The global footballers’ union FIFPRO declared in a report released on Monday that the Asian Champions League as it exists now is “unsustainable,” charging the regional governing body with disregarding the opinions of clubs and players.
After Saudi teams spent heavily on players like Cristiano Ronaldo, Neymar, and Karim Benzema, the continent’s premier club competition is receiving unprecedented attention.
Three days following Qatar’s victory in the Asian Cup final, the hosts country kicked off the round of sixteen on Tuesday of last week.
These championships, which cover a wide region from Australia to the Middle East and Central Asia, are overseen by the Asian Football Confederation.
Up until a two-leg, home-and-away final, the current Champions League is divided into two zones: “West” and “East.”A geographical divide will also be present at the beginning of the tournament for the upcoming campaign; however, Saudi Arabia will host the quarterfinals, semifinals, and championship game.
The winner will receive an additional $12 million in compensation, but according to FIFPRO, this revised version is also unfeasible.
In order to “spark meaningful discussions with governing bodies, leagues, clubs and fans” regarding the Champions League, Takuya Yamazaki, the chairman of FIFPRO for Oceania-Asia, hopes that his report will.
“It is an unsustainable system, as the results show that, as expected, the benefits do not exceed the disadvantages for the majority of players and clubs.”The AFC was accused by FIFPRO of using “a top-down approach that excludes the voices of players and clubs from decision-making.
“To make sure that the competition benefits all parties, it was demanded that the AFC create “a genuine partnership with players, clubs, and leagues.”The 49-page study’s conclusions included the assertion that the top domestic divisions in Saudi Arabia, Japan, and South Korea were of higher calibre than the Champions League’s average teams.
It also stated that the competition’s average quality was declining.Along with the financial burden on teams—considering the lengthy travel that can occasionally be required—FIFPRO also expressed concern about the impact that travel and game scheduling have on players’ workloads.