2016 AFC Champions League

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2016 AFC Champions League
Tournament details
Dates27 January – 26 November 2016
Teams45 (from 17 associations)
Final positions
ChampionsSouth Korea Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors (2nd title)
Runners-upUnited Arab Emirates Al-Ain
Tournament statistics
Matches played126
Goals scored312 (2.48 per match)
Attendance1,639,885 (13,015 per match)
Top scorer(s)Brazil Adriano (13 goals)
Best player(s)United Arab Emirates Omar Abdulrahman
Fair play awardUnited Arab Emirates Al-Ain
← 2015
2017 →

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.[1][2] Guangzhou Evergrande were the defending champions, but were eliminated in the group stage.

Association team allocation[edit]

The AFC Competitions Committee proposed a revamp of the AFC club competitions on 25 January 2014,[3] which was ratified by the AFC Executive Committee on 16 April 2014.[4] 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:[5]

  • The associations are split into West Zone and East Zone, with 23 associations in each zone:
  • 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.[6][7][8]

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 League[9]
Fulfills participation criteria
Does not fulfill participation criteria
Notes
  1. ^
    United Arab Emirates had their fourth team entering the play-off round instead of the preliminary round 2 due to unused slots.
  2. ^
    Qatar had their third and fourth teams entering the play-off round instead of the preliminary round 2 due to unused slots.
  3. ^
    Iraq were allocated two preliminary round 2 slots, but were not allowed to participate as none of their teams passed the club licensing requirements.
  4. ^
    Kuwait were allocated one preliminary round 1 slot, but could not participate due to FIFA's suspension of its football association.
  5. ^
    Jordan had their team entering the play-off round instead of the preliminary round 1 due to unused slots.
  6. ^ a b c d
    Oman, Bahrain, Lebanon and Syria were allocated one preliminary round 1 slot, but were not allowed to participate as none of their teams passed the club licensing requirements.
  7. ^
    Indonesia were allocated one preliminary round 2 slot, could not participate in the AFC Champions League due to FIFA's suspension of its football association.
  8. ^ a b
    Myanmar and Malaysia had their team entering the preliminary round 2 instead of the preliminary round 1 due to unused slots.

Teams[edit]

The following 45 teams from 17 associations entered the competition.[9]

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.

Notes
  1. ^
    China (CHN): Jiangsu Suning had its name changed from "Jiangsu Sainty" in December 2015. They are referred to as "Jiangsu FC" by the AFC in its official reports for the 2016 AFC Champions League.
  2. ^
    Singapore (SIN): Since Brunei DPMM, the 2015 S.League champions, is a team managed by the National Football Association of Brunei Darussalam and thus ineligible to represent Singapore in AFC club competitions, their place was taken by Tampines Rovers, the league runners-up.
  3. ^
    Thailand (THA): Since Suphanburi, the 2015 Thai Premier League 3rd place, failed to pass the club licensing requirements, their place was taken by Chonburi, the league 4th place.[10]
class=notpageimage|
Location of teams of the 2016 AFC Champions League.
West Zone
East Zone
(p) Qualifying play-off participants

Schedule[edit]

The schedule of the competition is as follows (all draws are held in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia).[11]

Stage Round Draw date First leg Second leg
Preliminary stage Preliminary round 1 No draw 27 January 2016
Preliminary round 2 2 February 2016
Play-off stage Play-off round 9 February 2016
Group stage Matchday 1 10 December 2015[9] 23–24 February 2016
Matchday 2 1–2 March 2016
Matchday 3 15–16 March 2016
Matchday 4 5–6 April 2016
Matchday 5 19–20 April 2016
Matchday 6 3–4 May 2016
Knockout stage Round of 16 17–18 May 2016 24–25 May 2016
Quarter-finals 9 June 2016[12] 23–24 August 2016 13–14 September 2016
Semi-finals 27–28 September 2016 18–19 October 2016
Final 19 November 2016 26 November 2016

Qualifying play-off[edit]

Main article: 2016 AFC Champions League qualifying play-off

In the qualifying play-off, each tie was played as a single match. Extra time and penalty shoot-out were used to decide the winner if necessary (Regulations Article 10.2). The eight winners of the play-off round advanced to the group stage to join the 24 direct entrants. All losers in each round which were from associations with only play-off slots entered the AFC Cup group stage.[2]

