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Contents
Mingle morning or night
5 AFC Message 6 History 12 Group A Esteghlal (IRN) Al Rayyan (QAT) Al Jazira (UAE) Al Shabab (KSA) 16 Group B Al Fateh (KSA) Foolad Khouzestan (IRN) Bunyodkor (UZB) El Jaish (KSA) 22 Group C Al Ain (UAE) Al Ittihad (KSA) Tractorsazi Tabriz (IRN) Lekhwiya (QAT) 26 Group D Al Sadd (QAT) Al Ahli (UAE) Al Hilal (KSA) Foolad Sepahan (IRN) 32 Group E Pohang Steelers (KOR) Buriram United (THA) Shandong Luneng (CHN) Cerezo Osaka (JPN) 36 Group F Sanfrecce Hiroshima (JPN) Central Coast Mariners (AUS) FC Seoul (KOR) Beijing Guoan (CHN) 42 Group G Guangzhou Evergrande (CHN) Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors (KOR) Yokohama F. Marinos (JPN) Melbourne Victory (AUS) 46 Group H Western Sydney Wanderers (AUS) Guizhou Renhe (CHN) Kawasaki Frontale (JPN) Ulsan Hyundai (KOR) 50 Roll of Honour
While every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of the content in this publication, for up-to-date information on the 2013 AFC Champions League and the participating clubs, please visit www. the-afc.com.
AFC MESSAGE
Shaikh Salman Bin Ebrahim Al Khalifa AFC President
Dear friends, The AFC Champions League’s popularity has soared over the years and this season of the continent’s premier club competition is set to continue that upward trend. The television viewership of 2013 edition of the AFC Champions League achieved a combined average rating of 280 million, with a total reach of 1.37 billion, which is highly encouraging for not only the AFC but also the participating Member Associations and clubs. And with the doors of the tournament open to more Member Associations, this year’s AFC Champions League promises to be even more intriguing and we have already enjoyed a taste of what lies ahead from the exciting and entertaining play-offs. Asian football continues to evolve and the participating clubs have invested a lot of resources into building strong teams for the AFC Champions League and this also serves to improve the quality of the respective national teams. And this competition not only provides a chance to win the prestigious AFC Champions League title, it also offers an opportunity to represent Asia in the FIFA Club World Cup later this year. I would like to conclude by wishing all the teams the very best for the group stage and would ask them to follow the spirit of fair play and sportsmanship. I would also like to thank sponsors, fans and the media for their continuous support of the competition. Shaikh Salman Bin Ebrahim Al Khalifa AFC President FIFA ExCo Member
5
WRITING A NEW HISTORY
G
2012
HISTORY
uangzhou Evergrande’s historic triumph over FC Seoul in the final of the AFC Champions League last November ended China’s 23-year Asian title drought with victory in front of a sea of rapturous red at Guangzhou’s Tianhe Stadium. Marcello Lippi’s side secured the title on away goals following a 1-1 draw in Guangzhou that saw the Chinese Super League champions draw 3-3 over the two legs. After the pair shared a thrilling 2-2 draw in front of a lively 55,501 crowd at Seoul World Cup Stadium, a sublime opener from Brazilian striker Elkeson gave the Southern Chinese side the lead just before the hour mark only for Dejan Damjanovic to level the scores four minutes later to crank up the tension in the stands. But Choi Yong-soo’s side could not find their way through the home defence a second time to claim the goal needed to keep the trophy in Korean hands and Guangzhou became the first Chinese side since Liaoning in 1990 to be crowned Asian club champions to the delight of the majority of the 55,847 inside Tianhe Sport Center Stadium. “Winning the cup is very important for Chinese football,” said Lippi after becoming the first coach to win continental club titles in both Europe and Asia. “We grew a lot and what we tried to do was reach the level of being able to compete against other teams at this level. We won again, and that’s good for Chinese football and for Guangzhou Evergrande.” While Guangzhou’s formidable South American attacking trio of AFC Foreign Player of the Year Muriqui, Dario Conca and Elkeson grabbed the headlines and provided the flair, the work rate and commitment put in by China captain Zheng Zhi acted as the beating heart of the team, and he was duly rewarded
2013
2011
2010 7
HISTORY
2009 with the AFC Player of the Year award. “It shows the world that Chinese clubs are competitive in Asia and it should give Chinese clubs more confidence in the AFC Champions League,” said Zheng, who helped Shandong Luneng reach the quarter-finals in 2005 before repeating the feat with Guangzhou in 2012. “In recent years the winners of the AFC Champions League have been from either Japan or Korea, so hopefully our victory can have a positive impact for clubs in China. “It is very difficult to win the AFC Champions League and I am sure that it brought joy to fans in Guangzhou and also the whole country. It was a historical moment.” Ever since April 29 1990, when Zheng’s hometown club Liaoning held Nissan to a 1-1 draw in Shenyang that gave them a 3-2 aggregate victory and the Asian Club Championship, teams from China have never been able to replicate those feats, although several came close. In fact, just a year later, Liaoning were close to winning back-toback championships but fell at the last hurdle in a 2-1 defeat to Esteghlal of Iran in the final of the competition. Seven years later, Dalian Wanda went even closer as the Asian Club Championship 1997-98 final between the Chinese side and Pohang Steelers could only be separated by penalties, and the Koreans prevailed 6-5 to lift their second continental championship. Virtually invincible on the domestic front, Dalian Wanda again made it to the latter stages of the following year’s tournament but this time crashed out in the semi-finals to Esteghlal after losing 4-3 in extra-time. In the next few years Chinese clubs struggled to make an impact in the knockout stages of the tournament, but in 2002 the competitive landscape of club football in Asia was given an entire overhaul and
brought with it an upturn in China’s luck. Previously, three competitions had existed: the Asian Club Championship, played for by the league winners in each country; the Asian Cup Winners’ Cup, which was contest by the champions of each nation’s knockout competition; and the Asian Super Cup, which saw the winners of the two aforementioned tournaments go head-to-head. The AFC Champions League saw the merging of the Asian Club Championship, the Asian Cup Winners’ Cup and the Asian Super Cup into a consolidated competition that determined without any doubt the continent’s number one club. Have struggled in the last three Asian Club Championships, the newly re-named Dalian Shide initially flourished in the inaugural AFC Champions League competition and went undefeated in the group stages, before falling in the semi-finals to eventual champions Al Ain of the United Arab Emirates. And the Emirati side held off the valiant efforts of Thailand’s BEC Tero Sasana to clinch the inaugural title and also become the first Middle Eastern nation to be crowned continental champions. Further refinements to the tournament followed in the coming seasons as clubs from the west of the continent dominated the early years, with Saudi Arabia’s Al Ittihad claiming the title in both 2004 and 2005. A new power in China, Shenzhen Jianlibao, had attempted to break up the monopoly but they suffered a heavy defeat to Al Ain in the semi-finals of the 2005 competition which signaled the end of Chinese presence in the final four for the next eight years. Instead it was Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors of Korea Republic, who became the first winner of the revamped tournament from the east in 2006. That win sparked a shift in power to the east of the continent and 9
2004
2005
HISTORY
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an awakening amongst the J.League, with Urawa Reds claiming the title in front of a bumper crowd at Saitama Stadium against Sepahan from Iran in 2007. Japan’s position of strength continued the following season as Gamba Osaka overcame Urawa in a pulsating semi-final before handing Adelaide United a 5-0 aggregate defeat. The Koreans, however, were keen to prove that whatever their Japanese counterparts were capable of achieving; they could at the very least match. Pohang Steelers struck the first blow as they beat Al Ittihad in Tokyo to become the only side to be crowned continental champions three times before Seongnam Ilhwa Chunma downed Zobahan from Iran at the same venue 12 months later. However, after six years residing in the east, the title returned to the west in 2011 with Qatar’s Al Sadd besting Jeonbuk in the final thanks to a penalty shootout that saw goalkeeper Mohamed Saqr emerge as his team’s hero. That state of affairs, though, was to last only 12 months as Ulsan reclaimed the title and Korean clubs continued their remarkable run of success. Throughout this period the traditional powerhouses of Chinese football from the cities of Beijing, Shandong and Shanghai had been representing their nation without much success past the group stages. However, a new force was rising in the south of the country, when second division Guangzhou was bought by the Evergrande group in 2010 to spark a meteoric rise that would take them to the very pinnacle of Asian football. Immediate promotion to the Chinese Super League was followed by the domestic title in 2011 and with it the club’s first foray into the AFC Champions League in 2012 as Guangzhou reached the quarterfinals only to be undone by a late Al Ittihad goal in the second leg of thrilling tie.
2008 But World cup-winning coach Marcello Lippi and his team were not to be denied in their second outing, though, taking the 2013 AFC Champions League title and creating history. Although this year they will lack key playmaker Conca, Guangzhou still wield Brazilian duo Muriqui and Elkeson and have added Italy international Alessandro Diamanti into their attacking line-up which has mouth-watering prospects and mark them out as one of the favourites. Guangzhou aside, the Chinese Super League sides have also spent heavily to challenge the new southern power on both the domestic front and in the AFC Champions League. From Korea Republic, FC Seoul will be determined to avenge their final heartache and set matters straight, with 2012 champions Ulsan Hyundai returning alongside domestic champions Pohang Steelers and fellow former continental supremos Jeonbuk. J.League champions Sanfrecce Hiroshima, Emperor’s Cup winners Yokohama F. Marinos, Kawasaki Frontale and Cerezo Osaka represent a strong Japanese contingent looking to follow in the footsteps on 2008 winners Gamba. From the west, Esteghlal will have to do without former captain Javad Nekounam as the Iran champions look to build on last year’s semi-final appearance, with 2007 finalists Sepahan, Tractorsazi and Foolad Khouzestan making up the Iranian contingent. Two-time AFC Champions League winners Al Ittihad from Saudi Arabia will be aiming to make up for their absence in last year’s tournament having reached the semi-finals on 2012, with Al Hilal and 2013 quarter-finalists Al Shabab returning alongside domestic champions Al Fateh. Inaugural AFC Champions League winners Al Ain also return alongside 2011 champions Al Sadd from Qatar, with the latest edition of the continent’s premier club competition again set to be filled with excitement, entertainment and expectation as 32 teams stake their claims to become the next champions of Asia.
11
Esteghlal Qualified as: Iran Pro League – Champion • Founded: 1945 • Ground: Azadi Stadium (100,000)
Qualified as: Emir Cup - Winner • Founded: 1967 • Ground: Al Rayyan Stadium, Doha (25,740)
Iran Pro League (8): 2013, 2009, 2006, 2001, 1998, 1990, 1975, 1971
Qatar Stars League (7): 1995, 1990, 1986, 1984, 1982, 1978, 1976
Hazfi Cup (6): 2012, 2008, 2002, 2000, 1996, 1977
Emir Cup (6): 2013, 2011, 2010, 2006, 2004, 1999
Crown Prince Cup (3): 1999, 1996, 1993
AFC Champions League: : Semi-Finals 2013; Round of 16 2012, 2010; Group Stage 2011, 2009, 2003
AFC Champions League: Group Stage 2013, 2012, 2011, 2007, 2005 AFC Cup : Round of 16 2010
Asian Club Championship (2): 1991, 1970; Runner-up 1999, 1992 Asian Cup Winners’ Cup (1): Semi-Finals 2001, 1997
Asian Club Championship: Semi-Finals 1992; Quarter-Finals 1997
Overview After spending three seasons in the shadow of Sepahan, Esteghlal regained the Iran Pro League title in 2013 when they finished two points ahead of runners-up Tractorsazi Tabriz. It was the eighth league championship for the Blues as they moved within one of the record nine titles claimed by their Tehran rivals Persepolis. Esteghlal are Iran’s most successful club on the continental stage with victories in the Asian Club Championship in 1971 and 1991 but they failed to go beyond the Round of 16 in their first five appearances in the AFC Champions League until enjoying their best performance in the competition in 2013 when they went all the way to the semi-finals before losing to FC Seoul.
Key Players Widely regarded as Iran’s best goalkeeper since the legendary Ahmadreza Abedzadeh, who helped the country to qualify for the 1998 FIFA World Cup, Medhi Rahmati is one of Iranian football’s most decorated players after winning four league titles and two Hazfi Cups. The 29-year-old, who has over 75 caps for Iran, is hardly ever beaten from distance and usually comes out on top in one-on-one situations. Jlloyd Samuel has developed into one of the most popular foreign imports to have played in the Iranian league, with the left-back often used as an attacking weapon as much as a defensive one. The 32-year-old Trinidadian arrived at the Iranian champions in 2012 after lengthy spells with Aston Villa and Bolton Wanderers in the English Premier League and scored three times during Esteghlal’s run to the AFC Champions League semi-finals last year.
Coach: Amir Ghalenoei (IRN)
12
QAT
The most successful coach at club level in Iran, Amir Ghalenoei has won five of the 12 titles of the professional era – three with Esteghlal and two with Sepahan – and three Hazfi Cups. The 50-year-old, who is in his third spell at Esteghlal, enjoyed his best performance on the continental stage last season as he guided Esteghlal to the last four of the AFC Champions League. In 2007, he was Iran’s national coach as they fell in the quarterfinals of the AFC Asian Cup.
3 Samuel
8 Nouri
No. 1 2 3 4 5 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 27 32 34 70 77
Pos. GK DF MF DF DF MF FW FW FW GK MF MF DF MF DF MF MF MF GK MF MF FW MF DF FW
9
11
Borhani
Ghazi
27
10
Carvalho
Akbarpour
4
5
Sadeghi
Omranzadeh
27
2 14
Al Aaeldin
Teymourian
3
2
11 Salem
Mohsin
33
Otavio
Cho Yong-hyung
30 Barry
No. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 22 23 24 25 26 27 29 30 33 44
Pos. GK DF MF MF DF DF FW MF FW MF DF DF DF DF FW MF MF DF FW GK FW DF DF DF FW DF GK MF MF
12
13
1 Date of Birth 03/02/1983 14/09/1983 18/03/1981 06/09/1981 30/04/1985 14/07/1980 14/09/1983 21/01/1985 30/12/1984 08/02/1989 06/06/1989 06/03/1983 11/11/1993 22/09/1984 03/02/1995 02/03/1995 10/05/1987 06/05/1984 30/06/1992 30/06/1980 29/05/1986 02/03/1989 03/01/1992 18/06/1983 25/05/1985
Talib
5
Rahmati
Name Mehdi Rahmati Khosro Heydari Jloyd Samuel Amir Hossein Sadeghi Hanif Omranzadeh Pejman Nouri Arash Borhani Siavash Akbarpour Mohammad Ghazi Mehrdad Hosseini Ghasem Ghamoushi Andranik Teymourian Ahmad Nematollahi Hashem Beikzadeh Meisam Joudaki Babak Jabbari Boubaker Kebe Ahmad Jamshidian Seyed Hossein Hosseini Alireza Vahdi Nikbakht Antonio Carvalho Mohammad Mahdi Nazari Iman Basafa Majid Gholamnejhad Mehrdad Oladi
8
Gonzalez
Goumou Heydari
18
Yakubu
Name Soud Abdulla Mohamed Al Aaeldin Daniel Goumou Hamad Al Abidi Nathan Otavio Abdulla Alawi Ahmed Al Aaeldin Abdulla Talib Kalu Uche Abdulkareem Salem Hamid Ismaeil Cho Yong-hyung Nasser Al Kaabi Saleh Al Zewaidi Mohamed Salah Al Neel Saud Abdullah Sayaf Mohsin Abdulmajid Anad Jaralla Al Maari Mohammed Al Jasser Fahad Khalfan Musa Haroon Ibrahim Dami Abdulrahman Mohammed Yakubu Younis Yaqoub Oumar Barry Lucho Gonzalez Sultan Al Kuwari
Ismaeil
Date of Birth 19/07/1986 24/01/1994 04/10/1990 21/04/1991 02/06/1990 05/08/1991 31/01/1993 05/04/1991 15/11/1982 25/03/1991 16/06/1986 03/11/1983 11/11/1994 29/05/1991 01/01/1991 06/03/1992 14/09/1991 07/01/1994 03/04/1988 21/03/1992 23/03/1992 13/09/1985 11/05/1993 18/08/1994 22/11/1982 14/03/1986 18/07/1986 19/01/1981 03/08/1995
Overview Al Rayyan qualified for the group stage of the AFC Champions League for a fourth consecutive season and sixth time overall after they defeated Al Sadd 2-1 to win the Emir Cup having finished fourth in the Qatar Stars League last season. Established in 1967, Al Rayyan have won the Qatari title seven times although their last championship was in 1995. They finished third in the Asian Club Championship in 1992 and reached the quarter-finals of the same competition in 1997, but they have yet to make an impression in the AFC Champions League, failing to advance beyond the group stage in all of their previous appearances.
Key Players Nigerian striker Yakubu recently joined Al Rayyan from Chinese side Guangzhou R&F where he played for one season and finished third in the Chinese Super League scoring chart with 15 goals. The 31-year-old represented his country in four editions of the African Cup of Nations and the 2010 FIFA World Cup. After starting his youth career with Al Sadd, Hamid Ismaeil joined Al Arabi and became a key player there before he left in 2009 for Al Rayyan where the 26-year-old is now the club captain. While primarily a defender, Ismail made his mark in the Khaleeji Olympic Cup in 2008 when he scored three goals and was named player of the tournament. He also played for Qatar in the Asian Games and Gulf Cup in 2010 and the AFC Asian Cup in 2011. Young forward Ahmed Alaaeldin has made rapid progress in recent years, becoming one of the most promising players for Al Rayyan and playing for Qatar’s U-23 side in the qualifiers for the 2012 Olympics.
