The 1971 Asian Champion Club Tournament was the fourth edition of the annual Asian club football competition hosted by Asian Football Confederation. Initially, nine clubs from nine countries competed in the tournament, but Jardine Hong Kong withdrew before the draw, leaving eight clubs to compete. The tournament was held in Bangkok, Thailand from 21 March to 2 April: the tournament was originally scheduled to be held in Kuwait, but the AFC moved the tournament as Kuwaiti immigration laws would have seen the delegation of Israeli club Maccabi Tel Aviv refused entry into the country.
The eight clubs were split into two groups of four based on the results of a preliminary round, with the group winners and the runners-up advancing to the semifinals.
The final was scratched and Maccabi Tel Aviv were awarded their second Asian title after Iraqi club Aliyat Al-Shorta refused to play them out of solidarity with Palestine.Arabic Post - The History of Stars on Football ShirtsThe AFC and the Thai FA subsequently arranged a match between Maccabi and a Combined Bangkok team that was played in lieu of the final.
Participants Participants TeamQualifying method Punjab1970–71 Santosh Trophy champions Taj Tehran1970–71 Local League champions Aliyat Al-Shorta1969–70 Iraq Central FA Premier League champions Maccabi Tel Aviv1969–70 Liga Leumit champions Al-Arabi1969–70 Kuwaiti Premier League champions Perak FA1970 Malaysia Cup champions ROK Army1970 Korean National Football Championship champions Bangkok BankSelected by Football Association of Thailand
Withdrawals Jardine Hong Kong - 1969–70 Hong Kong First Division League champions
Teams location
Preliminary round These were the group allocation matches: each group consisted of two winners and two losers from this round.
Following the original draw, Aliyat Al-Shorta refused to play their scheduled opponent Maccabi Tel Aviv: subsequently, a second draw was conducted.
Group stage
Group A
Group B
1 Aliyat Al-Shorta refused to play for political reasons: the match was awarded to Maccabi 3–0.Maccabi to the semi-finals in Bangkok; beat Punjab 4:1 Davar, 28 March 1971, Page 12, Historical Jewish Press
Knockout stage
Semi-finals
Third-place match
Final
1 The final was scratched and Maccabi Tel Aviv were awarded the championship after Aliyat Al-Shorta refused to play for political reasons.
Exhibition match
This match was arranged by the AFC and the Thai FA, and was played in lieu of the final.
References
External links Asian Club Competitions 1971 at RSSSF.com