The bracket of the qualifying play-off was determined by the AFC based on the association ranking of each team, with the team from the higher-ranked association hosting each match. Teams from the same association could not be placed in the same play-off.[13][14]

Preliminary round 1[edit]

Team 1  Score  Team 2
East Zone
Mohun Bagan India 3–1 Singapore Tampines Rovers

Preliminary round 2[edit]

Team 1  Score  Team 2
East Zone
Hà Nội T&T Vietnam 1–0 Hong Kong Kitchee
Chonburi Thailand 3–2 (a.e.t.) Myanmar Yangon United
Shandong Luneng China 6–0 India Mohun Bagan
Muangthong United Thailand 0–0 (a.e.t.)
(3–0 p) 		Malaysia Johor Darul Ta'zim

Play-off round[edit]

Team 1  Score  Team 2
West Zone
Al-Ittihad Saudi Arabia 2–1 Jordan Al-Wehdat
Naft Tehran Iran 0–2 Qatar El Jaish
Bunyodkor Uzbekistan 2–0 United Arab Emirates Al-Shabab
Al-Jazira United Arab Emirates 2–2 (a.e.t.)
(5–4 p) 		Qatar Al-Sadd
Team 1  Score  Team 2
East Zone
Pohang Steelers South Korea 3–0 Vietnam Hà Nội T&T
FC Tokyo Japan 9–0 Thailand Chonburi
Adelaide United Australia 1–2 China Shandong Luneng
Shanghai SIPG China 3–0 Thailand Muangthong United

Group stage[edit]

Main article: 2016 AFC Champions League group stage

The draw for the group stage was held on 10 December 2015, 16:00 MYT (UTC+8), at the Petaling Jaya Hilton Hotel in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.[9] The 32 teams were drawn into eight groups of four. Teams from the same association could not be drawn into the same group.[15][16] In the group stage, each group was played on a home-and-away round-robin basis. The winners and runners-up of each group advanced to the round of 16.[2]

Group A[edit]

Pos Team
 Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts Qualification LOK NAS ITT SEP
1 Uzbekistan Lokomotiv Tashkent 6 2 4 0 6 3 +3 10 Advance to knockout stage — 0–0 1–1 1–0
2 United Arab Emirates Al-Nasr 6 2 3 1 5 4 +1 9 1–1 — 0–0 2–0
3 Saudi Arabia Al-Ittihad 6 2 3 1 9 4 +5 9 1–1 1–2 — 4–0
4 Iran Sepahan 6 1 0 5 2 11 −9 3 0–2 2–0 0–2 —
Source: AFC

Group B[edit]

Pos Team
 Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts Qualification ZOB LEK NSR BYD
1 Iran Zob Ahan 6 4 2 0 12 2 +10 14 Advance to knockout stage — 0–0 3–0 5–2
2 Qatar Lekhwiya 6 2 3 1 7 2 +5 9 0–1 — 4–0 0–0
3 Saudi Arabia Al-Nassr 6 1 2 3 5 14 −9 5 0–3 1–1 — 3–3
4 Uzbekistan Bunyodkor 6 0 3 3 5 11 −6 3 0–0 0–2 0–1 —
Source: AFC

Group C[edit]

Pos Team
 Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts Qualification TRA HIL PAK JAZ
1 Iran Tractor Sazi 6 4 0 2 10 3 +7 12 Advance to knockout stage — 1–2 2–0 4–0
2 Saudi Arabia Al-Hilal 6 3 2 1 10 7 +3 11 0–2 — 4–1 1–0
3 Uzbekistan Pakhtakor 6 3 1 2 10 9 +1 10 1–0 2–2 — 3–0
4 United Arab Emirates Al-Jazira 6 0 1 5 2 13 −11 1 0–1 1–1 1–3 —
Source: AFC

Group D[edit]

