The Asian Football Confederation (AFC) announced the launch of the AFC Women’s Champions League on Monday, along with the introduction of three new club competitions and major budget increases for the 76 Participating Teams, ushering in a new era for club football in the Continent.
The three ideas, which were chosen by the AFC Executive Committee during its second meeting, which was held virtually on Monday and presided over by AFC President Shaikh Salman bin Ebrahim Al Khalifa, will go into force for the 2024–2025 season. They are meant to promote greater growth and diversity.
The AFC announced in a release on Monday that the top tier of Asian club football, which will feature the top 24 participating clubs on the continent, will be known as the AFC Champions League Elite (ACLE), the 32-team second tier will be known as the AFC Champions League 2 (ACL2), and the final tier, where 20 clubs will compete for supremacy, is confirmed to be the AFC Challenge League (ACGL).
“Furthermore, the ACLE champions are set to be awarded a total of USD 12 million, marking a substantial increase compared to the USD 4 million that the eventual victors of the prestigious continental club prize will receive in the upcoming 2023/24 season,” the AFC release said.
On the other side, the losing finalist will get USD6 million, an increase of USD4 million from the upcoming season, when the runner-up would get USD2 million. There will be increases in perks and prize money for both the ACL2 and the ACGL.
With all qualified clubs from all member organisations (MAs) receiving invitations to compete and a financial distribution plan in place, which will be disclosed in due course, the AFC Women’s Champions League will offer top-notch action. The third iteration of the AFC Women’s Club Championships is set to take place later this year after the organisation of two successful pilot events in 2021 and 2022.
Shaikh Salman said: “Our club competitions are already amongst the best and most lucrative in Continental football, and today the AFC is embarking on a new and historic era with these forward-looking initiatives in both men’s and women’s Asian club football.”
“The AFC has outlined its ambitions to ensure our teams and players continue to shine through world-class competitions and a major part of this ambition is anchored on our promise to reinvest in our competitions, which is the lifeblood of development for all our Member Associations,” he was quoted as saying in a release.
“The AFC has always held the belief that we have a duty to reward success and the increase in prize money and the travel contributions in recent years created a lasting impact on our clubs and we have every faith that the strategic reforms and the new funding model will further raise the intensity, stature and quality of the Asian club game,” added the AFC President.
“The AFC Women’s Champions League is a major step aligned with our strategy to provide a platform to showcase the talent of women players on a Continental stage and we are confident that the competition will empower women in Asian football, contributing to gender equality and breaking down societal barriers, to make a positive impact on the growth of the women’s game.”
The most recent improvements are a culmination of a number of large investments made in the AFC’s premier club championships in recent years.
The prize pool for the AFC Champions League winners has increased from USD$1.5 million in 2015 to USD$4 million in 2018. The AFC Cup prize money has increased similarly, from US$350,000 in 2015 to US$1.5 million in 2018, nearly tripling. The travel contributions for all competitions at all stages were also quadrupled by the AFC in 2019.
The AFC Executive Committee also wished Australia luck for their Wednesday semifinal match against England in the FIFA Women’s World Cup Australia & New Zealand 2023 while praising the efforts of the other Asian women’s teams competing in the tournament, including China PR, Korea Republic, Philippines, and Vietnam. Japan was eliminated in the quarterfinals.
-IANS
