AFC Champions League Elite
Fans can expect highly exciting battles, with the continent’s premier men’s club football tournament expanded to 32 teams.
The-AFC.com caught up with several team representatives to hear what they had to say about the Draw.
The-AFC.com caught up with several team representatives to hear what they had to say about the Draw.
Nigel Boogaard
General Manager, Newcastle Jets FC
“It’s an exciting one for us. It’s been a long time trying to get back to this stage. We have an exciting bunch of players and coaching staff who believe in what we’re doing as we try to challenge the best clubs in Asia. For us it’s about putting the A-League and the club back on this stage. We had a lot of movement off the back of a successful season. We believe that we have recruited well with a lot of experience that should put us in a good position to challenge, especially in away games against good opponents. To get out of the league stage is a target for us.”
Matthias Brosamer
Sporting General Manager, Beijing FC
“First of all, it's great to be here in the AFC Champions League Elite and we are really looking forward to a great campaign. The draw is very good for us and we are excited about every single match. It’s going to be a challenge, of course, to play in so many diverse places but that’s football and you learn from challenges. We will take it as it comes.”
General Manager, Newcastle Jets FC
“It’s an exciting one for us. It’s been a long time trying to get back to this stage. We have an exciting bunch of players and coaching staff who believe in what we’re doing as we try to challenge the best clubs in Asia. For us it’s about putting the A-League and the club back on this stage. We had a lot of movement off the back of a successful season. We believe that we have recruited well with a lot of experience that should put us in a good position to challenge, especially in away games against good opponents. To get out of the league stage is a target for us.”
Matthias Brosamer
Sporting General Manager, Beijing FC
“First of all, it's great to be here in the AFC Champions League Elite and we are really looking forward to a great campaign. The draw is very good for us and we are excited about every single match. It’s going to be a challenge, of course, to play in so many diverse places but that’s football and you learn from challenges. We will take it as it comes.”
AFC Champions League Elite™ 2026/27 League Stage Draw | HIGHLIGHTS
Namkon Cho
Team Media Officer, Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors FC
“From a distance perspective, I think the away trips will be manageable because we are meeting teams from Japan and China PR; the furthest team is from Malaysia, but they are the home match (for us). But the strongest teams are from Japan and also Johor (Darul Ta’zim) is the strongest team in Malaysia, so we need to prepare well and we need to do our best during the competition. We did so well last year (domestically as) we won the double (league and cup), so it will be a real challenge to retain our title (and also do well in the ACL Elite), but I think we will be able to manage it.”
Chonchanok Chidchob
Vice CEO, Buriram United
“The target is to do better than last season. The goal we aim is to get to the quarter-finals again, to be the team to get to that stage three times in a row. If we look at the points, it also gives us a chance of getting to the Club World Cup next year so that's a really big target for Buriram, as it would be a massive achievement for the club and also for ASEAN football.”
Team Media Officer, Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors FC
“From a distance perspective, I think the away trips will be manageable because we are meeting teams from Japan and China PR; the furthest team is from Malaysia, but they are the home match (for us). But the strongest teams are from Japan and also Johor (Darul Ta’zim) is the strongest team in Malaysia, so we need to prepare well and we need to do our best during the competition. We did so well last year (domestically as) we won the double (league and cup), so it will be a real challenge to retain our title (and also do well in the ACL Elite), but I think we will be able to manage it.”
Chonchanok Chidchob
Vice CEO, Buriram United
“The target is to do better than last season. The goal we aim is to get to the quarter-finals again, to be the team to get to that stage three times in a row. If we look at the points, it also gives us a chance of getting to the Club World Cup next year so that's a really big target for Buriram, as it would be a massive achievement for the club and also for ASEAN football.”
Rashid Essa Aldosari
Executive Director, Al Gharafa SC
“With 32 teams, I am sure the competition will be amazing and competitive.I know the AFC Champions League Elite is really tough as this is our third participation in the competition. We will try to reach the second round. It's really difficult to balance between domestic and continental matches but we are determined to manage it well this season and I think our squad depth is good. This will allow us to rotate the squad to keep it in good shape.”
Adel Ahmad Abdallah
Team Media Officer, Shabab Al Ahli
“It is very clear that all teams are very strong. We will face three teams from Saudi Arabia, all of whom are strong teams. The advantage is that the format is home and away, and we will try to make the most of our matches that are at home.”
Executive Director, Al Gharafa SC
“With 32 teams, I am sure the competition will be amazing and competitive.I know the AFC Champions League Elite is really tough as this is our third participation in the competition. We will try to reach the second round. It's really difficult to balance between domestic and continental matches but we are determined to manage it well this season and I think our squad depth is good. This will allow us to rotate the squad to keep it in good shape.”
Adel Ahmad Abdallah
Team Media Officer, Shabab Al Ahli
“It is very clear that all teams are very strong. We will face three teams from Saudi Arabia, all of whom are strong teams. The advantage is that the format is home and away, and we will try to make the most of our matches that are at home.”
#ACLElite - League Stage Draw
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Zokhidjon Gofurov
CEO, PFC Neftchi
“The draw ceremony was a great experience for our club and we will try to make sure that we get to take part in this competition every year. We are going to play against teams who have played at this stage for many years, but we will try our best to compete against them at the same level. We will do our best and try to earn some good results.”
Bekhzod Nazarov
Team Media Officer, Pakhtakor FC
“This is a great opportunity for us to play against such big teams. All the teams are very strong and we are excited to play names like Al Nassr in Tashkent. Even though we are up against tough teams, it is a chance for us to show our quality, which we are confident about especially after Uzbekistan’s debut in the FIFA World Cup. It's a challenge for us.”
CEO, PFC Neftchi
“The draw ceremony was a great experience for our club and we will try to make sure that we get to take part in this competition every year. We are going to play against teams who have played at this stage for many years, but we will try our best to compete against them at the same level. We will do our best and try to earn some good results.”
Bekhzod Nazarov
Team Media Officer, Pakhtakor FC
“This is a great opportunity for us to play against such big teams. All the teams are very strong and we are excited to play names like Al Nassr in Tashkent. Even though we are up against tough teams, it is a chance for us to show our quality, which we are confident about especially after Uzbekistan’s debut in the FIFA World Cup. It's a challenge for us.”
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