23/24 AFC Champions League

[John Arne]

Not significant enough to post in the main monthly football thread, but definitely more significant than the other shit leagues thread.

AFC Champions League group stage kicked off this week. Groups are split between East and West, with teams being separated until the final, so the final is always a West v East affair.

Saudi, Korean and Japanese teams are generally the big-hitters. Past five winners:

2018 Kashima Antlers
2019 Al-Hilal
2020 Ulsan Hyundai
2021 Al-Hilal
2022 Urawa Red Diamonds

No real surprises this year, with the typical big teams lurking around, plus the odd decent underdog such as Buriram (Thailand) and JDT (Malaysia). Lebanon and North Korea both decided not to enter the competition this year. Poor April 25 SC.

West



East



I'll be backing Hanoi, even though they are a bunch of cunts - Vietnam needs the sweet club coefficient points.

[John Arne]

I think the AFC tourney always feels a little more old school and romantic than the UEFA version, with a lot of smaller countries still knocking about by the group stages, such as Singapore, HK, Thailand and Vietnam.

[Ben]

10 group winners + 6 best 2nd placed progress to the Round of 16. Why not just 8 groups of 5?

[John Arne]

10 group winners + 6 best 2nd placed progress to the Round of 16. Why not just 8 groups of 5?

Yeah, good question. I imagine it's just "because". They've always (mostly) had groups of 4, so probably didn't want to change it too much. I think there way also makes it a little more likely that a big team doesn't lose out.

[John Arne]

Fucking amateur hour over in the AFC. Saudi club finally agreed to play in Iran, only to then refuse to come out because of some statue shite.

Throw them all out.

View Tweet

[John Arne]

Was a decent atmosphere, too.

View Tweet

The Iranian fans then starting pelting shit at said statue. #revolution

View Tweet