Pos Team
 Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts Qualification JSH AIN AHL NSF
1 Qatar El Jaish 6 3 1 2 6 8 −2 10 Advance to knockout stage — 2–1 1–4 1–0
2 United Arab Emirates Al-Ain 6 3 1 2 8 6 +2 10 1–2 — 1–0 2–0
3 Saudi Arabia Al-Ahli 6 3 0 3 10 7 +3 9 2–0 1–2 — 2–1
4 Uzbekistan Nasaf Qarshi 6 1 2 3 4 7 −3 5 0–0 1–1 2–1 —
Source: AFC

Group E[edit]

Pos Team
 Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts Qualification JHM TOK JIA BBD
1 South Korea Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors 6 3 1 2 13 9 +4 10 Advance to knockout stage — 2–1 2–2 2–0
2 Japan FC Tokyo 6 3 1 2 8 8 0 10 0–3 — 0–0 3–1
3 China Jiangsu Suning 6 2 3 1 10 7 +3 9 3–2 1–2 — 3–0
4 Vietnam Becamex Binh Duong 6 1 1 4 6 13 −7 4 3–2 1–2 1–1 —
Source: AFC

Group F[edit]

Pos Team
 Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts Qualification SEO SHD HIR BUR
1 South Korea FC Seoul 6 4 1 1 17 5 +12 13 Advance to knockout stage — 0–0 4–1 2–1
2 China Shandong Luneng 6 3 2 1 7 5 +2 11 1–4 — 1–0 3–0
3 Japan Sanfrecce Hiroshima 6 3 0 3 9 8 +1 9 2–1 1–2 — 3–0
4 Thailand Buriram United 6 0 1 5 1 16 −15 1 0–6 0–0 0–2 —
Source: AFC

Group G[edit]

Pos Team
 Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts Qualification SSI MEL SSB GAM
1 China Shanghai SIPG 6 4 0 2 10 8 +2 12 Advance to knockout stage — 3–1 2–1 2–1
2 Australia Melbourne Victory 6 2 3 1 7 7 0 9 2–1 — 0–0 2–1
3 South Korea Suwon Samsung Bluewings 6 2 3 1 7 4 +3 9 3–0 1–1 — 0–0
4 Japan Gamba Osaka 6 0 2 4 4 9 −5 2 0–2 1–1 1–2 —
Source: AFC

Group H[edit]

Pos Team
 Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts Qualification SYD URA GZE POH
1 Australia Sydney FC 6 3 1 2 4 4 0 10 Advance to knockout stage — 0–0 2–1 1–0
2 Japan Urawa Red Diamonds 6 2 3 1 6 4 +2 9 2–0 — 1–0 1–1
3 China Guangzhou Evergrande 6 2 2 2 6 5 +1 8 1–0 2–2 — 0–0
4 South Korea Pohang Steelers 6 1 2 3 2 5 −3 5 0–1 1–0 0–2 —
Source: AFC

Knockout stage[edit]

Main article: 2016 AFC Champions League knockout stage

In the knockout stage, the 16 teams played a single-elimination tournament, with the teams split between the two zones until the final. Each tie was played on a home-and-away two-legged basis. The away goals rule, extra time (away goals do not apply in extra time) and penalty shoot-out were used to decide the winner if necessary (Regulations Article 12.3).[2]

Bracket[edit]

Round of 16 Quarter-finals Semi-finals Final
                
Japan FC Tokyo 2 0 2
China Shanghai SIPG (a) 1 1 2
China Shanghai SIPG 0 0 0
South Korea Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors 0 5 5
Australia Melbourne Victory 1 1 2
South Korea Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors 1 2 3
South Korea Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors 4 1 5
South Korea FC Seoul 1 2 3
Japan Urawa Red Diamonds 1 2 3 (6)
South Korea FC Seoul (p) 0 3 3 (7)
South Korea FC Seoul 3 1 4
China Shandong Luneng 1 1 2
China Shandong Luneng (a) 1 2 3
Australia Sydney FC 1 2 3
South Korea Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors 2 1 3
United Arab Emirates Al-Ain 1 1 2
United Arab Emirates Al-Ain 1 2 3
Iran Zob Ahan 1 0 1
United Arab Emirates Al-Ain 0 1 1
Uzbekistan Lokomotiv Tashkent 0 0 0
Saudi Arabia Al-Hilal 0 1 1
Uzbekistan Lokomotiv Tashkent 0 2 2
United Arab Emirates Al-Ain 3 2 5
Qatar El Jaish 1 2 3
Qatar Lekhwiya 0 4 4
Qatar El Jaish 4 2 6
Qatar El Jaish (1st leg awd.) 3 1 4
United Arab Emirates Al-Nasr 0 0 0
United Arab Emirates Al-Nasr 4 1 5
Iran Tractor Sazi 1 3 4

