The second edition of the seminar took place in a timely fashion, as the AFC marked new milestones in its groundbreaking era of revamped club competitions with the official draw ceremonies for the inaugural 2024/25 seasons of the AFC Champions League Elite™ League Stage, AFC Champions League Two™ Group Stage and AFC Women’s Champions League™ Preliminary Stage and Group Stage in recent weeks.

The seminar commenced at the AFC House with a welcome address from AFC Professional Football Committee Chairperson and former Manchester United icon Park Ji Sung, following by an overview of the reforms that have been introduced by the Confederation in its bid to further elevate the standards of professional football across the Continent.

A major highlight of the programme included informative presentations on the second day at the Hyatt Place hotel from the J.LEAGUE, UAE Pro League and the K LEAGUE, which shed light on their club management guidelines and league development strategies as well as highlighted case studies on fan engagement and club licensing.

The seminar also saw the participants being brought up to speed with the latest AFC Club Competitions Regulations, AFC Entry Regulations and National Club Licensing Regulations, in addition to taking in a Club Licensing Cycle Review and the AFC Club Competitions 2023/24 Benchmarking Report.

Guest speakers from Suiko Consulting, ProjectWITH, FIFA and UEFA also took to the stage to share valuable insights into the professional football ecosystem.

“There is no denying that the 2024/25 club competition season is perhaps the most historic edition in the history of Asian football,” said AFC Professional Football Committee Chairperson, Park.

 

“The spotlight on professional football is brighter than ever and the club competition reforms are some of the most transformative and revolutionary in recent decades.

 

“I am sure that it will serve as a catalyst for all of us to raise our standards off the field to match the expected rise in quality on the pitch, as we continue to strive towards creating the best possible environment for our clubs to flourish.”

 

The seminar concluded with the participants’ attendance at the official Group Stage draw ceremony of the AFC Challenge League™ on Thursday afternoon at the AFC House, which set the stage for a thrilling 2024/25 season.