GROUP A
GROUP A
IRN
Al Rayyan
Coach: Manuel Jimenez (ESP) A former Spain international full-back, Manuel Jiminez spent nearly his entire playing career with Sevilla and coached their B team before taking charge of the first team for three year in 2007. He had a short spell in Greece at AEK Athens before returning to Spain to take the helm of Real Zaragoza. The 50-year-old became head coach of Al Rayyan last November, replacing Uruguayan Diego Aguirre who had led the team to victory in the 2013 Emir Cup.
13
Al Jazira UAE
Al Shabab KSA
Qualified as: UAE Pro League – Third • Founded: 1974 • Ground: M ohammed Bin Zayed Stadium, Abu Dhabi (42,000)
Qualified as: Saudi Pro League – Third • Founded: 1947 • Ground: King Fahad International Stadium, Riyadh (76,000)
UAE Pro League (1): 2011; Runner-up 2010, 2009, 2008
Saudi League (6): 2012, 2006, 2004, 1993, 1992, 1991 King’s Cup (2): 2009, 2008
President’s Cup (2): 2012, 2011; Runner-up 2002
Crown Prince Cup (3): 1999, 1996, 1993
AFC Champions League: : Round of 16 2012; Group Stage 2013, 2011, 2010, 2009
AFC Champions League: Semi-Finals 2010; Quarter-Finals 2013, 2006; Round of 16 2011, 2009; Group Stage 2007, 2005
Al Jazira finished their domestic season empty-handed for the first time since 2009 after a campaign in which they finished a distant third in the UAE Pro League, 15 points behind champions Al Ain. However, with league runners-up Al Ahli also winning the President’s Cup, the Abu Dhabi club were able to qualify for the group stage of the AFC Champions League for a sixth consecutive time. They reached the knockout Stage for the first time in 2012, going out in the Round of 16 after losing in a penalty shootout to eventual finalists Al Ahli of Saudi Arabia. However, they were again eliminated in the group stage last year after managing only one win in six games.
Key Players Striker Ali Mabkhout scored six goals in four games as the UAE impressively qualified for the 2015 AFC Asian Cup with two games to spare. Mabkhout, who has progressed through the ranks with Al Jazira, also featured prominently at the 2012 Olympic Games and helped the UAE win the 2013 Gulf Cup. Former United Arab Emirates international midfielder Subait Khater won the inaugural AFC Champions League title with Al Ain in 2003. He joined Al Jazira in 2008 having spent over a decade with Al Ain. Korea Republic international Shin Hyung-min joined Al Jazira in August 2013 having previously tasted success in the AFC Champions League with Pohang Steelers in 2009.
Coach: Walter Zenga (ITA)
14
30
Overview
Former Italy international goalkeeper Walter Zenga replaced Luis Milla as Al Jazira coach in October 2013 from Al Nasr, who he had joined at the start of 2011. Having led Al Nasr to consecutive top-three finishes in the UAE Pro League, Zenga also oversaw their group stage appearance in the AFC Champions League last season. The 51-year-old started his coaching career as a player-coach at Major League Soccer’s New England Revolution in 1999 and had stints in Romania, Serbia and Turkey and a spell with UAE side Al Ain before he went back to Italy to manage Catania and Sampdoria. He returned to the Middle East in May 2010 for a short spell with Saudi Arabia’s Al Nassr.
13 Esmaeel
18 Mousa
No. 1 3 4 5 6 7 8 10 11 13 18 20 22 23 24 30 31 34 36 40 44 45 47 51 70 77 82 91 96
Pos. GK DF FW DF DF FW FW FW MF MF MF MF FW DF MF FW MF MF GK GK FW FW MF FW MF MF DF MF GK
7
10 Barrada
11
9
7
Caicedo Mabkhout
8
Rafinha
Qasem
11
3
5
Abdulla
Fayez
20
2
Shin Hyung-min
Al Astaa
Torres
Al Bishi
Al Marshadi
1 Abdullah
No. 1 2 3 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 18 19 21 22 25 26 27 30 32 33 34 35 44 45
Pos. GK DF DF DF MF MF MF FW MF MF MF DF DF FW FW MF DF FW GK DF DF MF MF DF GK MF MF FW MF
Menegazzo
25
1 Date of Birth 09/06/1987 11/03/1982 20/09/1985 26/03/1987 08/01/1985 05/10/1990 11/08/1986 19/06/1989 06/04/1988 16/08/1989 23/02/1987 18/07/1986 09/05/1995 22/06/1987 27/02/1980 05/09/1988 01/03/1993 29/08/1991 04/10/989 03/01/1993 28/09/1995 14/08/1995 15/02/1995 22/06/1996 21/01/1992 18/01/1989 26/11/1993 24/08/1995 05/01/1995
8
3
Ali Khaseif
Name Ali Khaseif Juma Abdulla Yaser Matar Musallem Fayez Salem Masoud Ali Mabkhout Abdulla Qasem Abdelaziz Barrada Jucelei Khamis Esmaeel Abdulla Mousa Shin Hyung-min Khalfan Al Rezzi Khalid Sebil Subait Khater Felipe Caicedo Hamad Al Hosani Khalid Musabeh Khaled Al Senaani Ahmed Al Shabibi Ahmed Al Hashmi Ahmed Gheilani Abdulrahman Jasem Sultan Al Shamsi Humaid Al Mas Sultan Al Menhali Sultan Al Suwaidi Sultan Abdulwahab Sultan Al Mentheri
Al Ruwali
10
Otayf
Jucelei
18
Hazazi
Name Waleed Abdullah Abdullah Al Astaa Sayyaf Al Bishi Naif Al Qadi Omar Al Ghamadi Rafinha Fernando Menegazzo Naif Hazazi Macnelly Torres Ahmed Otayf Abdulmalek Al Khaibri Hassan Fallatah Abdullah Shuhail Essa Al Mahyani Fahad Al Dossari Abdulmajeed Al Ruwaili Waleed Al Jahdali Imad Khalili Ibrahim Zaied Majed Al Marshadi Hadi Yahya Saeed Al Dosari Bader Al Sulateen Saleh Al Qumayzi Mohammed Al Owais Abdulrahman Al Barakah Saqer Otayf Muhannad Asiri Abdulmajeed Al Sulayhim
13 Fallatah
Date of Birth 19/04/1986 24/08/1986 18/06/1980 03/04/1979 11/04/1979 04/08/1983 03/05/1981 27/07/1988 01/11/1984 14/04/1983 13/03/1986 27/01/1986 02/06/1985 22/06/1983 01/05/1990 28/08/1986 01/06/1982 03/04/1987 22/01/190 01/11/1984 03/04/1990 15/07/1990 16/07/1990 30/10/199 10/10/1991 21/09/1990 03/09/1990 14/10/1986 15/04/1994
Overview Al Shabab were left to rue the away goals rule in the AFC Champions League for a second time last season. Having gone out to Korean side Seongnam Ilhwa Chunma by that method in the 2010 semi-finals, the Riyadh-based club suffered a similar fate in the 2013 quarter-finals against Kashiwa Reysol after drawing 1-1 in Japan and 2-2 at home. Winners of the Saudi Pro League for a sixth time in 2012, Al Shabab endured much frustration last year as they relinquished their title after finishing third while also losing the King’s Cup final 4-2 to Al Ittihad. They won the Asian Cup Winners’ Cup in 2001 but their semi-final appearance in 2010 remains their best AFC Champions League performance.
Key Players Saudi Arabia striker Naif Hazazi joined Al Shabab prior to last season’s AFC Champions League quarter-finals having made the switch from Al Ittihad. Hazazi had scored eight goals as two-time champions Al Ittihad reached the semi-finals of the 2012 AFC Champions League and played a part in the two-time champions’ run to the 2009 final. Colombia international Macnelly Torres helped Colombia qualify for the 2014 FIFA World Cup having, like Hazazi, joined Al Shabab midway through last year. Ahmed Otayf is a two-time Saudi league winner with Al Shabab having spent his entire career with the club. He was part of Saudi Arabia’s squad at the 2011 AFC Asian Cup. Younger brother Saqer Otayf returned from a spell in Portugal with lower league side Louleteno having begun his career in Al Shabab’s academy.
GROUP A
GROUP A
Asian Club Championship: Runner-up 1992 Asian Cup Winners’ Cup (1): 2001 Asian Super Cup: Runner-up 2001
Coach: Ammar Souayah (TUN) Having coached at clubs in his native Tunisia for a number of years, Ammar Souayah came to prominence in 2002 when he was put in charge of the Tunisia national team for the FIFA World Cup finals. He also coached Tunisian giants Etoile du Sahel and had spells with Saudi clubs Al Hazm, Al Qadisiya, Al Ta’ee and Al Ittifaq before he returned to Tunisia to take charge of their Olympic team. The 56-year-old was appointed as Al Shabab coach in January after the departure of Emilio Ferrera.
15
Al Fateh KSA
Foolad Khouzestan IRN
Qualified as: Saudi Pro League - Champion • Founded: 1958 • Ground: P rince Abdullah Bin Jalawi Stadium, Hofouf (20,000)
Qualified as: Iran Pro League - Fourth • Founded: 1986 • Ground: Ghadir Stadium, Ahvaz (51,000)
Saudi Pro League (1): 2013
Iran Pro League (1): 2005 Emir Cup (6): 2013, 2011, 2010, 2006, 2004, 1999
Overview Unheralded Al Fateh produced a stunning run of form to clinch their first ever Saudi Pro League title in 2013. Promoted in 2009, the team from Saudi Arabia’s eastern Al Ahsa province finished no higher than sixth in the next three seasons but they won 13 of their first 16 league matches in the 2012-13 campaign and never looked back as they finished eight points clear of Al Hilal and Al Shabab with a record 20 wins during the season. Al Fateh’s surprise title triumph made them the first team other than Al Hilal, Al Ittihad or Al Shabab to win the Saudi championship since 1995 and secured them a spot in the AFC Champions League for the first time.
Key Players Much of Al Fateh’s unexpected league championship was founded on the goals of prolific striker Doris Salomo. The clinical Congolese averages nearly a goal every other game for his side and was the Saudi Pro League’s second highest top-scorer last season. Salomo was ably assisted by the creativity of Brazilian playmaker Elton who also notched 11 goals last season, one of his most noteworthy being the winning strike that claimed the Saudi Super Cup for Al Fateh. If Salomo and Elton provide the goals and flair of the team respectively, then forward Hamdan Al Hamdan provides the soul having been at the club his entire career. The 29-yearold icon broke into the first team in 2004 after his promotion from the youth team, and has been a fixture in the side ever since.
Coach: Fathi Al Jabal (TUN)
16
Described by the club’s president as “the reason behind the great achievements of Al Fateh,” Tunisian Fathi Al Jabal has been at the helm of the reigning Saudi Pro League champions since August 2010. Appointed following their promotion in 2009, Al Jabal oversaw a period of stability in the top flight before guiding Al Fateh’s rise to the pinnacle of Saudi Arabian football last season. And in doing so, the 51-year-old coach has brought his newly crowned team to the AFC Champions League for their first-ever appearance at the continent’s premier competition.
9
8
Salomo
Al Moghawi
77
14
Elton
Al Fehaid
16 Al Saed
No. 1 4 5 6 7 8 9 11 13 14 15 16 17 18 20 22 23 24 30 32 34 50 66 77 80 88
Pos. GK DF DF MF MF MF FW MF MF DF FW DF DF MF FW GK MF DF GK DF GK DF MF MF MF MF
7
11
Al Hamdan
Rahmani
29 14
Al Asmari
S.Karami
32
Jemal
Bo Shaqra
4
24
Al Nakly
Jamaati
4
A.Karami
Vali
77 Makani
No. 1 2 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 13 14 15 16 17 20 21 23 24 27 28 29 30 32 37 55 77
Pos. GK DF DF MF MF MF FW FW DF MF GK MF MF FW DF MF DF FW DF DF FW FW MF MF FW DF GK
Badrloo
10
22 Date of Birth 19/12/1989 20/05/1988 20/04/1987 22/07/1993 13/01/1988 24/03/1988 18/09/1984 07/09/1992 11/07/1991 02/08/1994 04/08/1984 18/08/1983 10/02/1991 11/07/1991 28/10/1991 13/05/1991 01/02/1983 01/07/1982 24/11/1985 23/11/1981 19/11/1993 02/01/1990 22/07/1983 07/05/1990 23/05/1994 25/06/1987
5
Sharifat
Al Owayshir
Name Mohammed Al Jamaish Badr Al Nakly Ammar Jemal Ahmad Al Sultan Hamdan Al Hamdan Hussain Al Moqahwi Doris Salomo Fahad Al Souod Fayez Al Alyani Mohammed Al Fehaid Bader Al Khamees Mashal Al Saed Abdullah Alabdullah Noah Al Mosa Sultan Al Shammari Abdullah Al Owayshir Abdullah Al Dosri Mohammad Al Nakhli Ali Mazyadi Abdulaziz Bo Shaqra Mohammed Al Burayh Shafi Al Dossari Abdulrahman Al Qahtani Elton Mubarak Al Sultan Mubarak Al Asmari
Rezaei
8
88
5
37
Chimba
Name Alirez Salimi Leandro Padovani Ayoub Vali Mehdi Badrloo Mehdi Nouri Rafiei Soroush Esmaeil Sharifat Abbas Mohammadrezaei Abdollah Karami Bakhtiyar Rahmani Ershad Yousefi Shahab Karami Leandro Chaves Arash Afshin Hassan Jafari Ayoob Kalantari Omid Khaledi Sasan Ansari Mehrdad Jamaati Saroosh Saeidi Mehdi Niayeshpoor Chimba Ahmad Zadeh Valid Zadeh Gholamreza Rezaei Saeid Salarzadeh Sousha Makani
21 Khaledi
Date of Birth 23/02/1984 21/12/1983 09/08/1987 14/01/1986 25/01/1984 24/03/1990 06/06/1988 09/09/1982 27/02/1983 23/09/1991 19/09/1981 16/03/1991 04/10/1983 21/01/1989 21/07/1990 27/11/1990 29/10/1987 04/05/1991 07/10/1989 06/06/1991 25/01/1992 15/10/1983 06/05/1993 11/01/1993 06/03/1984 13/02/1983 18/11/1986
Overview Foolad Khouzestan enjoyed their best performance in the Iranian league in nine seasons when they finished fourth last year. With third-placed Sepahan also winning the Hazfi Cup, the club from Ahvaz secured a place in the AFC Champions League for only the second time. Established in 1986, Foolad moulded a strong young side which swept aside traditional giants Esteghlal and Persepolis to win the Iran Pro League in 2005. They began their maiden AFC Champions League campaign the following year with a 6-0 thumping of Kuwait’s Al Qadsia but failed to get past the group stage and also suffered a swift decline in their domestic league as they were relegated in 2007 just two seasons after winning the title.
Key Players Brazilian Luciano Pereira Mendes, who is more commonly known as Chimba, joined Foolad in 2012 and is often deployed as the lone striker. Having quickly formed an excellent understanding with fellow forwards Bakhtiyar Rahmani and Esmaeil Sharifat, Chimba scored 12 goals last season as Foolad claimed a fourth place finish in the Iran Pro League. Sharifat has enjoyed a rejuvenation of form since returning to Foolad having begun his career with his local club. The diminutive left winger retuned to Foolad following an unsuccessful spell with Esteghlal, although he did win the Hazfi Cup in 2012. Central defender Abdullah Karami came through Foolad’s youth system and was originally a defensive midfielder before he moved to Shahin Bushehr. He returned to Foolad in 2011 and has a reputation for being a combative defender.
GROUP B
GROUP B
AFC Champions League: Group Stage 2006
Coach: Hossein Faraki (IRN) Hossein Faraki, 56, has been coach of Foolad since 2012 and has shown a willingness to offer young players opportunities. The former striker won the league title twice with Pas and scored 11 times in 22 matches for Iran at the end of the 1970s, while he played in all three matches of Iran’s FIFA World Cup debut in 1978. He has since held various coaching roles with the national team.
