AFC Champions League knockout stage to be postponed

Renato Augusto of Beijing FC applauds supporters during the AFC Champions League Group E match between Chiangrai United and Beijing FC in Chiang Rai, Thailand, February 18, 2020. /VCG

Representatives of the East Zone Member Associations with teams in the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Champions League 2020 have agreed to extend the dates of the knockout rounds to allow for more time to complete the

group stage fixtures

which have been disrupted by the COVID-19 outbreak, the AFC said in Kuala Lumpur on Monday.

During an emergency meeting in the Malaysian capital, representatives agreed that group matches scheduled for March and April which cannot be played will be moved to May and June.

"At present, a growing number of national teams are unable either to stage matches or to travel to venues, therefore, the AFC will meet FIFA and then the West Zone nations before making a final decision on the options that exist for the competition," the AFC said.

If the current situation continues, then matches involving teams, other than clubs from Japan, can be played in July and any outstanding matches which have not been staged from Match Day 1 and 2 need to be concluded before August 2020, it added.

Leandro (L) of FC Tokyo scores his side's first goal during the AFC Champions League Group F match between FC Tokyo and Perth Glory in Tokyo, Japan, February 18, 2020. /VCG

The round of 16 matches, originally planned for May and June, will be played in August.

The quarterfinals will be played on September 15/16 with the return legs on September 29/30.

The semifinals will then take place on October 20/21 and the return leg on October 27/28 with the finals remaining as November 22 and 28, 2020.

Apart from Beijing FC, three Chinese clubs, Guangzhou Evergrande, Shanghai SIPG and Shanghai Shenhua, have not played any games so far, which means players are expected to face physical challenges brought by a tight schedule in May and June if the Chinese Super League also resumes by then.

The Asian football governing body also said that its officials will meet with FIFA this week to discuss the status of the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 and AFC Asian Cup China 2023 Asian Qualifiers scheduled for March and June.

Source(s): Xinhua News Agency