Round of 16[edit]

In the round of 16, the winners of one group played the runners-up of another group from the same zone, with the group winners hosting the second leg.[14]

Team 1 Agg.Tooltip Aggregate score Team 2 1st leg 2nd leg
West Zone
Al-Hilal Saudi Arabia 1–2 Uzbekistan Lokomotiv Tashkent 0–0 1–2
Al-Nasr United Arab Emirates 5–4 Iran Tractor Sazi 4–1 1–3
Al-Ain United Arab Emirates 3–1 Iran Zob Ahan 1–1 2–0
Lekhwiya Qatar 4–6 Qatar El Jaish 0–4 4–2
Team 1 Agg.Tooltip Aggregate score Team 2 1st leg 2nd leg
East Zone
Melbourne Victory Australia 2–3 South Korea Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors 1–1 1–2
FC Tokyo Japan 2–2 (a) China Shanghai SIPG 2–1 0–1
Urawa Red Diamonds Japan 3–3 (6–7 p) South Korea FC Seoul 1–0 2–3 (a.e.t.)
Shandong Luneng China 3–3 (a) Australia Sydney FC 1–1 2–2

Quarter-finals[edit]

In the quarter-finals, the four teams from the West Zone were drawn into two ties, and the four teams from the East Zone were drawn into the other two ties, with the order of legs also decided by the draw.[17]

The draw for the quarter-finals was held on 9 June 2016, 16:00 MYT (UTC+8), at the Petaling Jaya Hilton Hotel in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.[12] There was no seeding or country protection, so teams from the same association could be drawn into the same tie.[17]

Team 1 Agg.Tooltip Aggregate score Team 2 1st leg 2nd leg
West Region
Al-Ain United Arab Emirates 1–0 Uzbekistan Lokomotiv Tashkent 0–0 1–0
El Jaish Qatar 4–0 United Arab Emirates Al-Nasr 3–0 (awd.)[I] 1–0
Team 1 Agg.Tooltip Aggregate score Team 2 1st leg 2nd leg
East Region
Shanghai SIPG China 0–5 South Korea Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors 0–0 0–5
FC Seoul South Korea 4–2 China Shandong Luneng 3–1 1–1
Notes
  1. ^
    The El Jaish v Al-Nasr first leg, originally won 3–0 by Al-Nasr, was forfeited and awarded 3–0 to El Jaish by the AFC Disciplinary Committee on 12 September 2016, as Al-Nasr fielded the player Wanderley who was found to be registered using a fake Indonesian passport.[18]

Semi-finals[edit]

In the semi-finals, the two quarter-final winners from the West Zone play each other, and the two quarter-final winners from the East Zone play each other, with the order of legs determined by the quarter-final draw.[17]

Team 1 Agg.Tooltip Aggregate score Team 2 1st leg 2nd leg
West Region
Al-Ain United Arab Emirates 5–3 Qatar El Jaish 3–1 2–2
Team 1 Agg.Tooltip Aggregate score Team 2 1st leg 2nd leg
East Region
Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors South Korea 5–3 South Korea FC Seoul 4–1 1–2

Final[edit]

Main article: 2016 AFC Champions League Final

In the final, the two semi-final winners play each other, with the order of legs reversed from the previous season's final, with the team from the East Zone hosting the first leg, and the team from the West Zone hosting the second leg.[17]

Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors South Korea2–1United Arab Emirates Al-Ain
Leonardo 70', 77' (pen.) Report Asprilla 63'
Attendance: 36,158
Referee: Ahmed Al-Kaf (Oman)
Al-Ain United Arab Emirates1–1South Korea Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors
Lee Myung-joo 34' Report Han Kyo-won 30'
Attendance: 23,239
Referee: Ryuji Sato (Japan)

Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors won 3–2 on aggregate.

