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5 unusual facts about AFC Champions League


2005 ASEAN Club Championship

The champions of Liga Indonesia (Persebaya Surabaya) apparently did not enter due to a congested fixture list (AFC Champions League, Liga Indonesia and Indonesian Cup).

Aga Khan Gold Cup

Some people regard this competition as a predecessor of Asian Club Championship/AFC Champions League(held for the first time in 1967),since it was the first organized international competition that involved club teams around Asia.

Jaime Pacheco

However, following a 0–1 group stage loss against Iran's Sepahan F.C. for the campaign's AFC Champions League on 15 April 2010, he was sacked.

José Roberto Rodrigues Mota

In 2010, José Mota was the top scorer in the AFC Champions League with nine goals, though his Suwon Bluewings team only managed to reach the quarter final stage.

Sports league ranking

Similarly, top teams in other parts of the world can qualify for the Copa Libertadores, AFC Champions League, CAF Champions League, CONCACAF Champions League, or OFC Champions League.


Alireza Mohammad

After signing with Persepolis, he became a starter right away under head coach Afshin Ghotbi and during the same season when Afshin Peyrovani and Nelo Vingada took over as the managers of the club, he was still a starter both in the league and the AFC Champions League.

Hyrulnizam Juma'at

On 23 March 2010, Hyrulnizam made his Asian Champions League debut, coming on for Shahril Jantan in the 89th minute, keeping a cleansheet as well as two saves.

Levir Culpi

With such players as Kagawa, Inui, Akihiro Ienaga, Hiroshi Kiyotake, Adriano Ferreira Martins, and Luís Fernando Martinez, the team finished 3rd in 2010 and qualified for the AFC Champions League.

Manila Lions F.C.

The also participated on now defunct Asian Champion Club Tournament (the older version of AFC Champions League) in 1969 edition held in Bangkok, Thailand where they finished last in Group A of the group stage.

Masoud Zeraei

Zeraei was available for the Qatar U-23 team in the 2011 GCC Games as one of the overage against UAE in the third place match, as Al Arabi's game against Al Sadd was postponed due to Al Sadd's involvement in the AFC Champions League.

Sergio van Dijk

He signed a contract with Sepahan in December 2013, effective from 1 January 2014 to play for the team in the Iran Pro League and AFC Champions League.

Sport in Iran

Iranian clubs (Esteghlal and Pas) have three times won the Asian Club Championship (1970, 1991, 1993), but the last championship of an Iranian team at AFC Champions League dated back to the 1992-1993 season.

Yangzee FC

The team dominated the domestic football scene at the time, and in 1968 reached the final of the Asian Club Championship, losing 1-0 to Maccabi Tel Aviv in the final in Bangkok.


see also

Al Rayyan Futsal Team

In May 2011 Al Rayyan signed two Iranian international stars on loan from Foolad Mahan to participate in the AFC Champions League 2011: Mohammad Taheri (the best Asian player in 2010) and Ali Hassanzadeh.

Darío Conca

On 1 May, he scored a penalty after Guangzhou's Zhang Linpeng had been brought down in a home AFC Champions League match against Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors.