Saudi Arabia Chosen to Host Asian Champions League Elite Finals
TEHRAN (Tasnim) - Saudi Arabia has been chosen to host the first two editions of the Asian Champions League Elite finals when the continent's revamped elite club competition begins next season, the Asian Football Confederation said on Friday.
The competition, which replaces the existing Asian Champions League, begins in September next year and sees the region's top 24 clubs divided into two leagues of 12 across East and West.
Clubs will compete home and away for a place in the round of 16, with the eight winners advancing to a centralized final round where teams play the quarterfinals, semis and final in a single leg format.
The move is part of a major overhaul of club competitions in Asia that has also seen the top prize in the continent's top tier club event increase to $12 million from $4 million.
Saudi Arabia won the rights for the first two years of the finals ahead of a rival bid submitted by the Iraq Football Association "after evaluating the infrastructure and accommodation requirements," the AFC said in a statement.
