On August 5, Ma Dexing wrote an article revealing the format of the inaugural Asian Champions League Elite Tournament for the 2024-25 season.
Firstly, the Asian Champions League Elite Tournament will be played in a league format, with East and West Asian divisions. Each division will consist of 12 teams. During the league stage, each team will play eight matches, including four home games and four away games. The final standings for the East and West Asian groups will be determined based on total points. This is similar to the “Swiss system.” However, the difference is that while the first round is decided by draw, the subsequent seven rounds are not determined based on points after each round. Instead, they will be decided all at once by the AFC in a draw ceremony on August 16.
The AFC will also divide the 12 teams in each division into two tiers. Teams in the same tier will play four matches against each other, while teams in different tiers will play four matches against teams from the other tier. The opponents for each round will be determined by a draw.
The tiers are as follows:
Tier 1: Kobe Vissel Kobe (Japan), Ulsan Hyundai (South Korea), Shanghai SIPG (China), Buriram United (Thailand), Central Coast Mariners (Australia), Johor Darul Ta’zim (Malaysia);
Tier 2: Kawasaki Frontale (Japan), Pohang Steelers (South Korea), Shanghai Shenhua (China), Yokohama F. Marinos (Japan), Gwangju FC (South Korea), Play-off Winner (Shandong Taishan or Bangkok United).
In terms of the draw, the AFC will also adhere to the principle of avoiding teams from the same country, meaning that teams from the same country will not be able to meet in the “League Stage” or “Group Stage.”
In this regard, Ma Dexing provided an example: “Taking Shanghai SIPG as an example, there could be two Chinese Super League teams in Tier 2. Since they need to play four matches against teams in Tier 2, it means they will inevitably face two Japanese clubs and two South Korean clubs in Tier 2. As for the other five teams in the same tier, including Japanese, South Korean, Thai, Australian, and Malaysian teams, four opponents will be determined by draw. It is possible that they will continue to face Japanese or South Korean clubs. This means Shanghai SIPG will face three Japanese and South Korean clubs in total.”
“As for Shanghai Shenhua, which is a Tier 2 team, if Shandong Taishan qualifies for the main tournament, they will need to play four matches against teams in Tier 2, meaning they will face both Japanese and South Korean teams in the same tier. They will also play against four opponents from the five teams in Tier 1, excluding Shanghai SIPG, which could also involve Japanese or South Korean clubs. Of course, they could also draw against only Kobe Vissel Kobe, the Japanese champion team, and avoid the South Korean champion team, Ulsan Hyundai, or vice versa. The situation would be the same for Shandong Taishan.”
After completing the eight matches in the league stage, the top eight teams from each division will advance to the Round of 16. The Round of 16 will be played on a home-and-away basis, and the pairings will be determined based on the league stage rankings, specifically: East Asia 1st vs 8th, East Asia 2nd vs 7th, East Asia 3rd vs 6th, East Asia 4th vs 5th. Moreover, the lower-ranked team will play at home first, while the higher-ranked team will host the second leg.
After the eight teams are determined, they will travel to Saudi Arabia for a centralized tournament format. The eight teams will be drawn without regard for East or West Asia, ensuring that East Asian teams will face West Asian teams in the quarter-finals, while West Asian teams must play against East Asian teams. All matches in the knockout stages will be single-elimination.
Finally, Ma Dexing pointed out that in the revamped Asian Champions League Elite Tournament, Chinese Super League teams will have a significantly higher chance of encountering Japanese and South Korean teams, and the intensity of the matches will also increase. Therefore, the draw ceremony on August 16 is crucial, as it will not only determine the opponents but also the home and away advantage.
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