By Paul Nicholson
March 11 – Saudi Arabia has stepped up to take on the bulk of Champions League group stage hosting next month in the AFC’s West zone. The UAE will also host a group while in the East zone Thailand will host three groups. India will also host a group.
The Asian Football Confederation (AFC) made the announcement earlier today “after an extensive feedback exercise with its Participating Member Associations, commercial partners and all relevant stakeholders.”
Saudi Arabia will host Groups A and D in Riyadh as well as Group C in Jeddah, April 14-30. Group B to be staged in the United Arab Emirates city of Sharjah, while India, whose representative FC Goa are making the nation’s debut in competition, will host Group E.
The Saudi offer to host marks a major step forward for the nation as it accelerates its credentials as a venue for major events and consolidates its bid for the 2027 Asian cup hosting.
Interestingly, in what could indicate a slight thawing in the geo-politics of the region, at least as regards football, is the presence of Iran’s Esteghlal FC in Group C.
Qatar, who the hosted outstanding matches of the group rounds of last season’s Champions League, and the play-offs through to the final, are not hosting groups this time round.
Date shift
While the West region will play to the April schedules, the AFC has shifted the dates for the East Region groups from April/May to June/July, following the round of Asian qualifiers that the AFC has already had to move to the June international window from the originally scheduled dates at the end of this month.
The AFC said that is doing so “taking into consideration the existing travel restrictions and quarantine challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic.”
Thailand will host Groups F, G and J, with the exact dates still to be determined. Venues for Groups H and I are still to be announced. The Preliminary and Playoff matches for the final places in the East zone groups have are also been postponed and will now be played in centralised venues of their respective Group Stage matches.
AFC General Secretary Dato’ Windsor John said: “On behalf of the Asian football family, I would like to thank all our Member Associations for their interest in hosting our club competitions and commitment towards ensuring we continue to place the safety and wellbeing of our players, teams, and officials at the forefront of all our priorities.
“The AFC is most grateful for the support of the AFC Competitions Committee and our commercial partners and we will continue to safeguard the interests of all stakeholders as we strive to ensure a safe and successful 2021 club football season.”
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