The 2024–25 AFC Champions League 2 (ACL2) will be the inaugural edition of the AFC Champions League 2, Asia's new second-tier club football tournament organized by the Asian Football Confederation (AFC).[1][2] It will feature 32 teams in the group stage.[3]
| Tournament details | |
|---|---|
| Teams | Competition proper: 32 (from 24 associations) |
Association team allocation edit
The associations are allocated slots according to their club competitions ranking,[4] which was published after the 2022 competitions were completed.[5]
NOTE: The following slot allocation is provisional. The final number of slots allocated to each association will be based on the AFC Champions League 2 criteria in the Entry Manual and confirmed by the AFC. |
| Participation for 2024–25 AFC Champions League 2 | |
|---|---|
| Participating | |
| Not participating | |
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Teams edit
NOTE 1: The following list of participating teams is provisional. The final list of participating teams will be confirmed by the AFC, based on the final slot allocation for each association and the list of teams passing the club licensing requirements. NOTE 2: Only teams assured of a place are displayed. |
- Notes
- ^ Malaysia (MAS): Johor Darul Ta'zim, the 2023 Malaysia FA Cup winners, also won the league title. As a result, the 2023 Malaysia Super League runners-up, Selangor, qualified for the Champions League 2.
- ^ Singapore (SIN): Albirex Niigata (S), the 2023 Singapore Premier League champions, are a team from Japan and thus ineligible to represent Singapore in AFC club competitions. As a result, Lion City Sailors, the Singapore Premier League runners-up, qualified for the Champions League 2 group stage. Since Lion City Sailors also won the 2023 Singapore Cup, Tampines Rovers FC, qualified for the qualifying play-offs as the second-best placed local team in the 2023 Singapore Premier League.
- ^ South Korea (KOR): Pohang Steelers had already qualified for the Champions League Elite as the 2023 K League 1 runners-up when they won the 2023 Korean FA Cup. Thus, third-placed Gwangju FC qualified for the Champions League Elite qualifying play-off, while the fourth-placed Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors qualified for the Champions League 2 group stage.
- ^ Tajikistan (TJK): Istiklol qualified for the group stage directly by winning the 2023 Tajikistan Higher League. Thus, Ravshan Kulob, the 2023 Tajikistan Cup runners-up, qualified for the qualifying play-offs.
Schedule edit
The schedule of the competition is as follows.[6]
| Stage | Round | Draw date | First leg | Second leg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Preliminary stage | Preliminary round 1 | TBA | 31 July 2024 | |
| Preliminary round 2 | 7 August 2024 | |||
| Preliminary round 3 | 14 August 2024 | |||
| Group stage | Matchday 1 | TBA | 17–19 September 2024 | |
| Matchday 2 | 1–3 October 2024 | |||
| Matchday 3 | 22–24 October 2024 | |||
| Matchday 4 | 5–7 November 2024 | |||
| Matchday 5 | 26–28 November 2024 | |||
| Matchday 6 | 3–5 December 2024 | |||
| Knockout stage | Round of 16 | TBA | 11–13 February 2025 | 18–20 February 2025 |
| Quarter-finals | 4–6 March 2025 | 11–13 March 2025 | ||
| Semi-finals | 8–9 April 2025 | 15–16 April 2025 | ||
| Final | 17 May 2025 | |||
See also edit
References edit
- ^ "Asian Champions League to relaunch with fewer teams and more prize money in 2024-25 season". AP News. August 14, 2023.
- ^ "History beckons for AFC Cup 2023/24 contenders as final edition of popular competition kicks off". the-AFC.com. Asian Football Confederation. 15 September 2023. Retrieved 21 September 2023.
- ^ "AFC Executive Committee approves biggest prize purse in Asian club football history from 2024/25; announces AFC Women's Champions League". the-AFC.
- ^ "AFC Club Competitions 2024/25 Slot Allocation" (PDF). fas.org.sg. Football Association of Singapore. 10 May 2023. Retrieved 22 August 2023.
- ^ "AFC Club Competitions Ranking". the-afc.com. Asian Football Confederation. 24 November 2021. Archived from the original on 7 January 2022. Retrieved 24 November 2021.
- ^ "AFC Competitions Committee approves key decisions on reformatted competitions". AFC. 1 July 2023.