17
Bunyodkor UZB
Qualified as: Uzbek League – Champion/Uzbek Cup – Winner • Founded: 2005 Ground: Bunyodkor Stadium, Tashkent (34,000) Uzbek League (5): 2013, 2011, 2010, 2009, 2008 Uzbek Cup (4): 2013, 2012, 2010, 2008 AFC Champions League: : Semi-finals 2012, 2008; Quarter-finals 2009; Round of 16 2013, 2011, 2010
23 Juraev
14
Pyshchur
Shodiev
8
5
Ibrokhimov
Juraev
4
18
Karimov
Akbarov
Overview 21 Rashidov
2 Shorakhmedov
1 Bugalo
No. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 13 14 17 18 19 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 30 33 35 44 45 46
Pos. GK DF DF DF MF DF MF MF MF FW FW DF FW FW DF FW MF MF DF FW GK DF MF DF DF MF GK MF GK MF
Name Pavel Bugalo Akmal Shorakhmedov Shukurali Pulatov Hayrulla Karimov Dilshod Juraev Jahongir Jiyamuradov Alibobo Rakhmatullaev Jovlon Ibrokhimov Mansurjon Saidov Anvar Berdiev Oleksandr Pyshchur Rustam Azamov Vokhid Shodiev Alisher Shagulyamov Bobirjon Akbarov Zabikhillo Urinboev Sardor Rashidov Orifjon Mamadjanov Sakhob Juraev Bakhodir Pardaev Murotjon Zukhurov Javlon Mirabdullaev Sardor Sabirkhodjaev Kamranbey Kapadze Khasan Askarov Oleg Zoteev Abdukarim Mukhamedov Mirjamol Kosimov Akbar Turaev Sardorbek Azimov
Date of Birth 21/08/1974 10/05/1986 23/02/1990 22/04/1978 21/04/1992 04/11/1987 08/02/1991 10/12/1990 01/11/1983 11/05/1978 26/01/1981 08/07/1992 09/11/1986 02/06/1994 14/02/1989 30/03/1995 14/06/1991 05/02/1990 19/01/1987 26/04/1987 23/02/1983 19/03/1994 06/11/1994 29/01/1994 17/04/1994 05/07/1989 11/01/1994 24/09/1995 27/08/1989 11/06/1995
After missing out on a fifth consecutive Uzbek League championship in 2012, Bunyodkor pipped Tashkent rivals Lokomotiv by a single point to regain the title last season. And for the third time in six seasons, they also completed the domestic double with a 2-1 win over Nasaf in the Uzbek Cup final. Formed as Kuruvchi in 2005, Bunyodkor rose quickly through the domestic leagues and qualified for the AFC Champions League just three seasons later. They have reached the knockout stage in all six of their previous appearances in the competition, making it all the way to the semi-finals in 2008 and 2012. However, they were eliminated 2-1 on aggregate by Thailand’s Buriram United in the Round of 16 last season.
Key Players Striker Oleksandr Pyshchur topped the scoring charts with 19 goals last season as Bunyodkor won the domestic title, while the Ukrainian also netted three times in the AFC Champions League having arrived at the start of the campaign. And Bunyodkor have further boosted their forward line this year with the acquisition of Vokhid Shodiev from Buxoro. Shodiev scored 12 times for Buxoro last season to earn a call up to the Uzbekistan national team and he helped his country qualify for the 2015 AFC Asian Cup with goals against Vietnam and Hong Kong. Veteran goalkeeper Pavel Bugalo returned to Bunyodkor ahead of the 2014 campaign having helped local rivals Lokomotiv to a runner-up finish in the Uzbek League last season, with Ignatiy Nesterov heading in the other direction. The 39-year-old former Uzbekistan international helped Bunyodkor reach the semi-finals of the 2008 AFC Champions League.
GROUP B
7 Rakhmatullaev
11
Coach: Mirdjalal Kasimov (UZB) Uzbekistan football legend Mirdjalal Kasimov is in his second spell as Bunyodkor’s head coach after he returned to the club in 2010. The former Uzbekistan captain and playmaker first took charge of the Tashkent club in 2007 but he left the following year to become Uzbekistan’s national coach. Following his return, the 43-year-old led Bunyodkor to the AFC Champions League semi-finals in 2012 and he was then reappointed as Uzbekistan’s national coach. He now divides his time between his coaching roles for both club and country.
19
El Jaish QAT
Qualified as: Qatar Stars League – Third via play-offs • Founded: 2007 Ground: Qatar Sports Club Stadium, Doha (12,000) AFC Champions League: Round of 16 2013
3 Aish
10 Kembo-Ekoko
7
14
Rizik
Methnani
21
4
Sanad
Anderson
17 Ko Seul-ki
2 Naji
33 Sofyan
No. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 14 15 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 27 29 33 90 91 95 96
Pos. GK DF DF DF MF DF MF DF FW FW MF FW MF FW MF MF DF FW DF MF MF DF FW GK GK GK DF DF
Name Fahad Younis Murad Naji Abdullah Aish Anderson Martins Mohammed Al Jabri Rami Fayez Wesam Rizik Yousuf Muftah Nilmar Jires Kembo-Ekoko Dheyab Ali Nabi Magid Hassan Mohamed Methnani Abdulqadir Ilyas Ko Seul-ki Mohamed El Sayed Abdurahman Mohammad Wagner Ribeiro Ali Sanad Side Al Doukali Khaled Al Zrigi Ahmad Moein Mohammed Muntari Ahmed Sofyan Ivan Rodrigues Saoud Al Khater Rashid Al Hajri Jassim Al Mulla
Date of Birth 30/07/1994 12/06/1991 07/06/1983 21/08/1987 30/03/1991 23/09/1986 05/02/1981 16/05/1988 14/07/1984 08/01/1988 20/06/1990 01/10/1985 03/03/1992 17/08/1989 21/04/1986 01/01/1987 03/08/1990 14/11/1987 31/10/1985 20/12/1993 14/11/1990 20/10/1995 20/12/1993 09/08/1990 05/01/1992 09/04/1991 18/10/1995 06/02/1996
Overview El Jaish secured their second consecutive AFC Champions League campaign after comfortably defeating Uzbekistan side Nasaf and then besting Al Qadsia of Kuwait in the play-offs. The Qatari Armed Forces side made a solid debut in the AFC Champions League in 2013 as they finished second in their group before they bowed out to Saudi Arabia’s Al Ahli in the Round of 16. They were promoted to the Qatari top flight for the first time in 2011 and have finished in the top-three in their first two seasons in the Qatar Stars League.
Key Players Signed from rivals Al Rayyan at the end of January, Brazilian striker Nilmar is a goalscorer of international class with successful spells at Lyon, Villareal and Corinthians and 24 caps for his national side. Korea Republic midfielder Ko Seul-ki settled quickly after his move to El Jaish last year having helped Ulsan Hyundai win the AFC Champions League title in 2012. Taking the playmaker mantle at El Jaish since 2011, Wagner Ribeiro continues to be a key player in the side having scored seven goals in the AFC Champions League last season. The creative Brazilian is a reliable source of goals and assists for the Qatari club and at 26-years-old is just entering his prime as a player.
GROUP B
29 Muntari
9 Nilmar
Coach: Nabil Maaloul (TUN) Signed to an 18-month deal by El Jaish in January following the departure of Romanian coach Razvan Lucescu, Tunisian Nabil Maaloul has spent the bulk of his managerial career in his native land with two spells as Esperance de Tunis and a brief tenure as Tunisia’s national team coach. In his playing career as a midfielder, Maaloul racked up a number of trophies with the all-conquering Esperance de Tunis side of the 1980’s that resulted in a move to Europe and two seasons in Germany with Hannover 96. As well as a season for Saudi side Al Ahli, Maaloul also turned out for his country on 11 occasions and participated in the 1988 Olympic Games in Seoul.
21
Al Ain Qualified as: UAE Pro League - Champion • Founded: 1968 • Ground: Tahnoon Bin Mohamed Stadium, Al Ain (8,783)
Qualified as: King’s Cup - Winner • Founded: 1929 • Ground: Prince Abdullah Al Faisal Stadium, Jeddah (21,842)
UAE Pro League (11): 2013, 2012, 2004, 2003, 2002, 2000, 1998, 1993, 1984, 1981, 1977
Saudi Pro League (8): 2009, 2007, 2003, 2001, 2000, 1999, 1997, 1982
President’s Cup (5): 2009, 2006, 2005, 2001, 1999 AFC Champions League (1): Champions 2003; Runner-up 2005; Quarter-Finals 2006, 2004; Group Stage 2013, 2011, 2010, 2007
King’s Cup (2): 2013, 2010 AFC Champions League (2): Champions 2005, 2004; Runner-up 2009; Semi-Finals 2012, 2011; Quarter-Finals 2006; Group Stage 2008, 2010
Asian Club Championship: Semi-Finals 1999 Asian Cup Winners’ Cup : Quarter-Finals 2002
Asian Club Championship: Quarter-Finals 2001 Asian Cup Winners’ Cup (1): 1999 Asian Super Cup: Runner-up 1999
Overview Al Ain entered the history books in 2003 when they were crowned winners of the inaugural AFC Champions League after a 2-1 aggregate victory over BEC Tero Sasana of Thailand in the final. They were the only team to reach the knockout stage in the first four editions and went close to winning the competition again in 2005 when they again reached the final but lost 5-3 on aggregate to Al Ittihad of Saudi Arabia. Al Ain are the most successful club in the United Arab Emirates with 11 league titles including back-to-back championships in 2012 and 2013. They finished 11 points clear of runners-up Al Ahli last season to qualify for the AFC Champions League for a ninth time.
Key Players Midfielder Omar Abdulrahman underlined his ever increasing reputation with a starring role as the UAE impressively qualified for the 2015 AFC Asian Cup. After helping the UAE win the 2008 AFC U-19 Championship, he also featured at the 2009 FIFA U-20 World Cup and 2012 Olympic Games before being named MVP as the UAE won the 2013 Gulf Cup. Ghanaian star striker Asamoah Gyan scored 31 goals last season as Ain won a second consecutive domestic crown having contributed 22 goals during the previous campaign. Australia international midfielder Alex Brosque joined Al Ain in September 2012 after two seasons in Japan with Shimizu S-Pulse and scored 10 goals last season.
Coach: Quique Flores (SPA)
22
KSA
Enrique ‘Quique’ Flores replaced Cosmin Olaroiu as Al Ain coach in September 2013 having led UAE Pro League rivals Al Ahli to the President’s Cup title and second place finish in the league last season. As a player, right-back Flores began his career with Valencia before moving to Real Madrid and winning the Spanish title, while he was included in Spain’s squad at the 1990 FIFA World Cup. After retiring, Flores took his first coaching role with Getafe before taking the helm at Valencia. And after a spell in Portugal with Benfica, he returned to Spain and guided Atletico Madrid to victory in the 2010 UEFA Europa League.
3
10 O.Abdulrahman
6 15
No. 1 2 3 5 6 7 8 10 11 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 23 24 25 26 27 30 31 32 33 36 40 42 44 50
Pos. GK DF FW DF MF MF FW MF MF DF FW GK MF DF MF DF DF MF MF DF MF MF DF FW DF GK GK DF DF DF
32
Al Shamisi
32
Al Amri
18
Brosque
Radoi K.Abulrahman
25
Gyan
Diaky
5
19
Ahmed
M.Salem
31
16
H.Salem
Al Nakhli
44
7
Fallatah
Jobson
23
29
Abusabaan
Bonfim
13
6
Asiri
Al Montashari
36
22
Sulaiman
Al Qarni
Name Saif Rashid Mohammed Ayed Asamoah Gyan Ismail Ahmed Mirel Radoi Ali Al Wehibi Yassine El Ghanassy Omar Abdulrahman Abdulaziz Fayez Khaled Abdulrahman Mohamed Abdulrahman Khalid Eisa Ibrahim Diaky Mohanad Salem Helal Saeed Fawzi Fayez Mohamed Ahmed Ahmed Barman Ahmed Al Shamisi Abdul Salam Mohammed Salem Abdulla Mohamed Al Saedi Hazza Salem Alex Brosque Mohammed Salem Dawoud Sulaiman Mohammed Saeed FahedJuma Fares Juma Mohammed Fayez
Date of Birth 10/08/1991 13/10/1990 22/11/1985 07/07/1983 22/03/1981 27/10/1983 12/07/1990 20/09/1991 17/09/1990 10/09/1988 04/02/1989 15/09/1989 24/05/1982 01/03/1985 12/05/1977 14/07/1987 16/04/1989 05/02/1994 03/03/1989 19/06/1992 05/07/1986 28/10/1982 19/12/1989 12/10/1983 16/01/1991 21/03/1990 20/06/1995 15/12/1990 30/12/1988 06/10/1989
No. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 13 16 19 20 21 22 23 25 29 32 39 44 45 49 50
Pos. GK DF DF MF DF DF FW FW FW MF MF DF DF FW MF DF GK MF GK MF DF DF FW MF FW MF
Name Mabrouk Zaid Rashed Al Rahab Mansour Sharahili Maan Khodary Osama Al Harbi Basem Al Montashari Jobson Fahad Al Muwallad Kiril Ognjevski Ahmed Al Fraidi Hatan Bahbir Ahmed Asiri Mohammed Al Nakhli Salman Al Sibyani Turki Al Khudhair Hamad Al Montashari Fawaz Al Qarni Mohammed Abusabaan Hani Al Nahedh Leandro Bonfim Mohammed Al Amri Talal Al Absi Mukhtar Fallatah Abdulfattah Asiri Abdulrahman Al Ghamdi Juan Rodriguez
Overview 8 Al Muwallad
2 Al Rahab
Date of Birth 11/02/1979 03/02/1984 26/03/1991 13/12/1991 16/05/1984 18/09/1990 15/02/1988 14/09/1994 29/01/1988 16/07/1992 14/11/1991 19/01/1995 11/11/1989 23/08/1987 22/06/1982 02/04/1992 18/01/1990 03/08/1987 08/01/1984 26/11/1991 22/02/1993 15/10/1987 26/02/1994 01/11/1994 14/06/1982
Despite finishing a disappointing seventh in the Saudi Pro League in 2013, a distant 31 points behind champions Al Fateh, Al Ittihad managed to secure a place in the AFC Champions League for the ninth time with a 4-2 win over Al Shabab in the King’s Cup final. The Jeddah club are twotime winners of the AFC Champions League having won the title in both 2004 and 2005. They lifted the 2004 title after staging a magnificent comeback to beat Korea’s Seongnam Ilhwa Chunma 6-3 on aggregate before successfully defending their title a year later with a 5-3 aggregate triumph over Al Ain of the United Arab Emirates. They also lost 2-1 to Korean side Pohang Steelers in the 2009 final and reached the semi-finals in 2011 and 2012.
Key Players Winger Fahad Al Muwallad hit the headlines in the 2012 AFC Champions League at just 18 years of age, when he entered the field in the last 10 minutes and scored the winning goal against Guangzhou Evergrande in the quarter-finals. Since then, he has become a fixture in the first team, and was named MVP in the victorious King’s Cup campaign. On the receiving end of many of Al Muwallad’s assists has been prolific striker Mukhtar Falatah. The 26-year-old plundered one of the fastest hat-tricks in the Saudi league notching three goals in just 11 second half minutes against Al Shabab in this year’s season opener. At the other end of the pitch such has been rising star Fawaz Al Qarni’s form that he has forced out two-time AFC Champions League winner Mabrouk Zaid, having shared the role with the veteran custodian last season.
GROUP C
GROUP C
UAE
Al Ittihad
Coach: Juan Verzeri (URU) Appointed in January, Juan Verzeri is best known for masterminding his native Uruguay to a much lauded runner-up at spot at the 2013 FIFA U-20 World Cup in Turkey. The 50-year-old also had success at the 2011 Pan American Games where his Uruguayan U-22 side claimed the bronze medal. Nicknamed “The Engineer” for his secondary profession, Verzei also took charge of Racing Club de Montevideo from 2008 to 2010, leading them to qualify for a first-ever appearance at the Copa Libertadores.
23
Tractorsazi Tabriz IRN
Lekhwiya QAT
Qualified as: Iran Pro League – Runner-up • Founded: 1970 • Ground: Y adegar Emam Stadium, Tabriz (67,858)
Qualified as: Qatar Stars League – Runner-up via play-offs • Founded: 1938
AFC Champions League: : Group Stage 2013
Ground: Lekhwiya Sports Club Stadium, Doha (10,000) Qatar Stars League (2): 2012, 2011 Sheik Jassim Cup: Runners-up 2010 Crown Prince Cup (3): 1999, 1996, 1993
Overview Tractorsazi Tabriz made a good start on their AFC Champions League debut last year with a 3-1 win over Al Jazira of the United Arab Emirates and a 3-3 draw at Qatar’s El Jaish, but they lost their last four games to finish bottom of their group. The team from the north-western city of Tabriz enjoy some of the most passionate support in Iran and regularly fill Yadegar Emam Stadium. Promoted back to the top flight in 2009, they have become a force in Iranian football and have finished runners-up in the Iran Pro League in the past two seasons. They missed out on the title by a single point in 2012 and were just two points behind champions Esteghlal last year.
Key Players Despite being 35, legendary Iran playmaker Ali Karimi is hoping his form this season at Tractorsazi will help him to return to the national team in time for the FIFA World Cup in Brazil. Named 2004 AFC Player of the Year after helping Iran to third place at the AFC Asian Cup, Karimi has also played in Dubai and Qatar as well as in Germany with Bayern Munich and Schalke. Striker Karim Ansarifard is yet to realise his undoubted potential but he has rediscovered some of his best form since joining Tractorsazi on loan. Playmaker Mehdi Karimian has experienced a renaissance this season, as he has weighed in with a number of crucial goal assists for Tractorsazi, whom he joined in 2012.
Coach: Antonio Oliveira (POR)
24
Much-travelled Portuguese coach Antonio ‘Toni’ Oliveira re-joined Tractorsazi at the start of the year following the departure of Majid Jalali after just six months at the helm. Oliveira initially joined Tractorsazi before the start of the previous season following the departure of Amir Ghalenoei and oversaw a second place finish in the domestic league as well as the club’s maiden AFC Champions League campaign last season. The 66-year-old has previously had spells at clubs in his homeland, France, China, Egypt, the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia. In the 1980s, he won the Portuguese title with Benfica and finished runner-up to PSV Eindhoven in the 1988 European Cup.
10
27 Ahmadzadeh
Asadi
No. 1 3 4 6 7 8 9 10 13 14 16 17 18 20 21 22 26 27 28 29 31 33 34 35 40 44 88
Pos. GK DF DF MF MF MF FW FW FW FW MF MF MF DF FW GK DF FW MF DF MF GK DF FW MF MF DF
Weiss
6
Karimi
Karimian
79
Kazemeyan
8
7 88
9
Ansarifad
Kiani
20
3
Nosrati
Gordani
34
77
Fakhroddini
Muftah
23
28
Soria
Msakni
30
12
Luiz Junior
Boudiaf
24
6
Bougherra
Traore
1
40
Lak
Lecomte
Name Hamed Lak Habib Gordani Farshid Talebi Mehdi Kiani Mehdi Karimian Ali Karimi Javad Kazemeyan Karim Ansarifard Masoud Ebrahimzadeh Mohammad Ebrahimi Shahryar Shirvand Meisam Baeoudizabadi Rodrigo Pimpao Mohammad Nosrati Mohsen Delir Davoud Sofiani Mohammad Abazadeh Farshad Amhadzadeh Mohammad Hossein Mehrazma Navid Khoshhava Ebhraim Abednezhad Mohammad Ali Remazanian Milad Fakhroddini Peiman Babaei Saeed Daghighi Saeid Aghaei Morteza Asadi
Date of Birth 24/11/1990 09/06/1983 24/08/1981 10/01/1987 27/08/1980 08/11/1978 23/04/1981 03/04/1990 16/01/1989 01/11/1984 21/03/1991 19/09/1983 23/10/1987 11/01/1982 03/07/1988 15/07/1990 05/03/1991 23/09/1992 21/09/1987 20/07/1991 22/08/1992 20/02/1993 26/05/1990 14/12/1994 31/03/1985 09/02/1995 05/03/1980
No. 1 2 5 6 7 10 11 12 14 16 19 20 21 23 24 25 28 29 30 33 40 70 77 79 93
Pos. GK DF DF DF MF DF MF MF DF FW DF FW FW FW DF MF MF FW MF GK GK FW DF MF DF
Name Khalifa Al Dosari Mohamed Musa Abdulaziz Shareef Dame Traore Adel Lamy Ahmad Al Emadi Talal Al Qahtani Karim Boudiaf Kingambo Tresor Nasser Al Khalfan Ahmed Yasser Ali Afif Adel Ahmad Sebastian Soria Madjid Bougherra Nam Tae-hee Youssef Msakni Lassina Diaby Luiz Junior Ahmad Hatami Amine Lecomte Ismail Mohamad Khaled Muftah Vladimir Weiss Ali Mohammad
25 Nam Tae-hee
2 Musa
Date of Birth 31/01/1990 01/01/1986 09/02/1993 15/05/1986 13/11/1985 19/06/1990 15/12/1987 16/09/1990 04/08/1987 17/10/1993 17/05/1994 20/01/1988 10/11/1990 08/11/1983 07/10/1982 03/07/1991 28/10/1990 05/08/1992 13/01/1989 25/08/1980 26/04/1990 04/05/1990 07/02/1992 30/11/1989 03/10/1993
Overview After defeating 2013 AFC Cup winners Kuwait Sport Club in the qualifying play-offs, 2013 Qatar Stars League runners-up Lekhwiya confirmed their third consecutive AFC Champions League campaign. In last year’s continental competition, the Qatari side reached the knockout stage for the first time and eliminated Saudi giants Al Hilal in the last 16 before bowing out to eventual champions Guangzhou Evergrande in the quarterfinals. Lekhwiya won consecutive Qatar Stars League titles in 2011 and 2012 but finished runners-up behind Al Sadd last season.
Key Players Signed in January from Greek champions Olympiacos, Slovak international winger Vladimir Weiss promises to add pace and creativity down the flank for Lekhwiya. The former Manchester City, Rangers and Espanyol player has already built up a wealth of footballing experience despite being just 24-years-old. Qatar international striker Sebastian Soria is his side’s most potent attacking threat and was top scorer in the league with 19 goals last season, seamlessly continuing his prolific form after his move from Qatar SC in 2012. Soria was just as deadly in the continental competition last year with four goals in Lekhwiya’s first four group stage games. Versatile Korean midfielder Nam Tae-hee had his best season yet last season, averaging a goal every other game in the league, and proving to be an indispensable part of the Lekhwiya line-up.
GROUP C
GROUP C
AFC Champions League: Quarter-Finals 2013; Group Stage 2012
Coach: Eric Gerets (BEL) Former Belgium international defender Eric Gerets is proving to be arguably even more successful a manager as he was a player, scooping up the same league championships in Belgium and Netherlands as coach as he did as a highly-touted right-back, and then taking that success further afield guiding sides in Turkey and Saudi Arabia to domestic titles. After two years as Morocco national team coach, Gerets replaced Djemal Belmadi as coach of Lekhwiya in October 2012, and since then he has guided the club to a runners-up spot in the Qatar Stars League, a Crown Prince Cup, and to the quarter-finals in last year’s AFC Champions League.
25
Al Sadd Qualified as: Qatar Stars League – Champion • Founded: 1969 • Ground: Sheik Jassim Bin Hamad Stadium, Doha (15,000)
Qualified as: President’s Cup – Winner/UAE Pro League – Runner-up • Founded: 1970
Qatar Stars League (13): 2013, 2007, 2006, 2004, 2000, 1989, 1988, 1987, 1981, 1980, 1979, 1974, 1972
Ground: Rashed Stadium, Dubai (18,000)
Emir’s Cup (13): 2007, 2005, 2003, 2001, 2000, 1994, 1991, 1988, 1986, 1985, 1982, 1977, 1975
UAE Pro League (5): 2009, 2006, 1980, 1976, 1975
AFC Champions League (1): 2011; Quarter-Finals 2005; Group Stage 2010, 2008, 2007, 2006, 2004, 2003
President’s Cup (8): 2013, 2008, 2004, 2002, 1996, 1978, 1977, 1974
Asian Club Championship (1): 1989 Asian Cup Winners’ Cup : Semi-Finals 2002; Quarter-Finals 1995
AFC Champions League: Group Stage 2010, 2009, 2005
7
Overview Al Sadd return to the AFC Champions League for the first time since their historic 2011 triumph having claimed the Qatar title for a record 13th time last season. They finished five points clear of runners-up Lekhwiya but missed out on the domestic double after they lost 2-1 to Al Rayyan in the Emir Cup final. Three years ago, Al Sadd became the first side to win the continental title having began in the play-offs after edging out former champions Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors 4-2 on penalties following a 2-2 draw after extra-time. That victory added to the Asian Club Championship title claimed in 1989 as Al Sadd became the first Arab side to be crowned champions following their victory over Iraq’s Al Rasheed.
Key Players Spanish legend Raul moved to Al Sadd in 2012 from Schalke 04 in Germany and helped the club win the 2012-2013 league title. The 36year-old forward has previously spent 16 years with Real Madrid where he won the Spanish league six times and the UEFA Champions League on three occasions in addition to the UEFA Super Cup in 2002. Nadir Belhadj scored the decisive penalty in the 2011 AFC Champions League final before helping Al Sadd finish third at the 2011 FIFA Club World Cup. An important part of Al Sadd’s 2012-2013 league triumph, the 31-yearold midfielder joined Al Sadd in 2010 from Portsmouth following spells in France. Khalfan Ibrahim was named AFC Player of the Year in 2006 after impressing at the 2005 FIFA U-17 World Cup. Having joined Al Sadd in 2004, Ibrahim has helped the club win four league titles as well as the AFC Champions League while has named the league’s Player of the Year in 2013.
Coach: Hussein Amotta (MOR)
26
UAE
After hanging up his boots with Zemmouis SC as a player-coach, former midfielder Hussein Amotta led former club Ittihad Khemisset to the Moroccan league title in 2007 before joining FUS de Rabat for three years. He moved to Al Sadd in 2011, initially as technical director, before taking over from Uruguayan coach Jorge Fossati a year later and leading Al Sadd to the league title for the first time since 2007.
39
Raul
10
15
Ibrahim
Belhadj
3 Hassan
No. 1 2 3 5 6 7 8 10 11 12 13 15 16 17 19 20 22 23 27 30 32 39 40 70 96
Pos. GK DF DF DF DF FW MF FW MF MF MF MF FW FW DF FW GK DF MF GK DF MF DF MF DF
12 Tabata
11
40
5
Lee Jung-soo
Al Mahdi
26 Hussain
60
Abbas
Saeed
1
33 Yousif
Date of Birth 19/02/1990 11/02/1986 28/08/1993 02/03/1992 13/08/1986 27/06/1977 30/10/1988 18/02/1988 11/12/1990 19/11/1980 19/01/1993 22/05/1986 19/02/1992 10/02/1993 11/02/1990 14/10/1988 01/01/1993 20/08/1988 19/12/1992 17/05/1981 12/05/1990 18/06/1982 08/01/1980 01/01/1993 16/02/1991
No. 1 2 3 5 7 10 11 12 17 20 23 26 33 45 46 55 57 60 62 66 77 80 88 92 99
Pos. GK DF DF DF MF MF FW GK MF FW FW DF GK MF DF GK MF DF MF MF DF MF MF FW FW
Hassan
5
Al Sheeb
Name Saad Al Sheeb Mesaad Ali Abdelkarim Hassan Ali Al Mahdi Mohammed Kasola Raul Mohammed Al Yazidi Khalfan Ibrahim Hasan Al Haydos Rodrigo Tabata Ali Asadalla Talal Al Bloushi Abdulaziz Al Ansari Saleh Bader Naser Nabeel Yusef Ahmed Muhannad Naim Tahir Zakariya JasserMedany Mohamed Saqr Ibrahim Majed Nadir Belhadj Lee Jung-soo Musaab Khidir Abdulrahman Nasser
88
Jimenez
Viana
6
Ciel
10
45
Kasola
99
Grafite
Al Hammadi
Al Haydos
Al Bloushi
23
7
Name Ahmed Mubarak Salmin Khamis Saad Surour Walid Abbas Ismail Al Hammadi Luis Jimenez Ahmed Khalil Ahmed Mahmoud Waleed Amber Saeed Ahmad Grafite Abdulaziz Husain Saif Yousif Hugo Viana Abdulrahman Yousif Majed Naser Mohamed Sebil Basheer Saeed Abdelaziz Sanqour Adnan Hussain YousufAl Sayed Humaid Abdulla Majed Hassan Saeed Jassim Ciel
62 Sanqour
Date of Birth 01/01/1986 09/10/1991 19/07/1990 11/06/1985 01/07/1988 17/06/1984 08/06/1991 30/03/1989 11/01/1993 17/01/1994 02/04/1979 10/09/1990 10/01/1989 15/01/1983 28/08/1993 01/04/1984 13/04/1993 28/06/1981 07/05/1989 06/12/1985 11/08/1989 16/04/1988 01/08/1992 02/03/1995 31/03/1982
Overview Al Ahli secured a spot in the AFC Champions League for the first time since 2010 after a solid campaign last season which saw them finish runners-up behind Al Ain in the UAE Pro League and claim the President’s Cup for a record-equalling eighth time after a 4-3 victory over Al Shabab Al Arabi in the final. The Dubai-based club will be looking to make an impression in the AFC Champions League this year after underwhelming performances in their previous four appearances in the competition. They went out in the qualifying rounds of the inaugural tournament in 200203 and failed to make it beyond the group stage in 2005, 2009 and 2010.
Key Players Brazilian striker Grafite was named the inaugural International Player of the Year at the Pro League awards in May 2013 having scored 24 goals in 20 games for Al Ahli last season. Grafite joined Al Ahli in 2011 having previously been named Bundesliga Player of the Year in 2009 and topping the scoring charts as Wolfsburg won the league title. Former AFC Young Player of the Year Ahmed Khalil was part of the UAE squad at the 2012 Olympic Games before scoring three goals to help the national team win the 2013 Gulf Cup. The 2008 AFC U-19 Championship MVP has progressed through the ranks at Al Ahli and scored his first league goal aged just 16. Fellow 2013 Gulf Cup winner Walid Abbas joined Al Ahli from Al Shabab Al Arabi in August 2013 in a move that also brought Brazilian striker Ciel to the club.
GROUP D
GROUP D
QAT
Al Ahli
Coach: Cosmin Olaroiu (ROM) Experienced Romanian coach Cosmin Olaroiu has enjoyed great success in the Gulf region since joining Saudi Arabia’s Al Hilal in 2007. He led the Saudi side to the Saudi League and the Saudi Crown Prince Cup before leading Al Sadd to win Qatar Stars Cup in 2010. He then joined Al Ain in the UAE and led them back-to-back league titles as well as the Super Cup in 2012 before joining Al Ahli ahead of the 2013/14 season.
27
Al Hilal KSA
Qualified as: Saudi Pro League – Runner-up • Founded: 1957 • Ground: Prince Faisal Bin Fahad Stadium, Riyadh (22,000) Saudi League (13) : 2011, 2010, 2008, 2005, 2002, 1998, 1996, 1990, 1988, 1986, 1985, 1979, 1977 King’s Cup (6): 1989, 1984, 1982, 1980, 1965, 1962 Crown Prince Cup (12) : 2013, 2012, 2011, 2010, 2009, 2008, 2006, 2005, 2003, 2000, 1995, 1965 AFC Champions League : Semi-Finals 2010; Quarter-Finals 2012, 2007; Round of 16 2013, 2011, 2009; Group Stage 2006, 2004, 2003 Asian Club Championship (2): 2000, 1991; Runner-up 1986 Asian Cup Winners’ Cup (2): 2002, 1997; Semi-Finals 1990 Asian Super Cup (2): 2000, 1997; Runner-up 2002
Al Abid
14 12
Al Dawsari
7
27
Neves
Castillo Al Shahrani
29
Al Shamrani
Kariri
26
23
Digao
Kwak Tae-hwi
2 Al Beshi
30 Al Subaiei
No. 2 4 5 7 8 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 20 23 24 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 35 36 39 46 49 51
Pos. DF DF MF MF MF MF MF DF MF MF FW FW DF FW DF MF DF MF GK MF GK DF GK DF GK FW MF DF DF DF
Name Sultan Al Beshi Abdulelah Al Dossary Abdullatif Al Ghannam Thiago Neves Abdullah Otayf Mohammed Al Shalhoub Abdulaziz Al Dawsari Yasir Al Shahrani Salman Al Faraj Segundo Castillo Nassir Al Shamrani Yousef Al Salem Abdullah Al Hafith Yasser Al Qahtani Kwak Tae-hwi Nawaf Al Abid Digao Saud Kariri Abdullah Al Sdairy Salem Al Dawsari Faiz Al Subaiei Mohammed Al Burayk Hussain Shaian Sultan Al Duayyi Mohammed Al Wakid Khalid Kaabi Abdulelah Bin Mohammed Ahmed Sharahili Abdullah Al Shamekh Fahad Zahim
Date of Birth 28/01/1990 13/08/1987 16/06/1985 27/07/1985 03/08/1992 08/12/1980 10/11/1988 25/05/1992 01/08/1989 15/05/1982 23/11/1983 04/05/1985 25/12/1992 10/10/1982 08/07/1981 26/01/1990 07/05/1988 08/07/1980 02/02/1992 19/08/1991 09/10/1982 15/09/1992 23/05/1989 07/03/1993 25/03/1992 23/05/1992 26/03/1992 08/05/1994 28/05/1993 01/03/1993
Overview Al Hilal are one of Asia’s most successful club sides with victories in the Asian Club Championship in 1991 and 2000, plus a pair of triumphs in the Asian Cup Winners’ Cups and Asian Super Cups. But Al Hilal, who have also claimed a record 13 Saudi League titles, have yet to achieve success in the AFC Champions League with their best performance coming in 2010 when they reached the semi-finals before bowing out to Iranian side Zob Ahan. They finished second in the Saudi Pro League in 2013, eight points behind champions Al Fateh, and suffered more agony in the AFC Champions League when lost 3-2 to Qatar’s Lekhwiya in the Round of 16.
Key Players Centre-back Kwak Tae-hwi knows what it takes to lift the AFC Champions League trophy after captaining Ulsan Hyundai to victory in 2012. The newly-signed Korea Republic international joined Al Hilal after a season playing for fellow Riyadh side Al Shabab. A striker with an appetite for goals, Nasser Al Shamrani is one of the preeminent forwards in Saudi football. Top scorer in the 2011-12 season, Al Shamrani chalked up nearly 90 goals in five years at Al Shabab before moving to Al Hilal in June. Thiago Neves re-signed for Al Hilal last year after spells with Flamengo and Fluminese during which he was voted one of the best players in the league. A bronze medal winner with Brazil at the 2008 Olympic Games, the attacking midfielder also saw playing time with Vegalta Sendai in Japan and Germany’s Hamburg SV.
GROUP D
15
24
Coach: Sami Al Jaber (KSA) An icon in his homeland for his exploits as a player, Sami Al Jaber remains his country’s second highest international goalscorer with 46 goals in 156 internationals. The 41-year-old appeared in four consecutive FIFA World Cup tournaments, from 1994 to 2006, scoring in three of them, while he was also a part of the 1996 AFC Asian Cup winning side. A one club man, Al Jaber has spent nearly the entirety of his 20 year playing career with Al Hilal after joining the club aged 15 in 1988. He was appointed as coach in May following the departure of Croatian Zlatko Dalic.
