The 2016 AFC Champions League was the 35th edition of Asia's premier club football tournament organized by the Asian Football Confederation (AFC), and the 14th under the current AFC Champions League title.
Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors defeated Al-Ain in the final to win their second AFC Champions League title, and qualified as the AFC representative at the 2016 FIFA Club World Cup in Japan, their second appearance in the FIFA Club World Cup. Guangzhou Evergrande were the defending champions, but were eliminated in the group stage.
Association team allocation The AFC Competitions Committee proposed a revamp of the AFC club competitions on 25 January 2014, which was ratified by the AFC Executive Committee on 16 April 2014. The 46 AFC member associations (excluding the associate member Northern Mariana Islands) are ranked based on their national team's and clubs' performance over the last four years in AFC competitions, with the allocation of slots for the 2015 and 2016 editions of the AFC club competitions determined by the 2014 rankings: The associations are split into West Zone and East Zone, with 23 associations in each zone: West Zone consists of the associations from West Asia, Central Asia, South Asia, except India and Maldives East Zone consists of the associations from ASEAN and East Asia, plus India and Maldives In each zone, there are a total of 12 direct slots in the group stage, with the 4 remaining slots filled through play-offs. The top 12 associations in each zone as per the AFC rankings are eligible to enter the AFC Champions League, as long as they fulfill the AFC Champions League criteria. The top six associations in each zone get at least one direct slot in the group stage, while the remaining associations get only play-off slots: The associations ranked 1st and 2nd each get three direct slots and one play-off slot (in play-off round). The associations ranked 3rd and 4th each get two direct slots and two play-off slots (one in play-off round, one in preliminary round 2). The associations ranked 5th each get one direct slot and two play-off slots (both in preliminary round 2). The associations ranked 6th each get one direct slot and one play-off slot (in preliminary round 2). The associations ranked 7th to 12th each get one play-off slot (in preliminary round 1). The maximum number of slots for each association is one-third of the total number of clubs in the top division (e.g., Australia can only get a maximum of three total slots as there are only nine Australia-based clubs in the A-League).
The AFC Competitions Committee finalised the slot allocation for the 2015 and 2016 editions of the AFC Champions League based on the criteria, including the AFC rankings and the implementation of club licensing regulations, on 28 November 2014.
The following table shows the slot allocation for the 2016 AFC Champions League, which are adjusted accordingly since some of the slots are unused.
Participation for 2016 AFC Champions LeagueFulfills participation criteriaDoes not fulfill participation criteria
+West ZoneRankMemberAssociationPointsSlotsGroupstagePlay-offZoneAll 1 2 Saudi Arabia88.2683100 2 3 Iran80.7943100 3 5 Uzbekistan62.2723100 4 7 United Arab Emirates57.7922200 5 9 Qatar56.1031200 610 Iraq47.1060000 711 Kuwait45.4230000 812 Jordan44.3090100 914 Oman30.58600001016 Bahrain25.54700001117 Lebanon25.04300001219 Syria22.8830000Total12800820
+East ZoneRankMemberAssociationPointsSlotsGroupstagePlay-offZoneAll 1 1 South Korea94.8663100 2 4 Japan77.1073100 3 6 Australia57.9402100 4 8 China57.6602110 513 Thailand33.0491020 615 Vietnam27.7531010 718 Indonesia25.0040000 820 Hong Kong20.0770010 921 Myanmar18.94900101022 Malaysia18.15300101123 India16.75600011224 Singapore16.0970001Total124721325
Notes
Teams The following 45 teams from 17 associations entered the competition.
In the following table, the number of appearances and last appearance count only those since the 2002–03 season (including qualifying rounds), when the competition was rebranded as the AFC Champions League. TH means title holders.
+West ZoneTeamQualifying methodAppLast AppGroup stage direct entrants (Groups A–D) Al-Nassr2014–15 Saudi Professional League champions3rd2015 Al-Hilal2015 King Cup winners2014–15 Saudi Professional League 3rd place12th2015 Al-Ahli2014–15 Saudi Professional League runners-up8th2015 Sepahan2014–15 Persian Gulf Pro League champions11th2014 Zob Ahan2014–15 Hazfi Cup winners5th2012 Tractor2014–15 Persian Gulf Pro League runners-up4th2015 Pakhtakor2015 Uzbek League champions13th2015 Nasaf Qarshi2015 Uzbekistan Cup winners2015 Uzbek League 3rd place4th20152015 Uzbek League runners-up4th2015 Al-Ain2014–15 UAE Pro-League champions11th2015 Al-Nasr2014–15 UAE President's Cup winners3rd2013 Lekhwiya2014–15 Qatar Stars League champions5th2015Qualifying play-off participantsEntering in play-off round Al-Ittihad2014–15 Saudi Professional League 4th place10th2014 Naft Tehran2014–15 Persian Gulf Pro League 3rd place2nd2015 Bunyodkor2015 Uzbek League 4th place9th2015 Al-Jazira2014–15 UAE Pro-League runners-up8th2015 Al-Shabab2014–15 UAE Pro-League 3rd place4th2013 Al-Sadd2015 Emir of Qatar Cup winners2014–15 Qatar Stars League runners-up11th2015 El Jaish2014–15 Qatar Stars League 3rd place4th2015 Al-Wehdat2014–15 Jordan League champions3rd2015
+East ZoneTeamQualifying methodAppLast AppGroup stage direct entrants (Groups E–H) Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors2015 K League Classic champions10th2015 FC Seoul2015 Korean FA Cup winners6th2015 Suwon Samsung Bluewings2015 K League Classic runners-up7th2015 Sanfrecce Hiroshima2015 J1 League champions4th2014 Gamba Osaka2015 Emperor's Cup winners2015 J1 League runners-up8th2015 Urawa Red Diamonds2015 J1 League 3rd place5th2015 Melbourne Victory2014–15 A-League premiers and 2015 A-League Grand Final winners5th2014 Sydney FC2014–15 A-League regular season runners-up3rd20112015 Chinese Super League champions5th2015 Jiangsu Suning2015 Chinese FA Cup winners2nd2013 Buriram United2015 Thai Premier League champions and 2015 Thai FA Cup winners6th2015 Becamex Bình Dương2015 V.League 1 champions and 2015 Vietnamese Cup winners3rd2015Qualifying play-off participantsEntering in play-off round Pohang Steelers2015 K League Classic 3rd place7th2014 FC Tokyo2015 J1 League 4th place2nd2012 Adelaide United2014–15 A-League regular season 3rd place5th2012 Shanghai SIPG2015 Chinese Super League runners-up1stnoneEntering in preliminary round 22015 Chinese Super League 3rd place8th2015 Muangthong United2015 Thai Premier League runners-up5th2014 Chonburi2015 Thai Premier League 4th place5th2015 Hà Nội T&T2015 V.League 1 runners-up3rd2015 Kitchee2014–15 Hong Kong Premier League champions2nd2015 Yangon United2015 Myanmar National League champions1stnone Johor Darul Ta'zim2015 Malaysia Super League champions2nd2015Entering in preliminary round 1 Mohun Bagan2014–15 I-League champions2nd Tampines Rovers2015 S.League runners-up2nd2014
Notes
Schedule The schedule of the competition was as follows (all draws were held in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia).