Awards[edit]

Main awards[edit]

Award Player Team
Most Valuable Player[19] United Arab Emirates Omar Abdulrahman United Arab Emirates Al-Ain
Top Goalscorer[20] Brazil Adriano South Korea FC Seoul
Fair Play Award[19] — United Arab Emirates Al-Ain

All-Star Squad[edit]

Source:[21]

Position Player Team
Goalkeepers South Korea Kwoun Sun-tae South Korea Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors
Uzbekistan Ignatiy Nesterov Uzbekistan Lokomotiv Tashkent
Defenders United Arab Emirates Ismail Ahmed United Arab Emirates Al-Ain
Brazil Gil China Shandong Luneng
South Korea Kim Ju-young China Shanghai SIPG
South Korea Cho Sung-hwan South Korea Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors
South Korea Kwak Tae-hwi South Korea FC Seoul
Midfielders United Arab Emirates Omar Abdulrahman United Arab Emirates Al-Ain
South Korea Kim Bo-kyung South Korea Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors
Uzbekistan Server Djeparov Uzbekistan Lokomotiv Tashkent
South Korea Lee Jae-sung South Korea Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors
Mali Seydou Keita Qatar El Jaish
Brazil Leonardo South Korea Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors
Argentina Walter Montillo China Shandong Luneng
South Korea Lee Myung-joo United Arab Emirates Al-Ain
Forwards Brazil Adriano South Korea FC Seoul
Colombia Danilo Moreno Asprilla United Arab Emirates Al-Ain
Brazil Caio United Arab Emirates Al-Ain
Montenegro Dejan Damjanović South Korea FC Seoul
Brazil Hulk China Shanghai SIPG
China Wu Lei China Shanghai SIPG
Brazil Ricardo Lopes South Korea Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors
Brazil Romarinho Qatar El Jaish

Opta Best XI[edit]

Source:[22]

Position Player Team
Goalkeeper United Arab Emirates Khalid Eisa United Arab Emirates Al-Ain
Defenders United Arab Emirates Ahmed Al-Yassi United Arab Emirates Al-Nasr
United Arab Emirates Ismail Ahmed United Arab Emirates Al-Ain
United Arab Emirates Mahmoud Khamees United Arab Emirates Al-Nasr
Midfielders United Arab Emirates Omar Abdulrahman United Arab Emirates Al-Ain
Brazil Leonardo South Korea Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors
South Korea Lee Jae-sung South Korea Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors
China Wu Lei China Shanghai SIPG
Forwards Brazil Adriano South Korea FC Seoul
Brazil Douglas United Arab Emirates Al-Ain
Brazil Romarinho Qatar El Jaish

Top scorers[edit]

Rank Player Team MD1 MD2 MD3 MD4 MD5 MD6 2R1 2R2 QF1 QF2 SF1 SF2  F1   F2  Total
1 Brazil Adriano South Korea FC Seoul 4 3 2 1 1 1 1 13
2 Brazil Leonardo South Korea Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors 1 1 2 2 2 2 10
3 Brazil Romarinho Qatar El Jaish 1 2 1 1 2 7
4 Montenegro Dejan Damjanović South Korea FC Seoul 1 1 1 1 1 5
Brazil Douglas United Arab Emirates Al-Ain 1 2 1 1 5
Uzbekistan Igor Sergeev Uzbekistan Pakhtakor 1 1 1 2 5
South Korea Lee Dong-gook South Korea Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors 1 1 1 2 5
China Wu Lei China Shanghai SIPG 1 1 1 1 1 5
9 Colombia Danilo Moreno Asprilla United Arab Emirates Al-Ain 1 1 1 1 4
Albania Besart Berisha Australia Melbourne Victory 1 1 1 1 4
Brazil Elkeson China Shanghai SIPG 1 2 1 4
Morocco Abderrazak Hamdallah Qatar El Jaish 1 1 1 1 4
Brazil Jô China Jiangsu Suning 1 1 1 1 4
Vietnam Nguyễn Anh Đức Vietnam Becamex Bình Dương 1 1 2 4
Brazil Diego Tardelli China Shandong Luneng 1 1 1 1 4