29
Foolad Sepahan IRN
Qualified as: Hazfi Cup – Winner/Iran Pro League - Third • Founded: 1953 Ground: Foolad Shahr Stadium, Esfahan (12,000) Iran Pro League (4): 2012, 2011, 2010, 2003 Hazfi Cup (4): 2013, 2007, 2006, 2004 AFC Champions League: Runner-up 2007; Quarter-Finals 2012, 2011; Group Stage 2013, 2010, 2009, 2008, 2005, 2004
10
7
Hajisafi
38
Karimi
Papi
28
Van Dijk
12
Bulku
15 Ebrahimi
5
3
Aghili
Khalilzadeh
6 Ahmadi
1 Ahmadi
No. 1 3 4 5 6 7 9 10 12 14 15 17 18 19 20 23 24 27 28 30 32 33 35 36 38 39 40 45 88 99
Pos. GK DF MF DF DF MF FW FW MF FW MF MF DF DF FW MF DF GK MF DF MF DF GK GK FW DF DF MF MF MF
Name Rahman Ahmadi Shojae Khalilzadeh Moharam Navidkia Hadi Aghili Ali Ahmadi Hossein Papi Mohammad Gholami Sergio Van Dijk Ali Karimi Xhevahir Sukaj Omid Ebrahimi Milan Sarlak Hossein Moradmand Ali Gholami Mehdi Sharifi Amin Jahanalian Armin Sohrabian Mehdi Amini Ehsan Hajisafi Ahmad Eskandari Hamid Reza Kezemi Saeid Ghaedifar Shabab Gordan Mohammad Mahmoudvand Ervin Bulku Mohammad Rosandel Ali Hamoudi Ehsan Pahlavan Yagoub Karimi Amir Hossein Karimi
Date of Birth 30/07/1980 14/05/1989 01/11/1982 15/01/1981 04/07/1983 27/02/1985 13/02/1983 06/08/1982 11/02/1994 05/10/1987 16/09/1987 26/03/1995 22/06/1993 03/05/1994 16/08/1992 16/06/1991 26/07/1995 16/05/1996 25/02/1990 27/07/1993 06/05/1992 13/04/1992 21/05/1984 23/01/1986 03/03/1981 02/07/1995 21/03/1986 25/07/1993 31/08/1991 09/02/1996
Overview Sepahan’s reign as Iranian league champions came to an end in 2013 when they were denied a fourth straight title after finishing in third place, three points behind champions Esteghlal. However, they beat Persepolis to lift the Hazfi Cup for a fourth time and claimed a spot in the AFC Champions League for a 10th time in 11 seasons. In addition to being Iran’s most successful club since domestic football was professionalised in 2001, the club from Esfahan also became the first team from their country to reach the AFC Champions League final in 2007, when they were beaten 3-1 on aggregate by Japan’s Urawa Reds. They also reached the quarter-finals in 2011 and 2012 but went out at the group stage last year.
Key Players The lynchpin of Sepahan’s midfield, Omid Ebrahami joined the club in 2010 from second-tier side Shahrdari Bandar Abbas. After starting out as a defensive midfielder, Ebrahami has added to his attacking game and developed into a fine all-rounder who played a key part in Sepahan’s back-to-back titles in 2011 and 2012. Central defender Hadi Aghili returned to Sepahan last June after two seasons in Qatar and now has over 200 appearances for the club. In his first spell, Aghili won two league titles and two Hazfi Cups and played in the 2007 AFC Champions League final against Japan’s Urawa Reds. Despite just turning 24, Ehsan Hajsafi has already amassed more than 50 international caps for Iran. Hajsafi, who spent a season on loan at Tractorsazi in 2011-12, is a diminutive and quick left-back who is often used by his coaches as a left winger. With Sepahan, he has won the league twice and the Hazfi Cup three times, and played in the 2007 AFC Champions League final.
GROUP D
20 Sharifi
Coach: Zlatko Kranjcar (CRO) Croatian Zlatko Kranjcar returned to Iran for a second spell in 2012 and enjoyed instant success, winning the league title in his first season with Sepahan before claiming the Hazfi Cup last year. After leading Croatia to the 2006 FIFA World Cup, the 57-year-old had spells in charge of Tehran’s Piroozi and the Montenegro national team before joining Sepahan.
31
Pohang Steelers KOR
Buriram United THA
Qualified as: K-League Classic – Champion/FA Cup – Winner • Founded: 1973 • Ground: Steelyard, Pohang (17,433)
Qualified as: Thai Premier League – Champion/FA Cup - Winner • Founded: 1970
K-League (5): 2013, 2007, 1992, 1988, 1986
Ground: Buriram Stadium, Buriram (24,000)
FA Cup (4): 2013, 2012, 2008, 1996
Thai Premier League (3): 2013, 2011, 2008 FA Cup (3): 2013, 2012, 2011
AFC Champions League (1): 2009; Quarter-Finals 2010; Group Stage 2013, 2012, 2008
AFC Champions League (2): Quarter-Finals 2013; Group Stage 2012
Overview The only club to be crowned Asian champions on three occasions, Pohang Steelers claimed another landmark honour in 2013 when they became the first team to win the Korean double. Fielding a team made up entirely of Korean players, they beat Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors on penalties in the FA Cup final and claimed the K-League Classic title in dramatic fashion as Kim Won-il’s stoppage-time winner in their final game of the season saw them leapfrog opponents Ulsan Hyundai into top spot. Pohang won the AFC Champions League in 2009 and back-to-back Asian Club Championships in 1997 and 1998 but their last two continental campaigns have been disappointing, with the team failing to reach the knockout stage in 2012 and 2013.
Key Players Veteran central midfielder Hwang Ji-soo enjoyed a memorable first full season as captain of Pohang Steelers as he lifted both the K-League and Korean FA Cup trophies in 2013. The 32-year-old has spent most of his career with the club, winning the K-League in 2007 and the Korean FA Cup in 2008 and 2012 but missing their AFC Champions League triumph in 2009 because of military service. Lee Myung-joo was named the K-League’s Rookie of the Year in 2012, and he continued his impressive rise last year by earning a place in the league’s Best XI alongside Kim Won-il. Kim has become a rock at the heart of the Steelers defence, however, he made his most telling contribution to the club in 2013 at the other end of the pitch when he scrambled home the late winner against Ulsan Hyundai on the final day of the season.
Coach: Hwang Sun-hong (KOR)
32
Hwang Sun-hong cemented his status as a Pohang Steelers legend in 2013 when he became the first coach to lead a team to the Korean domestic double, earning himself the K-League’s Manager of the Year award. The 45-year-old spent six seasons as a striker with the Steelers, winning a pair of Asian Club Championships, and also helped Korea Republic to reach the 2002 FIFA World Cup semi-finals. He coached at Chunnam Dragons and Busan I’Park before taking charge of Pohang in 2011.
14
18 Go Moo-yul
29 22
No. 1 2 3 5 6 9 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 33 34 37 41
Pos. GK MF DF MF MF MF FW DF FW FW MF DF FW DF FW MF MF MF DF FW DF MF MF MF GK FW MF MF GK
10
Cho Chan-ho
37
Lee Myung-joo Kim Dae-ho
26
Bae Chun-suk
Kim Jae-sung
Jakkaphan
9 Hwang Ji-soo
3
13
Kim Kwang-suk
Kim Won-il
17
2
Shin Kwang-hoon
Theerathon
7
23
Carmelo
Simpson
19
8
Hirano
Suchao
5
3
Rochela
Prathum
1
1
Shin Hwa-yong
Siwarak
Name Shin Hwa-yong Park Hee-chul Kim Kwang-suk Kim Tae-su Kim Jun-su Hwang Ji-soo Kim Seung-dae Kim Won-il Bae Chun-suk Shin Young-joon Lee Gwang-hun Shin Kwang-hoon Go Moo-yul Yoon Jun-sung Lee Jin-seuk Kim Dae-ho Ryu Chang-hyun Bae Seul-gi Park Jun-hui Cho Chan-ho Park Sun-ju Son Jun-ho Lee Myung-joo Kang Sang-woo Kim Da-sol Yu Je-ho Lee Gwang-hyeok Kim Jae-sung Kim Jin-young
Date of Birth 13/04/1983 07/01/1986 12/02/1983 25/08/1981 29/07/1991 27/03/1981 01/04/1991 18/10/1986 27/04/1990 06/09/1989 26/11/1993 18/03/1987 05/09/1990 28/09/1989 10/09/1991 15/05/1988 14/05/1985 09/06/1985 01/03/1991 10/04/1986 26/03/1992 12/05/1992 24/04/1990 07/10/1993 04/01/1989 10/08/1992 11/09/1995 03/10/1983 02/03/1992
No. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 13 14 15 17 19 23 25 26 32 38
Pos. GK DF DF MF DF DF FW MF FW MF MF DF MF MF FW FW DF GK FW GK
Name Siwarak Tedsungnoen Theerathon Bunmathan Prathum Chutong Charyl Chappuis David Rochela Tanasak Srisai Carmelo Gonzalez Suchao Nutnum Adisak Kraisorn Jakkaphan Kaewprom Jirawat Makkharom Chitipat Thanklang Surat Sukha Anawin Jujeen Kai Hirano Jay Simpson Suree Sukha Yotsapon Teangdar Kittiphong Pluemjai Niwat Buttakoon
Overview 17 Anawin
25 Suree
Date of Birth 20/04/1984 06/02/1990 20/10/1983 12/01/1992 19/02/1990 25/09/1989 09/07/1983 17/05/1983 01/02/1991 24/05/1988 07/09/1986 11/08/1991 27/07/1982 13/03/1987 16/08/1987 01/12/1988 27/07/1982 06/04/1992 29/03/1993 27/09/1986
Buriram United became the first Thai club in a decade to advance to the knockout stage of the AFC Champions League with their run to the quarter-finals last season. Having qualified for the group stage with a play-off victory over Brisbane Roar, they finished second in their group behind FC Seoul and stunned Uzbekistan’s Bunyodkor in the Round of 16 before they were eliminated by Iranian champions Esteghlal in the last eight. The club, formerly known as Provincial Electricity Authority, dominated Thai domestic football in 2013, winning the domestic treble for the second time in three years. They regained the Thai Premier League title with an unbeaten record and defeated Bangkok Glass 3-1 in the FA Cup final and Ratchaburi 2-1 in the League Cup final.
Key Players Suchao Nutnum enjoyed a stellar season in 2013 as the attacking midfielder captained Buriram to the treble and the AFC Champions League quarter-finals while also earning an international recall for Thailand’s AFC Asian Cup qualifier against Iran. Carmelo Gonzalez, a former Spain U-21 international, joined Buriram United from Sporting Gijon in early 2013 and enjoyed a prolific first season in Thailand as he netted 26 goals and finished as the top scorer in the Thai Premier League. Hard-tackling and quick, 24-year-old Theerathon Bunmathon also had a year to remember in 2013 as the left-back was named the Thai Premier League’s Player of the Year, celebrated winning the domestic treble with Buriram and then captained Thailand’s U-23 side to victory at the Southeast Asian Games.
GROUP E
GROUP E
Asian Club Championship (2): 1998, 1997 Asian Super Cup: Runner-up 1998, 1997
Coach: Alejandro Menendez (ESP) Alejandro Menendez was one of three coaches to take charge of Buriram United during their run to the quarter-finals of the AFC Champions League last year. The Spaniard replaced Scott Cooper in September when the Englishman resigned for personal reasons, just four months after he had taken over from Attaphol Puspakom. The 47-year-old Menendez had spells in charge of Celta Vigo, Racing Santander and Real Madrid’s B side Castilla before he accepted the job at Buriram, which is his first coaching position outside his native Spain.
33
Shandong Luneng CHN
Cerezo Osaka JPN
Qualified as: Chinese Super League - Runner-up • Founded: 1956 • Ground: O lympic Sports Center Stadium, Jinan (60,000)
Qualified as: J.League - Fourth • Founded: 1957 • Ground: Osaka Nagai Stadium, Osaka (20,000)
Chinese Super League (4): 2010, 2008, 2006, 1999 FA Cup (4): 2006, 2004, 1999, 1995
AFC Champions League: Quarter-Finals 2011
Overview Shandong Luneng return for their sixth AFC Champions League appearance after finishing second in the Chinese Super League last season. A disappointing 12th place finish in 2012 meant a failure to qualify for last year’s competition, but a return to form under the guidance of Serbian coach Radomir Antic meant only all-conquering Guangzhou Evergrande finished above them in last year’s campaign. In 1999, Shandong made history by becoming the first Chinese club team to win the league and FA Cup double. Continuing their domestic domination into the 2000s, the Jinan-based side won three league titles and two FA Cups in a six year spell between 2004-2010.
Key Players Prolific Brazilian striker Vagner Love joined Shandong midway through 2013 and netted six goals in just 10 games. Boasting a UEFA Cup winner’s medal and a host of titles from his time at Russian side CSKA Moscow, the striker’s clinical finishing will be a great asset to his new side in the AFC Champions League. Signed from Shanghai Shenhua in the start of 2014, goalkeeper Wang Dalei is considered by many to be the future number one of the China national team. Under the tutelage of former England international Ian Walker, the young custodian has grown into one of the best goalkeepers in the Chinese Super League. Former China captain Du Wei is a central figure at the heart of the Shandong defence with over 60 international caps and was named in the Chinese Super League Team of the Year in 2012.
Coach: Cuca (BRA)
34
More usually known as Cuca, Brazilian coach Alexi Stival left his post at Atletico Mineiro to join Shandong in December as a replacement for Radomir Antic, who was released by the club at the end of the 2013 campaign. In his time at the Brazilian side, Cuca won the Campeonato Mineiro twice and the 2013 Copa Libertadores - the first in Atletico’s history. The 50-year-old has over 15 years of coaching experience including spells at Brazil’s most prestigious clubs in the form of Gremio, Santos, Fluminese and Flamengo.
10
31 Aloisio Jin Jingdao Zheng Zheng
No. 1 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 16 17 18 20 21 23 24 25 28 29 30 31 33 35
Pos. GK DF DF DF DF MF FW FW FW DF GK MF DF DF FW FW FW MF MF FW GK FW FW MF FW MF DF
Minamino
7
Montillo
Cui Peng
3
4
Du Wei
McGowan
Name Yang Chen Du Wei Ryan McGowan Wang Qiang Zhao Mingjian Cui Peng Wang Yongpo Han Peng Vagner Love Wang Tong Geng Xiaofeng Zhang Wenzhao Mi Haolun Zheng Zheng Wu Xinghan Yang Xu Wang Gang Liu Bin Bin Liu Wei Lu Zheng Wang Dalei Hao Junmin Gao Di Walter Montillo Aloisio Jin Jingdao Dai Lin
13
Wang Yongpo
30
33 16
8
Vagner Love
11
14
Wang Tong
Maruhashi
10
8
Forlan
Kakitani
2
6
Ohgihara
Yamaguchi
4
23
Fujimoto
Yamashita
25
21
Wang Dalei
Kim Jin-hyeon
Date of Birth 11/10/1985 09/02/1982 15/08/1989 23/07/1982 22/11/1987 31/05/1987 19/01/1987 13/09/1983 11/06/1984 12/02/1993 15/10/1987 28/05/1987 10/01/1993 11/07/1989 24/02/1993 12/02/1988 17/02/1989 16/06/1993 18/03/1985 25/02/1985 10/01/1989 24/03/1987 06/01/1990 14/04/1984 19/06/1988 18/11/1992 28/11/1987
No. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27
Pos. GK MF DF DF MF MF DF FW FW FW MF MF DF MF DF DF MF DF FW GK GK DF MF MF MF GK
Name Hiroyuki Takeda Takahiro Ohgihara Yuta Someya Kohta Fujimoto Ariajasuru Hasegawa Hotaru Yamaguchi Toru Araiba Yoichiro Kakitani Ryo Nagai Diego Forlan Jumpei Kusukami Takumi Minamino Yusuke Maruhashi Takamitsu Yoshino Jun Ando Noriyuki Sakemoto Mitch Nichols Yuki Kotani Kenyu Sugimoto Kim Jin-hyeon Gu Sung-yun Tatsuya Yamashita Takeru Okada Masato Kurogi Daichi Akiyama Kenta Tanno
Overview 18 Nichols
17 Sakemoto
Date of Birth 30/11/1983 05/10/1991 30/09/1986 02/04/1986 29/10/1988 06/10/1990 12/07/1979 03/01/1990 23/05/1991 19/05/1979 27/08/1987 16/01/1995 02/09/1990 24/04/1989 08/10/1984 08/09/1984 01/05/1989 27/07/1991 18/11/1992 06/07/1987 27/06/1994 07/11/1987 31/08/1994 24/10/1989 28/07/1994 30/08/1986
On a frenetic final day of the 2013 J.League season, Cerezo Osaka took fourth place by virtue of a superior goal-difference over Kashima Antlers and a point more than Urawa Reds. And with J.League runners-up Yokohama F. Marinos going onto win the Emperor’s Cup, Cerezo qualified for only their second AFC Champions League appearance. After three years in the second tier, Cerezo achieved promotion to the top flight in 2009 and a third-place finish in their first season back in the J.League resulted in a debut in the 2011 AFC Champions League where they reached the quarter-finals.
Key Players Uruguay international Diego Forlan joined Cerezo at the start of the year from Brazil’s Internacional having been named the best player at the 2010 FIFA World Cup after scoring five goals as his side reached the semi-finals. The former Independiente, Manchester United, Villarreal, Atletico Madrid and Inter Milan striker is a two-time winner of Europe’s golden shoe. Named in the J.League’s Team of the Year, midfielder Hotaru Yamaguchi was part of Japan’s side at the 2012 Olympic Games. He received his first call-up to the senior Japan side by coach Alberto Zaccheroni for the 2013 EAFF East Asian Cup and was named tournament MVP. Yoichiro Kakitani top scored at the 2013 EAFF East Asian Cup before netting 21 goals last season.