StageRoundDraw dateFirst legSecond legPreliminary stagePreliminary round 1No draw27 January 2016Preliminary round 22 February 2016Play-off stagePlay-off round9 February 2016Group stageMatchday 110 December 201523–24 February 2016Matchday 21–2 March 2016Matchday 315–16 March 2016Matchday 45–6 April 2016Matchday 519–20 April 2016Matchday 63–4 May 2016Knockout stageRound of 1617–18 May 201624–25 May 2016Quarter-finals9 June 201623–24 August 201613–14 September 2016Semi-finals27–28 September 201618–19 October 2016Final19 November 201626 November 2016
Qualifying play-off
Preliminary round 1
Preliminary round 2
Play-off round
Group stage
Tiebreakers
Group A
Group B
Group C
Group D
Group E
Group F
Group G
Group H
Knockout stage
Bracket
Round of 16
Quarter-finals
Notes
Semi-finals
Final
Awards Main awards AwardPlayerTeamMost Valuable Player Omar Abdulrahman Al-AinTop Goalscorer Adriano FC SeoulFair Play Award— Al-Ain
All-Star Squad Source: PositionPlayerTeamGoalkeepers Kwoun Sun-tae Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors Ignatiy Nesterov Lokomotiv TashkentDefenders Ismail Ahmed Al-Ain Gil Shandong Luneng Kim Ju-young Shanghai SIPG Cho Sung-hwan Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors Kwak Tae-hwi FC SeoulMidfielders Omar Abdulrahman Al-Ain Kim Bo-kyung Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors Server Djeparov Lokomotiv Tashkent Lee Jae-sung Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors Seydou Keita El Jaish Leonardo Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors Walter Montillo Shandong Luneng Lee Myung-joo Al-AinForwards Adriano FC Seoul Danilo Moreno Asprilla Al-Ain Caio Al-Ain Dejan Damjanović FC Seoul Hulk Shanghai SIPG Wu Lei Shanghai SIPG Ricardo Lopes Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors Romarinho El Jaish
Opta Best XI Source:
PositionPlayerTeamGoalkeeper Khalid Eisa Al-AinDefenders Ahmed Al-Yassi Al-Nasr Ismail Ahmed Al-Ain Mahmoud Khamees Al-NasrMidfielders Omar Abdulrahman Al-Ain Leonardo Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors Lee Jae-sung Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors Wu Lei Shanghai SIPGForwards Adriano FC Seoul Douglas Al-Ain Romarinho El Jaish
Top scorers RankPlayerTeam Total1 Adriano FC Seoul432 1 11 1 132 Leonardo Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors 112 22 2103 Romarinho El Jaish1 21 1 2 74 Dejan Damjanović FC Seoul1 1 1 11 5 Douglas Al-Ain1 2 1 1 5 Igor Sergeev Pakhtakor111 2 5 Lee Dong-gook Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors111 2 5 Wu Lei Shanghai SIPG11 1 11 59 Danilo Moreno Asprilla Al-Ain 11 1 14 Besart Berisha Melbourne Victory1 111 4 Elkeson Shanghai SIPG 12 1 4 Abderrazak Hamdallah El Jaish11 1 1 4 Jô Jiangsu Suning 1 111 4 Nguyễn Anh Đức Becamex Bình Dương11 2 4 Diego Tardelli Shandong Luneng11 1 1 4
Controversies
On 25 January 2016, the AFC announced changes to the group stage schedule due to Saudi Arabia's refusal to play in Iran. After the changes, all matches between teams from Iran and Saudi Arabia (including possible play-off winners) were rescheduled to be played on matchdays 5 and 6 (19–20 April and 3–4 May). The venues of these matches would be decided after an evaluation deadline of 15 March 2016. As there had not been a return to normal relations between the two countries by then with Saudi Arabia refusing to lift their travel restrictions to Iran, the AFC accepted the Saudi Arabian Football Federation's proposal of playing all matches between teams from Iran and Saudi Arabia in neutral venues. The Saudi Arabian Football Federation supports its clubs who refuse to travel to Iran. The Iranian Football Federation has stated that it could withdraw from the AFC Champions League due to the venue changes.
See also 2016 AFC Cup 2016 FIFA Club World Cup
References
External links AFC Champions League, the-AFC.com