The Asian Football Confederation announced that the winner of the new elite AFC Champions League will receive a significant support package of at least $12 million, marking a milestone in club football development across Asia.

The tournament, kicking off its preliminary round in August, is central to a major developmental initiative encompassing 27 clubs from 12 countries, including Japan, South Korea, Australia, and Saudi Arabia.

This prize represents a threefold increase over what Al Ain, UAE, earned in the previous format of the AFC Champions League last May.

Five clubs will vie in the preliminary qualifiers from August 6 to 13, with two advancing to join the 22 directly qualified clubs in the main round.

Al-Gharafa of Qatar will take on the winner between Shabab Al-Ahly of the Emirates and an as-yet-undetermined Iranian team, while Shandong Taishan of China will face Thailand’s Bangkok United in the Eastern Division.

The main round draw, dividing clubs into West and East sections, will take place on August 16, with matches scheduled from September 16 to February 19 next year.

The top eight teams from each division will progress to the round of 16, playing home-and-away fixtures, with winners advancing to the finals series hosted in a single country.

Saudi Arabia has been chosen to host the quarter-finals, semi-finals, and finals from April 25 to May 4 next year.

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