GROUP E
GROUP E
AFC Champions League: Quarter-Finals 2005; Group Stage 2011, 2010, 2009, 2007
Coach: Ranko Popovic (SRB) Serbian Ranko Popovic replaced Levir Culpi at the end of last year after taking FC Tokyo to an eighth place finish in the J.League. Popovic had his first taste of Japanese football as assistant coach at Sanfrecce Hiroshima in 2006 before taking on the reigns of Oita Trinita midway through the 2009 season. A successful stint at Machida Zelvia, where the Serbian led the Japan Football League side to promotion to the second tier of Japanese football, saw Emperor’s Cup champions FC Tokyo come calling in December 2011. With the newly promoted J.League side, Popovic enjoyed his first taste of the AFC Champions League as the debutants made it into the Round of 16 of the continental championship before being eliminated by Guangzhou Evergrande.
35
Sanfrecce Hiroshima
AUS
Qualified as: J. League - Champion • Founded: : 1938 (as Mazda Football Club)
Qualified as: A-League – Grand Final Winner • Founded: 2004 • Ground: Gosford Stadium, Gosford (20,059)
Ground: H iroshima Big Arch, Hiroshima (50,000)
A-League Grand Final (1): 2013
J.League (2): 2012, 2013
A-League Premiership (2): 2012, 2008
AFC Champions League: Group Stage 2013, 2010
AFC Champions League: Round of 16 2013; Group Stage 2012, 2009
11
Overview Sanfrecce Hiroshima secured a third AFC Champions League appearance after successfully defending their J.League title. They became just the second team in the single season era - after Kashima Antlers - to retain the J.League title. Sanfrecce had claimed their first J.League title in 2012, but having also appeared in the AFC Champions League in 2010, again failed to progress past the group stage last season. Known as Mazda in the days before the J.League, they club finished third at in the 1969 Asian Club Championship.
Key Players While Hisato Sato’s performances fell short of hitting the heights of his 2012 season, where he was named the J. League’s MPV and top scorer, the Japan striker still netted 17 goals last season and he remains the focal point of the Sanfrecce attack. Named in the J.League’s Best XI for second year in a row was defensive midfielder Toshihiro Aoyama, the Japan International who acted as the first line of defence for the side’s backline and anchored play in the middle of the park. Korea Republic international Hwang Seok-ho continued to enhance his reputation at Sanfrecce with the versatile defender relied upon heavily in the side’s championship run. The 24-year-old played for the Korea side that won the bronze medal at the 2012 Olympics and may yet appear for his country at this summer’s FIFA World Cup after recently being called up to the senior side.
Coach: Hajime Moriyasu (JPN)
36
Central Coast Mariners
The J.League’s Coach of the Year for a second consecutive season, Hajime Moiryasu has led Sanfrecce to back-to-back titles following his appointment in December 2011. The 45-year-old, an AFC Asian Cup winner with the national team in 1992, has spent the bulk of his playing and coaching career with Sanfrecce, bookending a period as assistant coach with Japan’s youth teams at the 2006 AFC U-19 Championship and 2009 FIFA U-20 World Cup, and a spell with Albirex Niigata. Moriyasu guides a Sanfrecce side who are tough to beat on the pitch but also fair on the field, as they won the J. League’s team Fair Play Prize, the Takamado Cup, for the second season in a row.
Sato
10
2 Hwang Seok-ho
Takahagi
Ishihara
8
Pos. GK DF DF DF DF MF MF MF FW MF FW GK MF MF DF MF GK FW MF MF MF MF FW MF GK DF DF DF MF MF
21 Sterjovski
Aoyama
33
5
4
Shiotani
Chiba
Mizumoto
Name Takuto Hayashi Hwang Seok-ho Byeon Jun-byum Hiroki Mizumoto Kazuhiko Chiba Toshihiro Aoyama Koji Morisaki Kazuyuki Morisaki Naoki Ishihara Yojiro Takahagi Hisato Sato Takuya Masuda Mihael Mikic Satoru Yamagishi Park Hyung-jin Yoshifumi Kashiwa Yutaro Hara Yusuke Minagawa Gakuto Notsuda Yusuke Chajima Kohei Shimizu Takuya Marutani Takuma Asano Kosei Shibasaki Teimoshii Shiraoka Tsukasa Shiotani Soya Takahashi Naoki Otani Hayao Kawabe Kazuya Miyahara
14 Mikic
6
Morisaki
No. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 13 14 16 17 18 21 22 24 25 27 28 29 30 31 33 34 35 36 37
9
3 Rose
19
9
Simon
Duke
8
7
Montgomery
Hutchinson
5
4
Anderson
Siep
1
12
Hayashi
Reddy
Date of Birth 09/08/1982 27/06/1989 05/02/1991 12/09/1985 21/06/1985 22/02/1986 09/05/1981 09/05/1981 14/08/1984 02/08/1986 12/03/1982 29/06/1989 06/01/1980 03/05/1983 24/06/1990 28/07/1987 23/04/1990 09/10/1991 06/06/1994 20/07/1991 30/04/1989 30/05/1989 11/10/1994 28/08/1984 08/09/1996 05/12/1988 29/02/1996 24/09/1995 08/09/1995 22/03/1996
No. 1 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 11 12 13 15 17 19 20 21 22 25 26 27 28 29 72
Pos. GK DF DF DF DF MF MF FW FW GK DF DF MF FW FW FW FW DF MF MF MF DF GK
Name Justin Pasfield Josh Rose Marcel Seip Zac Anderson Brent Griffiths John Hutchinson Nick Montgomery Mitchell Duke Nick Fitzgerald Liam Reddy Hayden Morton Storm Roux Anthony Caceres Matt Simon Bernie Ibini-Isei Mile Sterjovski Tom Slater Eddy Bosnar Kim Seung-yong Isaka Cernak Glen Trifiro Matt Sim John Crawley
Overview 26 Kim Seung-yong
15 Roux
Date of Birth 30/05/1985 16/12/1981 05/04/1982 30/04/1991 24/03/1990 29/12/1979 28/10/1981 18/01/1991 13/02/1992 08/08/1981 03/02/1994 13/01/1993 29/09/1992 22/01/1986 12/09/1992 27/05/1979 26/08/1996 29/04/1980 14/03/1985 09/04/1989 10/07/1989 18/04/1988 05/03/1972
After enduring years of frustration, Central Coast Mariners finally landed their first A-League championship last season with a 2-0 win over Western Sydney Wanderers in the Grand Final. Despite twice being crowned Premiership winners, the Gosford-based club were regarded as the bridesmaids of the A-League after losing previous Grand Finals in 2006, 2008 and 2011, but goals by Patrick Zwaanswijk and Daniel McBreen helped to lay those disappointments to rest. The Mariners also broke new ground in the AFC Champions League in 2013 when they advanced to the knockout stage for the first time in their third appearance in the competition. After finishing second in their group behind Japan’s Kashiwa Reysol, they bowed out in the Round of 16 to eventual champions Guangzhou Evergrande.
Key Players Korean midfielder Kim Seung-yong joined Central Coast from Ulsan Hyundai in February. Having played in the AFC Champions League for FC Seoul in 2009 and Gamba Osaka in 2011, he enjoyed his best outing with Ulsan two years ago as he played in all 12 games including the final when he scored and contributed an assist. Centre-back Eddy Bosnar returned home to Australia in February having spent the past 14 years playing abroad with spells in Croatia, Austria, Holland, Japan, Korea Republic and China. Left-back Joshua Rose was named on the A-League’s All Star Team after he helped Central Coast to reach the grand final in 2011. Two years later, he played a key role in his club’s A-League success, playing in all but one of their games during the season.
GROUP F
GROUP F
JPN
Coach: Phil Moss (AUS) Having served as an assistant coach under Graham Arnold with both Australia’s U-23 side and Central Coast Mariners, Phil Moss took charge of the A-League club last November after his former mentor left for Japan to manage Vegalta Sendai. The 42-year-old former defender turned to coaching at the tail-end of his 13-year playing career and he had a spell in charge of New South Wales Premier League side Manly United before he joined Arnold at Central Coast in 2010.
37
FC Seoul KOR
Qualified as: K-League Classic - Fourth • Founded: 1983 • Ground: Seoul World Cup Stadium, Seoul (66,080) K-League (5): 2012, 2010, 2000, 1990, 1985 FA Cup (1): 1998 AFC Champions League: Runner-up 2013; Quarter-Finals 2011, 2009 Asian Club Championship: Runner-up 2002
7 Kim Chi-woo
14 Park Hee-seong
13
9
Go Yo-han
Escudero
28
6
Osmar
Kim Jin-kyu
24 Yun Il-lok
5 Cha Du-ri
1 Kim Yong-dae
No. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 9 10 13 14 15 17 18 19 20 21 22 24 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 38 41
Pos. GK DF DF DF DF DF DF FW FW MF FW DF MF FW FW MF DF MF MF DF MF DF MF DF GK MF DF FW MF GK
Name Kim Yong-dae Choi Hyo-jin Lee Woong-hee Kim Ju-young Cha Du-ri Kim Jin-kyu Kim Chi-woo Sergio Escudero Rafael Costa Go Yo-han Park Hee-seong Cho Min-woo Choi Hyun-tae Kim Hyun-sung Yun Ju-tae Han Tae-you Sim Sang-min Koh Myong-jin Yun Il-lok Kim Nam-chun Ko Kwang-min Osmar Barba Lee Sang-hyeob Lee Jun-hyeong Yu Sang-hun Jung Seung-yong Kim Woo-hyun Jung Dong-cheol Yoon Hyun-oh Kim Chol-ho
Date of Birth 11/10/1979 18/08/1983 18/07/1988 09/07/1988 25/07/1980 16/02/1985 11/11/1983 01/09/1988 23/08/1987 10/03/1988 07/04/1990 13/05/1992 15/09/1987 27/09/1989 22/06/1990 31/03/1981 21/05/1993 09/01/1988 07/03/1992 19/04/1989 21/09/1988 05/06/1988 01/01/1990 12/02/1991 25/05/1989 25/03/1991 20/09/1991 20/01/1992 11/02/1995 25/10/1995
Overview After going out in the quarter-finals on their previous two appearances in the AFC Champions League, FC Seoul made it all the way to the final last season. But they came up just short in their quest to become the fifth Korean club to win the tournament as they were beaten on away goals by Guangzhou Evergrande after a 2-2 draw in Seoul and a 1-1 draw in China. The club, which relocated from the satellite city of Anyang to the Korean capital in 2004, won their second Korean title in three years in 2012 but finished a disappointing fourth last year, 12 points behind champions Pohang Steelers. However, they secured a berth in the AFC Champions League after Pohang also won the FA Cup.
Key Players Following the departure of Ha Dae-sung in the off-season, experienced centre-back Kim Jin-kyu has taken over the captaincy of FC Seoul for the 2014 season. The well-built 28-year-old, who is in his second spell at the club after stints with China’s Dalian Shide and Japan’s Ventforet Kofu, is a reliable defender who also scores his fair share of goals. He played for Korea Republic at the AFC Asian Cup in 2004 and 2007 and also appeared at the 2006 FIFA World Cup and 2008 Olympic Games. Imposing Spanish centre-back Osmar Barba joined FC Seoul at the start of the season from Thailand’s Buriram United. He is a product of the youth system at Spain’s Racing Santander, and he made his Primera Liga debut for the club in 2009 but failed to establish himself as a regular there and left to join Buriram in the middle of 2012.
GROUP F
22 Koh Myong-jin
10 Rafael
Coach: Choi Yong-soo (KOR) Appointed as caretaker coach in April 2011 following the resignation of Hwangbo Kwan, Choi Yong-soo landed the K-League championship in his first full season in charge, and a year later was named the AFC Coach of the Year. A hard working and prolific striker during his playing days, Choi played for Korea Republic at the 1998 and 2002 FIFA World Cup. He began his playing career at Anyang Cheetahs in 1994 and had spells at three Japanese clubs before he retired as an FC Seoul player in 2006.
39
Beijing Guoan CHN
Qualified as: Chinese Super League - Third via play-offs • Founded: 1992 • Ground: Workers’ Stadium, Beijing (61,000) Chinese Super League (1): 2009 FA Cup (3): 2003, 1997, 1996 AFC Champions League: Round of 16 2013, 2010; Group Stage 2012, 2009, 2008 Asian Cup Winners’ Cup: Semi-Finals 1998
Zhang Xizhe
Ha Dae-Sung
Matic Zhang Xinxin
Wang Xiaolong
16
5 20
19
Utaka
39 Piao Cheng
13
18
Xu Yunglong
Lang Zheng
4 Zhou Ting
22 Yang Zhi
No. 1 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 15 16 17 18 19 20 22 24 25 26 29 31 36 37 39 40 48 68
Pos. GK DF DF MF MF DF MF FW MF MF GK DF FW MF MF DF MF DF GK MF DF MF MF DF GK MF MF MF FW FW
Name Zhang Sipeng Yu Yang Zhou Ting Darko Matic Zhang Xiaobin Yang Yun Joffre Guerron Tan Tiancheng Zhang Xizhe Song Boxuan Hou Sen Xu Yunlong Peter Utaka Ha Dae-sung Xu Wu Lang Zheng Wang Xiaolong Zhang Xinxin Yang Zhi Li Hanbo Zhang Shuai Wang Hao Shao Jiayi Zhao Hejing Bai Xiaolei Du Mingyang Piao Cheng Cao Hanchen Gong Zheng Zhang Chengdong
Date of Birth 14/05/1987 06/08/1989 05/02/1979 26/09/1980 14/02/1985 18/07/1989 28/04/1985 15/05/1991 23/01/1991 16/09/1989 30/06/1989 17/02/1979 12/02/1984 02/03/1985 14/02/1991 22/07/1986 11/03/1986 19/10/1983 15/01/1983 26/01/1991 18/01/1993 18/02/1989 10/04/1980 11/05/1985 04/09/1985 20/01/1993 21/08/1989 28/06/1993 20/04/1993 09/02/1989
Overview Beijing secured a sixth AFC Champions League appearance in seven seasons after defeating Thai side Chonburi in the play-offs. The side from the capital could have qualified outright for the tournament via their seventh top three finish in the last eight seasons, but Guizhou Renhe’s FA Cup final victory over Guangzhou Evergrande meant they had to negotiate the qualifying rounds for the first time. Despite continued domestic success, where Beijing also reached the semi-finals of the FA Cup, and progress on the continent in the form of a place in the last 16 of the AFC Champions League last year, Alexander Stanojevic was unable to keep his job and the Serbian coach departed at the end of last season.
Key Players Korean midfielder Ha Dae-sung joined Beijing from FC Seoul in January captained the side to the 2013 AFC Champions League final against Guangzhou Evergrande. Ha also helped FC Seoul win two K-League titles in 2012 and 2013. Massively experienced Beijing skipper Xu Yunlong has spent his entire professional career with Beijing and the defender was a part of China’s squad at the 2002 FIFA World Cup. The veteran centreback was named in the Chinese Super League Team of the Year last year alongside midfielder Zhang Xizhe, who had his breakout season in 2013. The young star netted 11 times and assisted on 12 occasions in 30 games for Beijing, while also scoring his first goal for the national team in a 6–1 home victory against Singapore last September.
GROUP F
15
10
Coach: Gregorio Manzano (ESP) Former RCD Mallorca coach Gregorio Manzano was appointed Beijing coach just days before their crucial play-off against Chonburi. Manzano, who led Mallorca to the 2003 Copa del Rey title in the first of his three stints with the Palma-based side, has been manager of numerous La Liga clubs including Atletico Madrid, Sevilla and Malaga. The 57-year-old replaced Aleksandar Stanojevic who led Beijing to a third-place finish in the Chinese Super League and to the semi-finals of the Chinese FA Cup during his time with the club.
41
Guangzhou Evergrande
Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors
CHN
KOR
Qualified as: Chinese Super League - Champion • Founded: 1954 • Ground: Tianhe Sports Center Stadium, Guangzhou (60,000)
Qualified as: K-League Classic – Third • Founded: 1994 • Ground: Jeonju World Cup Stadium, Jeonju (43,389)
Chinese Super League (3): 2013, 2012, 2011 FA Cup (1): 2012; Runner-up 2013
K-League (2): 2011, 2009 FA Cup (3): 2005, 2003, 2000
AFC Champions League (1): 2013; Quarter-finals 2012
AFC Champions League (1): 2006; Runner-up 2011; Semi-Finals 2004; Quarter-Finals 2010, 2007; Round of 16 2013; Group Stage 2012
Overview Guangzhou Evergrande return to defend their 2013 AFC Champions League title after winning the Chinese Super League for a national record third time in a row with six games to spare. The Southern Chinese club made history last November as Guangzhou became the first Chinese side to be crowned continental champions since Liaoning won the Asian Club Championship in 1990. Bank-rolled by the Guangzhou Real Estate Group, the team have brought in China’s leading players and overseas talent to dominate the domestic scene since 2011. Helmed by world-renowned coach Marcello Lippi, and with an attacking line-up that includes freescoring Brazilian duo Elkeson and Muriqui combining with China national team stars Zheng Zhi, Gao Lin and Zhang Linpeng, Guangzhou will be heavy favourites to repeat their feats of 2013.
