AFC champions league
The AFC Champions League is the most prestigious club competition in Asian football. It is contested by the national league champions and, for some nations, one or more runners-up from their national associations. Make your football bets on the many exciting tournaments in the world of football.
Bet on the AFC Champions League
Saudi Arabia's Al-Hilal is the most successful team in the history of the AFC Champions League, with four titles (1991, 1999-2000, 2019, 2021). The winning team became Asian champions and qualified for the FIFA Confederations Cup. Bet on the FIFA Club World Cup on our sports betting platform.
The tournament itself starts with a group stage. The top teams in each group qualify for a knockout phase with a two-legged tie and an away goal rule.
A competition modelled on the European model
Teams playing in the AFC Champions League will soon be allowed to field more foreign players as part of a series of sweeping changes approved by the Asian Football Confederation (AFC). From the 2023-24 season, coaches will be allowed to field up to six foreign players in their starting line-ups, an increase of two from the current quota. At least one of these players must be from another Asian country in a 5+1 format.
The AFC also confirmed that the competition would move to an autumn-spring schedule for the first time since the inaugural AFC Champions League season in 2002-03. Previously, the competition has run from March to November since 2004. Although, Covid-19 has led to changes to this schedule in the last two years. The AFC hopes the move will benefit Asia's top clubs by allowing more synchronised transfer windows and better opportunities to recruit quality players and coaches worldwide.
Champions League East and West Zones Betting
For the U17, U20 and U23 Asian Cup tournaments, the AFC will abolish the current West-East zoning principles — a move that should simplify its competition arrangements. However, the East-West rule still applies to the Champions League.
The AFC Zone has 47 member associations divided into five regions. Due to the amount of distance between the Middle Eastern countries, the Asian countries and Australia, long-distance travel is limited. Thus, the East and West zones cannot meet until the final.
On the other hand, the AFC Cup started in 2004 as a second-tier competition linked to the AFC Champions League. Bet on Asian Cup qualifiers with bwin.