready. Windsor said: “The principle of our AFC is to ensure that the impact of the AFC Champions League on the national leagues of various countries and regions is minimized as much as possible, so that member associations can complete their national competitions as soon as possible “
It is understood that in the middle of this month the AFC will hold a video conference to discuss the schedule of the remaining matches in the AFC Champions League and the World Cup Qualifiers. The exact schedule for the entire AFC Champions League may be clear. As for the World Top 40 competition, the AFC is originally scheduled for October and November of this year.
By Xiao Yu, reporter for the Beijing Youth DailyBack to Sohu, see more