Key Players Named 2013 AFC Player of the Year for his performances for both club and country, midfielder Zheng Zhi has captained the club’s rise from the second division to the very pinnacle of the continental game. Brazilian forward Muriqui capped off a stellar year by being named AFC Foreign Player of the Year having picked up the AFC Champions League Top Goalscorer and tournament MVP accolades. Scoring in both legs of the 2013 AFC Champions League final, Elkeson’s clinical finishing on both the continent and the domestic front, where he was top scorer in the Chinese Super League last season, enhanced the 24-year-old Brazilian’s reputation as one of the most potent strikers currently playing in Asia.
Coach: Marcello Lippi (ITA)
42
Guangzhou’s historic victory meant Marcello Lippi became the first coach to win both the AFC Champions League and the UEFA Champions League, which he claimed with Juventus in 1996. After guiding Guangzhou to a successful retention of their Chinese Super League title, the Italian and his side narrowly missed out on an unprecedented treble last year as they were beaten in the FA Cup final by Guizhou Renhe. A former midfielder with Sampdoria, Lippi has been recognised as one of the world’s most successful managers securing five Serie A titles in his career, three Chinese Super League crowns and the 2006 FIFA World Cup with Italy.
9
11
Elkeson
Muriqui
23
10
Diamanti
Zheng Zhi
32 Sun Xiang
No. 1 2 3 5 6 7 9 10 11 12 14 16 19 20 22 23 24 25 26 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 37 39 40
Pos. GK MF DF DF DF MF FW MF FW MF MF MF GK MF GK FW DF FW DF DF FW FW DF DF DF FW MF MF DF
20
29
10
Gao Lin
Leonardo
Aurelio
16
15
11
27
Huang Bowen
Jung Hyuk
Lee Sueng-gi
Kwon Kyung-won
6
28
Feng Xiaoting
Kim Young-gwon
5
3
Zhang Linpeng
Lee Jae-moung
18
5
Wilkinson
Jung In-whan
19
23
Zeng Cheng
Choi Eun-sung
Name Fang Jingqi Liao Lisheng Mei Fang Zhang Linpeng Feng Xiaoting Feng Junyan Elkeson Zheng Zhi Muriqui Zheng Long Feng Renliang Huang Bowen Zeng Cheng Yang Xin Li Shuai Alessandro Diamanti Liu Haidong Gan Tiancheng Li Jianbin Kim Young-gwon Gao Lin Yang Chaosheng Luo Jiacheng Sun Xiang Rong Hao Hu Weiwei Zhao Xuri Tan Jiajun Hu Bowen
Date of Birth 17/01/1993 29/04/1993 14/11/1989 09/05/1989 22/10/1985 18/02/1984 13/07/1989 20/08/1980 16/06/1986 15/04/1988 08/01/1989 13/07/1987 08/01/1987 25/01/1994 18/08/1982 02/05/1983 28/02/1995 20/01/1995 19/04/1989 27/02/1990 14/02/1986 22/07/1993 05/01/1995 15/01/1982 07/04/1987 03/03/1994 03/12/1985 17/12/1993 20/01/1994
No. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 13 14 15 17 18 19 20 21 23 24 26 27 28 29 30 32 33 34 55
Pos. GK DF DF DF DF MF MF MF FW MF MF MF FW MF MF DF DF FW GK GK MF FW DF DF DF MF MF MF DF MF
Overview
8
Lee Dong-gook
Name Kwoun Sun-tae Lee Kyu-ro Lee Jae-moung Kim Kee-hee Jung In-whan Choi Bo-kyung Han Kyo-won Marcos Aurelio Kaio Leonardo Lee Seung-gi Kim In-sung Lee Seung-yeoul Jung Hyuk Lee Jae-sung Alex Wilkinson Park Won-jae Lee Dong-gook Lee Bum-soo Choi Eun-sung Park Se-jik Kim Shin Kwon Kyung-won Lee Gang-jin Kwon Young-jin Cho Young-jun Lee Ju-yong Jeong Jong-hee Mun Jin-yong Kim Nam-il
4 Kim Kee-hee
Date of Birth 11/09/1984 20/08/1988 25/07/1991 13/07/1989 15/12/1986 12/04/1988 15/06/1990 10/02/1984 06/07/1987 22/09/1986 02/06/1988 09/09/1989 06/03/1989 21/05/1986 10/08/1992 13/08/1984 28/05/1984 29/04/1979 10/12/1990 05/04/1971 25/05/1989 30/03/1995 31/01/1992 25/04/1986 23/01/1991 24/08/1991 26/09/1992 01/03/1992 14/12/1991 14/03/1977
Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors booked their spot in the AFC Champions League for a fifth consecutive year after finishing third in the K-League Classic in 2013. They just missed out on claiming silverware as they were beaten in a penalty shootout by Pohang Steelers in the FA Cup final. The first Korean club to win the AFC Champions League in 2006 after a 3-2 aggregate victory over Syria’s Al Karamah, Jeonbuk also reached the semi-finals in 2004 and lost the 2011 final on penalties to Qatar’s Al Sadd. They went out at the group stage in 2012 and were beaten in the Round of 16 by Japan’s Kashiwa Reysol last season.
Key Players Lee Dong-gook enjoyed another fine goal-scoring season in 2013 when the veteran Korea Republic international striker netted 13 goals for Jeonbuk in the league while notching another three in the AFC Champions League to raise his personal tally in the competition to 20. He was named AFC Champions League MVP and top scorer as Jeonbuk reached the 2011 final. Having joined Jeonbuk from Greek side AEK Athens in the summer of 2012, Brazilian attacking midfielder Leonardo enjoyed a tremendous first full season at the club last year when he scored seven league goals and set up 13 more to earn a spot in the K-League Classic’s Best XI. Lee Seung-gi emerged as one of the K League’s brightest young stars in 2011 when he netted eight goals for Gwangju and won the Rookie of the Year award. The 25-year-old joined Jeonbuk before the start of the 2013 season and tallied seven goals despite suffering a thigh injury that sidelined him for several weeks.
GROUP G
GROUP G
Asian Cup Winners’ Cup: Runner-up 2002
Coach: Alejandro Menendez (ESP) A former Korea Republic international defender, Choi Kang-hee became head coach of Jeonbuk midway through 2005 and led them to victory in the FA Cup and the AFC Champions League the following year. Jeonbuk also won two K-League championships and reached the 2011 AFC Champions League final under Choi before he was appointed head coach of Korea Republic in late 2011. He guided the Taeguk Warriors to the 2014 FIFA World Cup finals before returning to Jeonbuk last June.
43
Yokohama F . Marinos JPN
Melbourne Victory AUS
Qualified as: : J.League – Runner-up • Founded: 1972 (as Nissan Motors FC)
Qualified as: A-League – Third via play-offs • Founded: 2004 • Ground: Docklands Stadium, Melbourne (53,359)
Ground: Y okohama International Stadium, Yokohama (72,327)
A-League Grand Final (2): 2009, 2007 A-League Premiership (2): 2009, 2007
J.League (3): 2004, 2003, 1995 Emperor’s Cup (6): 1991, 1989, 1988, 1985, 1983
AFC Champions League: Group Stage 2011, 2010, 2008
AFC Champions League: Group Stage 2005, 2004
Overview Yokohama F.Marinos gained revenge for their final day defeat to Sanfrecce Hiroshima in the J.League title race with victory in the Emperor’s Cup final. The club’s first trophy since winning the league in 2004 ensured a return to the AFC Champions League for the first time since 2005. In the 1990s, Yokohama enjoyed continental success winning the Asian Cup Winners’ Cup twice before appearing in the group stage of the 1996 Asian Club Championship. They then appeared in the AFC Champions League in 2004 and 2005, but again failed to reach the knockout stage.
Key Players Former Celtic star and Japan national team icon Shunsuke Nakamura rolled back the years in the 2013 season captaining his team to the very brink of the J.League championship. Although the title race was to end in heartbreak for the 35-year-old, Nakamura was named J.League Player of the Year. Charismatic centre-back Yuji Nakazawa was one of Japan’s heroes at the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa and the veteran’s stalwart displays in defence for Yokohama last season showed that he has lost none of the skills that drew international acclaim, earning him a place in the J.League Team of the Year. With the departure of veteran Brazilian striker Marquinhos, responsibility for leading the line could well fall to new number nine Takuro Yajima, after the player was transferred across from Kawasaki Frontale in January.
Coach: Yasuhiro Higuchi (JPN)
44
Yasuhiro Higuchi has been involved with Yokohama F.Marinos since their days as Nissan Motors. Originally from Mie prefecture, Higuchi first played for Yokohama’s youth side and then the first team where he spent five years, before injuries saw his professional career stall and end prematurely. Turning to management, he coached at Montedio Yamagata, Omiya Ardija and Yokohama F.C. before joining the Marinos ahead of the 2012 season where he guided the side to fourth place in the league; a feat he would better in 2013 with a runners-up spot in the J.League and a return to the AFC Champions League.
9
11 Saito Nakamachi Dutra
No. 1 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 13 14 15 16 17 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33
Pos. GK DF DF MF MF MF FW MF MF DF MF DF FW MF FW MF GK DF DF DF MF MF MF MF MF GK GK MF DF
14
Hyodo
10
8 5
7
Yajima
Troisi
27
Nakamura
Tomisawa
22
4
Nakazawa
Kurihara
13
3
Kobayashi
Traore
10
9
Thompson
Barbarouses
6
5
Broxham
Milligan
2
23
Contreras
Leijer
1
1
Enomoto
Coe
Name Tetsuya Enomoto Yuzo Kurihara Dutra Shohei Ogura Shingo Hyodo Kosuke Nakamachi Takuro Yajima Shunsuke Nakamura Manabu Saito Yuzo Kobayashi Andrew Kumagai Fabio Sho Ito Jin Hanato Yoshihito Fujita Yuhei Sato Hiroki Iikura Yuji Nakazawa Takumi Shimohira Yuta Narawa Jungo Fujimoto Yuta Mikado Seitaro Tomisawa Takuya Kida Jun Amano Yuji Rokutan Ryota Suzuki Sho Matsumoto Fumitaka Kitatani
Date of Birth 02/05/1983 18/09/1983 11/08/1973 08/09/1985 29/07/1985 01/09/1985 28/03/1984 24/06/1978 04/04/1990 15/11/1985 06/06/1993 28/02/1989 24/07/1988 31/05/1990 13/04/1983 29/10/1990 01/06/1986 25/02/1978 06/10/1988 29/08/1987 24/03/1984 26/12/1986 07/08/1982 23/08/1994 19/07/1991 10/04/1987 10/02/1994 04/04/1992 18/08/1995
No. 1 2 3 4 5 6 9 10 11 13 14 16 17 18 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30
Pos. GK DF DF DF MF MF FW FW FW FW MF MF MF MF GK MF FW DF DF DF MF DF MF DF GK
Name Nathan Coe Pablo Contreras Adama Traore Nicholas Ansell Mark Milligan Leigh Broxham Kosta Barbarouses Archie Thompson Connor Pain Andrew Nabbout James Troisi Rashid Mahazi James Jeggo Francesco Stella Lawrence Thomas Tomas Rogic Jesse Makarounas Adrian Leijer Scott Galloway Jason Geria Jordan Brown Dylan Murnane Christopher Cristaldo Milos Ridesic Keegan Coulter
Overview 21 Rogic
24 Galloway
Date of Birth 01/06/1984 11/09/1978 03/02/1990 02/02/1994 04/08/1985 13/01/1988 19/02/1990 23/10/1978 11/11/1993 17/12/1992 03/07/1988 20/04/1992 12/02/1992 25/07/1991 09/05/1992 16/12/1992 18/04/1994 25/03/1986 25/04/1995 10/05/1993 14/08/1996 18/01/1995 15/01/1995 07/03/1996 01/03/1995
Melbourne Victory booked their place in the group stage of the AFC Champions League for a fourth time after they overcame Thailand’s Muangthong United in February’s third round play-off. Boasting the largest supporter base in the A-League, Melbourne enjoyed much success in their early years, winning the premiership and Grand Final double in 2007 and 2009 and finishing runners-up in 2010. They missed the playoffs in 2012 but returned to contention last year as they finished third and were narrowly beaten in the semi-finals by Central Coast Mariners. The Australian club will be looking to improve on their disappointing record in the AFC Champions League as they failed to get past the group stage in all three of their previous appearances.
Key Players One of Australia’s brightest young talents, midfielder Tomas Rogic joined Melbourne on loan from Scottish giants Celtic in January ahead of the 2014 FIFA World Cup. He had joined Celtic from Central Coast Mariners in January 2013 and made his international debut last June. Veteran striker Archie Thompson, 35, remains a reliable source of goals for Melbourne in his ninth season with the club. Thompson was signed by Melbourne for the inaugural A-League season in 2005 and netted five goals in their 6-0 thumping of Adelaide United in the 2007 Grand Final. Mark Milligan is a versatile Australia international and brings plenty of experience to his role as captain of Melbourne. The 28-year-old had spells with Newcastle Jets, Chinese Super League side Shanghai Shenhua and J.League club JEF United Chiba before he joined Melbourne in 2012. He has previously appeared for Sydney FC and Shanghai in the AFC Champions League.
GROUP G
GROUP G
Asian Cup Winners’ Cup (2): 1993, 1992
Coach: Kevin Muscat (AUS) A former Australia international defender who spent a decade in Britain playing for Crystal Palace, Wolverhampton Wanderers, Rangers and Millwall, Kevin Muscat became an assistant coach at Melbourne Victory after he ended his playing career with the A-League club in 2011. Briefly the club’s caretaker coach after the sacking of Mehmet Durakovic in 2012, the 40-year-old was handed the job on a full-time basis last October after Ange Postecoglou left to become head coach of Australia.
45
Western Sydney Wanderers AUS
Guizhou Renhe CHN
Qualified as: A-League Premiership – Winner • Founded: 2012 • Ground: Parramatta Stadium, Parramatta (21,500)
Qualified as: Chinese FA Cup - Winner • Founded: 1995 • Ground: Guiyang Olympic Centre, Guiyang (53,000)
A-League Premiership (1): 2013
FA Cup (1): 2013
Overview Western Sydney Wanderers enjoyed a sensational debut in the A-League in 2012-13 as they claimed the regular season title and reached the Grand Final in their inaugural campaign. After a poor start which saw them pick up only 10 points from their first nine games, the Wanderers hit their stride during the run-in as they reeled off 10 consecutive victories to pip Central Coast Mariners to the Premiership by three points to secure a spot in the 2014 AFC Champions League. They stretched their unbeaten record in the A-League to 13 games with a 2-0 win over defending champions Brisbane Roar in the play-off semi-finals but fell at the final hurdle, losing 2-0 to Central Coast in the Grand Final.
Key Players Japanese midfielder Shinji Ono played an influential part in Western Sydney’s highly successful debut season in 2012-13 as he appeared in all but three of their games and netted eight goals. An AFC Asian Cup winner with Japan in 2000, Ono was named AFC Player of the Year two years later after he helped Dutch club Feyenoord to win the UEFA Cup and aided his country’s progression to the last 16 at the FIFA World Cup while also claiming the AFC Champions League when on the books of Urawa Reds in 2007. Defender Michael Beauchamp arrived at Western Sydney in 2012 after spells in Germany, Denmark and the UAE as well as three other A-League clubs. Beauchamp played for Australia at the 2007 AFC Asian Cup and 2010 FIFA World Cup and was appointed as the Wanderers’ inaugural club captain. Forward Mark Bridge won the Wanderers’ Player of the Year award and Golden Boot last season after scoring 11 goals.
Coach: Tony Popovic (AUS)
46
A former Australia international defender, whose 20-year playing career included spells at clubs in Japan, Qatar and England, Tony Popovic turned to coaching after he hung up his boots in 2008 and worked as an assistant coach at Sydney FC and England’s Crystal Palace before he was put in charge of Western Sydney Wanderers in 2012. Despite his inexperience as a head coach, the 40-year-old led the newly-formed club to the regular season title which deservedly earned him the A-League’s Coach of the Year award.