Note: Goals scored in the qualifying play-off are not counted when determining top scorer (see regulations, Article 77.4).[2]

Source: the-AFC.com[23][24][25]

Controversies[edit]

Further information: 2016 AFC Champions League group stage § Schedule

On 25 January 2016, the AFC announced changes to the group stage schedule due to Saudi Arabia's refusal to play in Iran.[26] 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.[27] The Saudi Arabian Football Federation supports its clubs who refuse to travel to Iran.[28] The Iranian Football Federation has stated that it could withdraw from the AFC Champions League due to the venue changes.[29]

See also[edit]

References[edit]

  1. ^ "Jeonbuk clinch ticket to Japan". FIFA. 26 November 2016. Archived from the original on November 27, 2016.
  2. ^ a b c d e f "2016 AFC Champions League Competition Regulations" (PDF). AFC. 28 November 2015.
  3. ^ "Revamp of AFC competitions". AFC. 25 January 2014.
  4. ^ "ExCo approves expanded AFC Asian Cup finals". AFC. 16 April 2014.
  5. ^ a b c "AFC MA Ranking as at 3 November 2014" (PDF). AFC.
  6. ^ "AFC Competitions Committee meeting". AFC. 28 November 2014.
  7. ^ "AFC Champions League slots allocated for 2015-2016". AFC. 4 December 2014.
  8. ^ "Slot allocation for ACL 2015 - 2016" (PDF). AFC.
  9. ^ a b c d "Champions Guangzhou Evergrande to learn ACL 2016 opponents". AFC. 4 December 2015.
  10. ^ "ด่วน! "สุพรรณ" แห้ว เอเอฟซีให้สิทธิ์ "ฉลาม" เล่นถ้วยเอเชีย". MGRSport. 15 December 2015.
  11. ^ "AFC Calendar of Competitions 2016" (PDF). AFC.
  12. ^ a b "ACL 2016 quarter-finalists to learn opponents on Thursday". AFC. 8 June 2016.
  13. ^ "AFC Champions League 2016 Group Stage Draw". AFC. 10 December 2015.
  14. ^ a b "ACL 2016 Draw Results" (PDF). AFC.
  15. ^ "AFC Champions League 2016 Group Stage Draw". AFC. 10 December 2015.
  16. ^ "ACL 2016 Draw Results" (PDF). AFC.
  17. ^ a b c d "AFC Champions League draw produces intriguing quarter-final ties". 9 June 2016.
  18. ^ "El Jaish (QAT) vs Nasr (UAE) match forfeited". AFC. 12 September 2016. Archived from the original on 13 September 2016.
  19. ^ a b "Omar Abdulrahman lands AFC Champions League 2016 MVP award". AFC. 27 November 2016. Retrieved 6 November 2016.
  20. ^ "Adriano named AFC Champions League 2016 top scorer". AFC. 27 November 2016.
  21. ^ "TSG Report: AFC Champions League 2016 - Part 3". AFC. Retrieved 4 May 2020.
  22. ^ "The Best ACL2016 XI announced!". Asian Football Confederation. 2020-05-31. Retrieved 2022-05-10.
  23. ^ "Top Goal Scorers (by Stage) – 2016 AFC Champions League Group Stage". the-afc.com. AFC.
  24. ^ "Top Goal Scorers (by Stage) – 2016 AFC Champions League Round of 16". the-afc.com. AFC.
  25. ^ "Top Goal Scorers (by Stage) – 2016 AFC Champions League Knockout Stage". the-afc.com. AFC.
  26. ^ "Decisions following AFC Competitions Committee meeting". AFC. 25 January 2016.
  27. ^ "Saudi Arabia and Iran clubs to play at neutral venues in Champions League". AFC. 16 March 2016.
  28. ^ "AFC Champions League football matches delayed over Saudi-Iran tension". Gulf News. 25 January 2016. Archived from the original on 10 October 2018. Retrieved 3 February 2016.
  29. ^ Ali Khan, Mir Farhad (2 February 2016). "Iranian clubs could withdraw from AFC Champions League due to venue changes". Persian Football.

External links[edit]

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