AFC Champions League to kick off in centralized venue in April

▲ In this Associated Press file photo from Dec. 19, 2020, members of Ulsan Hyundai FC celebrate winning the Asian Football Confederation Champions League title at Al Janoub Stadium in Al Wakrah, Qatar. (Yonhap)

▲ This image, captured from the website of the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) on Jan. 26, 2021, shows the schedule for the 2021 AFC Champions League. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)

football-tournament

AFC Champions League to kick off in centralized venue in April

By Yoo Jee-ho

SEOUL, Jan. 26 (Yonhap) -- Asia's top club football competition will kick off in centralized venues in April to limit travels for participants during the coronavirus pandemic, the event's organizers announced Tuesday.

The Asian Football Confederation (AFC) said the group stages for its signature club tournament, AFC Champions League, will be played in yet-to-be-determined centralized locations for the West and East regions.

West region matches for teams in the Middle East and Central Asia will take place from April 14-30. Those in the East region, including South Korea, will play their group matches from April 21-May 7.

Two K League 1 clubs, Ulsan Hyundai FC and Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors, will be in the group stage. Ulsan are the defending champions. Two more, Pohang Steelers and Daegu FC, will play in the qualifying playoffs on April 14, with the winner moving on to the group stage.

The group stage for last year's tournament began in February but came to a halt in March due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The competition for the West region resumed in September and East region clubs returned to action in November -- with all remaining group matches and knockout matches played in a bubble set up in Qatar. Ulsan won their title on Dec. 19.

The AFC also announced Tuesday the round of 16 will be played Sept. 13-15, and the quarterfinals will be Sept. 27-29. Both rounds will be played in single matches, as was the case in 2020.

The semifinals will be back to the usual two-leg setup, over Oct. 19-20 and Oct. 26-27. The championship final, also a two-leg affair, will be played on Nov. 21 and 27.

This year's tournament will be the largest ever, as it will feature 40 clubs in the group stage, up from 32 in previous years.

The group stage draw will be Wednesday.

(END)

(C) Yonhap News Agency. All Rights Reserved