19
11 Santalab
D’Apuzzo
No. 1 2 3 4 5 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 26 30 31 32 33 34 35
Pos. GK DF DF DF DF FW MF FW MF FW FW DF FW MF MF MF FW GK MF DF MF FW FW GK MF MF DF FW DF
Yu Hai
8
Ono
Mooy
21
Hersi
21
10 3
17
Bridge
Poljak
5
4
Beauchamp
Topor-Stanley
2
3
Cole
Zhang Chenglin
9
11
Muslimovic
Hyuri
29
8
Yang Hao
Li Chunyu
17
4
Sun Jihai
Salley
1
12
Covic
Zhang Lie
Name Ante Covic Shannon Cole Adam D’Apuzzo Nikolai Topor-Stanley Michael Beauchamp Labinot Haliti Mateo Poljak Tomi Juric Aaron Mooy Brendon Santalab Tahj Minniecon Matthew Spiranovic Kwabena Appiah Yianni Perkatis Youssouf Hersi Iacopo La Rocca Mark Bridge Jerrad Tyson Shinji Ono Dean Heffernan Jason Trifiro Nicholas Olsen Jaushua Sotirio Thomas Manos Alusine Fofanah Daniel Alessi Daniel Mullen Golgol Mebrahtu Antony Golec
Date of Birth 13/06/1075 04/08/1984 20/10/1986 11/03/1985 08/03/1981 26/10/1985 10/09/1989 22/07/1991 15/09/1990 09/09/1982 13/02/1989 27/06/1988 19/05/1992 08/03/1994 20/08/1982 17/02/1984 07/11/1985 21/09/1989 27/09/1979 19/05/1980 03/06/1988 26/09/1995 11/10/1995 04/02/1996 21/11/1997 26/08/1997 26/10/1989 28/08/1990 19/05/1990
No. 1 3 4 6 7 8 9 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 21 22 27 29 30 31 33 35 36 37 38 39
Pos. GK DF DF MF MF MF FW MF GK FW FW MF FW DF MF DF MF GK FW MF FW MF MF DF DF DF DF FW
Name Xu Jiamin Zhang Chenglin Jonas Salley Fan Yunlong Krzysztof Maczynski Li Chunyu Zlatan Muslimovic Hyuri Zhang Lie Shi Liang Yang Yihu Chen Jie Wu Dingmao Sun Jihai Zhao Jun Liu Tianqi Yu Hai Sheng Peng Qu Bo Yang Hao Sheng Tianfeng Rao Weihui Guo Sheng Wan Houliang Xiang Hantian Yu Rui Huang Gengji Chen Zijie
Overview 27 Qu Bo
19 Liu Tianqi
Date of Birth 11/04/1994 20/01/1987 16/03/1982 15/03/1989 23/05/1987 09/10/1986 03/06/1981 26/09/1991 25/05/1982 11/05/1989 16/09/1991 15/10/1989 13/04/1987 30/09/1977 19/10/1988 18/07/1988 04/06/1987 19/02/1989 15/07/1981 19/08/1983 18/03/1994 25/03/1989 07/01/1993 25/02/1986 25/11/1995 11/08/1992 14/09/1995 24/12/1989
Guizhou Renhe proved that last year’s surprise debut in the AFC Champions League was no fluke with a second consecutive qualification courtesy of their historic FA Cup final victory over 2013 AFC Champions League winners Guangzhou Evergrande. Guizhou’s shock win over Guangzhou was the team’s first taste of top flight silverware after losing to the same opponents in the final of the 2012 tournament. As Inter Shanghai, the side came close to winning the domestic league title in 2003, but ended up as runners-up behind local rivals Shanghai Shenhua. The side then relocated to Xian in 2006 and were based in the central city until moving to Guiyang in south-western China in 2012.
Key Players Former Manchester City defender Sun Jihai has been a consistent performer for Guizhou over the last four seasons after spending eight years in England. The veteran captain has proved a cornerstone of the Guizhou back-line with his experience and versatility a key asset to the side. Bosnia and Herzegovina midfielder Zvjezdan Misimovic has been an important player for Guizhou since joining from Dinamo Moscow in January last year. Misimovic was named the Balkan nation’s 2013 Male Athlete of the Year and currently holds the record for most international appearances for the national team. China international Yu Hai was Guizhou’s FA Cup final hero, scoring all three goals in their 3-2 aggregate win against Guangzhou. The winger has been a regular fixture in the side since returning to the team in 2009 following a season at Vitesse Arnhem in Holland.
GROUP H
GROUP H
AFC Champions League: Group Stage 2013
Coach: Gong Lei (CHI) Although initially appointed as a caretaker manager at the start of the 2013 league campaign, Gong Lei has proved to be the most successful coach in the club’s history taking the side to a second consecutive fourth place finish in the league and going one better than his predecessor in the FA Cup; not only returning the team to the final as they did in 2012, but also successfully claiming the title outright. As a player, Gong was part of the China side that reached the quarter-finals of the 1985 FIFA World Youth Championship.
47
Kawasaki Frontale Qualified as: J.League - Third • Founded: 1997 • Ground: Todoroki Athletics Stadium, Kawasaki (25,000)
Qualified as: K-League Classic – Runner-up • Founded: 1983 • Ground: Ulsan Munsu Football Stadium, Ulsan (43,122)
J.League: Runner-up 2009, 2008, 2006
K-League (2): 2005, 1996
AFC Champions League: Quarter-Finals 2009, 2007; Group Stage 2010
AFC Champions League (1): 2012; Semi-Finals 2006; Group Stage 2009
Overview Surprise package Kawasaki Frontale simultaneously secured a return to the AFC Champions League for the first time since 2010, and ended Yokohama F.Marinos’ dreams of a fourth J.League title with a 1-0 victory at Todoroki Athletics Stadium on the final day of last season. After promotion to the top-flight in 2004, Kawasaki enjoyed a period of domestic and continental success with three J.League runners-up finishes in five years and two AFC Champions League quarter-final appearances in 2007 and 2009 while also reaching the group stage in 2010.
Yoshito Okubo’s goalscoring exploits last season were the foundation of Kawasaki Frontale’s rise to the AFC Champions League places with the diminutive striker finding the back of the net an astonishing 26 times in just 32 games. After winning the German Bundesliga title with Vfl Wolfsburg in 2009, Okubo returned to Japan and a three year stint with Vissel Kobe came to an end with his transfer to Kawasaki ahead of the 2013 schedule. Just as important was the consistency provided by captain Kengo Nakamura. The 33-year-old midfielder has been an ever-present at the club since they played in the J.League’s second division back in 2003 and he has notched well over 400 appearances for the side. Alongside Nakamura, plays vastly experienced Junichi Inamoto who boasts over 80 caps for the national team and features the likes of Arsenal, Fulham, Galatasary and Eintracht Frankfurt amongst his former clubs.
When former coach Naoki Soma was dismissed in April 2012, Kawasaki Frontale made a bold move in giving Yahiro Kazama, then coach of University of Tsukuba, his first professional managerial position. However, the decision proved to be a smart one as Kazama guided Kawasaki to an improved league positioning in 2012 before they enjoyed an even better 2013 season, finishing in a surprise third-place. The 52-year-old spent the majority of his formative years as a professional in Germany with Bayer Leverkusen and Eintracht Braunschweig amongst others, before returning to Japan in 1989 for several seasons in the ranks of Sanfrecce Hiroshima.
13
10
Noborizato
No. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 30 34
Pos. GK DF DF DF DF MF DF DF FW MF FW FW MF MF MF DF MF MF MF GK DF MF GK DF MF FW GK MF
Han Sang-wun
20
Nakamura
Yamamoto
20
Kobayashi
14
6 23
11
Okubo
Renato
Key Players
Coach: Yahiro Kazama (JPN)
48
KOR
Inamoto
5
2
Jeci
Saneto
3
14
Tanaka
Kim Young-sam
9
Rafinha
Kim Shin-wook
16
5
Kim Sung-hwan
Chikashi
4
22
Kang Min-soo
Kim Chi-gon
21
18
Nishibe
Kim Seung-gyu
Name Rikihiro Sugiyama Yuki Saneto Yusuke Tanaka Yusuke Igawa Jeci Masaki Yamamoto Sota Nakazawa Takanobu Komiyama Yashuito Morishima Renato Yu Kobayashi Yoshito Okubo Kengo Nakamura Shogo Taniguchi Ryota Ohshima Yuto Takeoka Junichi Kanakubo Kentaro Moriya Junichi Inamoto Yohei Nishibe Akito Fukumori Kyohei Noborizato Shunsuke Ando Kyotaroh Yamakoshi Masataka Kani An Byong-jun Shota Arai Paulinho
Date of Birth 01/05/1987 19/01/1989 03/02/1986 30/10/1982 22/04/1980 24/08/1987 26/10/1982 03/10/1984 18/09/1987 04/10/1988 23/09/1987 09/06/1982 31/10/1980 15/07/1991 23/01/1993 24/06/1986 26/07/1987 21/09/1988 18/09/1979 01/12/1980 16/12/1992 13/11/1990 10/08/1990 18/03/1991 18/04/1991 22/05/1990 01/11/1988 26/01/1989
No. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 13 14 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 28 29 30 31 33 34
Pos. GK DF DF DF MF DF MF FW FW FW FW MF DF MF GK GK FW MF GK DF MF MF FW DF MF DF MF MF FW DF
Overview
10
Name Kim Young-kwang Lee Yong Jeong Dong-ho Kang Min-soo Masuda Chikashi Park Dong-hyuk Ko Chang-hyun Caique Kim Shin-wook Rafinha Almir Kim Sun-min Kim Young-sam Kim Sung-hwan Yoo Jun-soo Kim Seung-gyu Park Young-ji Han Sang-wun Lee Hee-seong Kim Chi-gon Kim Min-kyun Kim Yong-tae Kim Yong-jin Lee Myung-jae Kim Hak-chan Han Ji-seong Kim Hun-sung Chung Chan-il Cho In-hyung Lim Dong-cheon
24 Kim Yong-tae
2 Lee Yong
Date of Birth 28/06/1983 24/12/1986 07/03/1990 14/02/1986 19/06/1985 18/04/1979 15/09/1983 10/01/1987 14/04/1988 30/06/1987 22/08/1985 12/12/1991 04/04/1982 15/12/1986 08/05/1988 30/09/1990 09/10/1992 03/05/1986 27/05/1990 29/07/1983 30/11/1988 20/05/1984 10/06/1993 04/11/1993 05/03/1992 05/10/1991 20/05/1991 27/04/1991 01/02/1990 13/11/1992
Ulsan Hyundai return to the AFC Champions League for the first time since 2012 when they became the fourth Korean team to lift the trophy. The side had enjoyed a superb continental campaign in which they won nine consecutive games including a 3-0 trouncing of Al Ahli of Saudi Arabia in the final. Despite earning a spot in the AFC Champions League for a fourth time, the 2013 K-League Classic season was a huge disappointment for Ulsan. The Tigers failed to win their first championship since 2005 after blowing a five-point lead in their last two games of the season. Needing only a draw in their last match, they conceded a stoppage-time winner against Pohang Steelers to hand their opponents the title.
Key Players A scorer of six goals during Ulsan’s victorious AFC Champions League campaign in 2012, giant striker Kim Shin-wook was even more impressive last season as he scored a league-leading 19 goals and won the K-League Classic’s MPV award. Signed from Japanese side Gamba Osaka midway through the 2012 season, Brazilian striker Rafinha played a major role in Ulsan Hyundai’s charge to the AFC Champions League title that year, scoring five goals in five games including the second in the win over Al Ahli in the final. And the 26-year-old continued his good form last year, scoring 11 goals in the K-League Classic to finish as the team’s second highest scorer. Central defender Kim Chi-gon missed out on Ulsan’s 2012 AFC Champions League campaign because of military service, but was a key figure for the club last year when he started in every league match and was named in the Best XI squad.
GROUP H
GROUP H
JPN
Ulsan Hyundai
Coach: Cho Min-kook (KOR) Cho Min-kook was put in charge of Ulsan Hyundai last December after AFC Champions League-winning coach Kim Ho-gon resigned in the aftermath of Ulsan heart-breaking loss to Pohang Steelers in the decisive final match of the season. A former Korea Republic international defender, the 50year-old spent several years as a coach at Korea University and Korean lower league side Ulsan Hyundai Mipo Dolphin before he accepted his first K-League job with Ulsan Hyundai. 49
IRN
2013 Winners - Guangzhou Evergrande
2012 Winners - Ulsan Hyundai
ROLL OF HONOUR
Early Years
Inaugurated in 1967 the Asian Club Championship was dominated by clubs from Israel with Hapoel Tel Aviv claiming the inaugural title after beating Malaysia’s Selangor in the final in Bangkok. Maccabi Tel Aviv then won twice in three years either side of Iran’s Taj – now known as Esteghlal - who beat Hapoel Tel Aviv. The competition then disappeared from the calendar after the 1971 edition.
Competition Reborn
The competition returned in 1985 and Daewoo Royals of the newly formed Korean K-League – inaugurated in 1983 – became the first winners from East Asia after beating Saudi Arabia’s Al Ahli in the final in Jeddah. The region dominated the competition in the late 1980’s with pre-J.League sides Furukawa and Yomiuri prevailing before Qatar’s Al Sadd broke the run in 1989.
West returns, Farmers rise
Iranian and Saudi Arabian clubs came to the fore in the early 1990s as Tehran blues Esteghlal beat defending champions Liaoning of China in July 1991, before losing their crown to Riyadh giants Al Hilal. Pas of Iran beat Saudi side Al Shabab 1993, before Thai Farmers Bank claimed successive titles.
2011 Winners - Al Sadd
Professionalism brings success
The K-League dominated the mid-1990’s as Ilhwa Chunma lifted the trophy in 1995 before Pohang Steelers won back-to-back titles in 1997 and 1998. Boosted by the foundation of professional leagues in Japan and China, the East won six of the last seven editions of the Asian Club Championship as Japan’s Jubilo Iwata reached three straight finals, while Saudi Arabia’s Al Hilal flew the flag for the West in 2000 after Jubilo’s 1999 success. Korea Republic’s Suwon Samsung Bluewings won the last two editions of the Asian Club Championship in 2001 and 2001 after beating Jubilo and Anyang Cheetahs – who would later become FC Seoul.
Champions League era
The Asian Club Championship was discontinued in 2002 and merged with the Asian Cup Winners’ Cup to form the AFC Champions League. Al Ain from the United Arab Emirates were victorious in the first final, which was delayed until October 2003 due to SARS and the Iraq War. The event followed a single year format from 2004, with Jeddah giants Al Ittihad winning back-to-back titles in 2004 and 2005 before the East rose again as Korea’s Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors and Japanese duo Urawa Reds and Gamba Osaka lifted the prestigious trophy.
New format
In keeping with a rise in standards across the region, the AFC Champions League ushered in a new dynamic format in 2009 with only clubs and leagues professionally run as commercial entities eligible. Prize money was also increased and the competition expanded from 28 to 32 teams, while a one-leg Round of 16 and one-leg final were also introduced. The showpiece final was held in Tokyo in 2009 and 2010, with K-League clubs Pohang Steelers and then Seongnam Ilhwa Chunma lifting the impressive trophy at the National Stadium.
China takes centre stage
Jeonbuk earned the right to host the 2011 final, but missed out on keeping the trophy in Korean hands as Qatar’s Al Sadd became the first qualifiers to win the continental title. Korea were not to be denied a year later, though, claiming a third AFC Champions League crown in four years as Ulsan Hyundai completed an unbeaten campaign with a 3-0 win over Saudi Arabia’s Al Ahli in the 2012 final. In last year’s competition, Korea had a presence in the final yet again in the shape of FC Seoul, but the team from the capital fell short of maintaining Korea’s dominance as Guangzhou Evergrande became the first Chinese side in 23 years to lift the continental title.
2010 Winners - Seongnam Ilhwa AFC Champions League Year 2013 2012 2011 2010 2009 2008 2007 2006 2005 2004 2002-03
Winners Guangzhou Evergrande (CHN) Ulsan Hyundai (KOR) Al Sadd (QAT) Seongnam Ilhwa (KOR) Pohang Steelers (KOR) Gamba Osaka (JPN) Urawa Reds (JPN) Jeonbuk Motors (KOR) Al Ittihad (KSA) Al Ittihad (KSA) Al Ain (UAE)
Score 3-3 agg 3-0 2-2* 3-1 2-1 5-0 agg 3-1 agg 3-2 agg 5-3 agg 6-3 agg 2-1 agg
Runners-up FC Seoul (KOR) Al Ahli (KSA) Jeonbuk Motors (KOR) Zobahan (IRN) Al Ittihad (KSA) Adelaide United (AUS) Sepahan (IRN) Al Karama (SYR) Al Ain (UAE) Seongnam Ilhwa (KOR) BEC Tero Sasana (THA)
Asian Club Championship Year Winners 2001-02 Suwon Bluewings (KOR) 2000-01 Suwon Bluewings (KOR) 1999-00 Al Hilal (KSA) 1998-99 Jubilo Iwata (JPN) 1997-98 Pohang Steelers (KOR) 1996-97 Pohang Steelers (KOR) 1995 Ilhwa Chunma (KOR) 1994-95 Thai Farmers Bank (THA) 1993-94 Thai Farmers Bank (THA) 1992-93 Pas (IRN) 1991 Al Hilal (KSA) 1990-91 Esteghlal (IRN) 1989-90 Liaoning (CHN) 1988-89 Al Saad (QAT) 1987 Yomiuri (JPN) 1986 Furukawa (JPN) 1985-86 Daewoo Royals (KOR) 1972-84 1971 Maccabi Tel Aviv (ISR) 1970 Taj (Esteghlal) (IRN) 1969 Maccabi Tel Aviv (ISR) 1967 Hapoel Tel Aviv (ISR)
Score 0-0* 1-0 3-2 2-1 0-0* 2-1 1-0 1-0 2-1 1-0 1-1* 2-1 3-2 agg 3-3 agg w-o g-s 3-1 No competition w-o 2-1 1-0 2-1
* won on penalties; agg – aggregate (away goals win if level); g-s – group-stage format; w-o – walkover
Runners-up Anyang Cheetahs (KOR) Jubilo Iwata (JPN) Jubilo Iwata (JPN) Esteghlal (IRN) Dalian Wanda (CHN) Ilhwa Chunma (KOR) Al Nassr (KSA) Al Arabi (QAT) Oman Club (OMA) Al Shabab (KSA) Esteghlal (IRN) Liaoning (CHN) Nissan (JPN) Al Rasheed (IRQ) Al Hilal (KSA) Al Hilal (KSA) Al Ahli (KSA) Al Shorta (IRQ) Hapoel Tel Aviv (ISR) Yangzee (KOR) Selangor (MAL)
