Footballers' union FIFPRO says AFC Champions League 'unsustainable' / Photo: Fayez NURELDINE - AFP
-
Inter Milan and Italy icon Mazzola dies aged 83
-
UK actor Naomi Watts honoured at Spain film festival
-
Saudi capital issues first air raid alert since renewed fighting in Yemen
-
Japan emperor declares Asian Games open after turbulent build-up
-
Martin edges title rival Marquez for Austrian MotoGP pole
-
Asian Games open with unity message after troubled build-up
-
Indonesia accepts Malaysia's help to tackle wildfires
-
Denmark hails 'binding' Greenland deal with Trump
-
Indians living in Japan on stand-by to house Asian Games athletes
-
We don't want Games host Japan losing money, says Asian Olympic official
-
Trump signs bill authorizing sweeping Russia sanctions
-
Ed Sheeran returns to stage after Palestinian controversy
-
Protesters form human chain at Kennedy Center after Trump threat
-
Asian Games to open in Japan after troubled build-up
-
Death toll from attack at police HQ in Pakistan rises to 31
-
Drone owners rush to offload devices ahead of Beijing ban
-
Trump says Denmark to give US 'permanent control' over Greenland security
-
Trump's beef policies irk Texas ranchers, testing their loyalty
-
Kennedy Center: future unclear for iconic Washington arts hub
-
Nvidia, OpenAI CEOs to attend Xi dinner at White House
-
Trump claims 'infinite' Greenland security deal with Denmark
-
Anthropic picks Accenture for in-house AI safety evaluation
-
Helicopters battle wildfire threatening Ecuador's capital
-
Balogun returns as Monaco beat Lens to continue strong Ligue 1 start
-
Brentford batter Chelsea to undo Alonso's promising start
-
'Pause' on overt repression in Venezuela, but reforms still needed: HRW
-
Kane hits Bundesliga century as Bayern rout Union
-
Global stocks mixed as yen falls despite Bank of Japan rate hike
-
Trump says CNN, MS NOW, Politico banned from White House
-
Cuba hit with seventh major blackout of the year
-
Hushing and hedging: US companies retreat on climate
-
Murray out with concussion so Wentz will start for Vikings
-
Springboks to face Fiji before 2027 Rugby World Cup
-
UN chief 'deeply regrets' US visa refusal to Abbas for annual meeting
-
Nigeria miners struggled to breathe in cell before 37 died: survivors
-
England quick Carse to face no charges over alleged nightclub assault
-
McIlroy on the charge at PGA Championship as Reed withdraws
-
Mancini brings nine newcomers into the first squad of his Italy comeback
-
McIlroy on the charge at PGA Championship
-
Czechs level Davis Cup tie against USA as South Korea eye Finals
-
Crisis-wracked Volkswagen warns of 10-bn-euro hit to profits
-
New France boss Zidane confirms Mbappe as captain after naming first squad
-
Costa Rica's Grynspan tops third informal poll for UN chief: diplomat
-
California governor signs order to explore AI 'kill switch'
-
Stock markets retreat after central bank rate hikes
-
Head leads run spree as Australia win Zimbabwe ODI series
-
Russia labels director of Cannes Grand Prix winner a 'foreign agent'
-
In-form Raphinha wants to finish career at Barcelona
-
Macron warns of Russian 'hybrid' threat after meeting presidential hopefuls
-
Warren Buffett steps down as Berkshire Hathaway chairman
Footballers' union FIFPRO says AFC Champions League 'unsustainable'
The current Asian Champions League is "unsustainable", the global footballers' union FIFPRO said in a report Monday, accusing the regional governing body of failing to listen to players and clubs.
The continent's top club competition is in the spotlight like never before after Saudi teams shelled out on the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo, Neymar and Karim Benzema.
The round of 16 began on Tuesday last week, three days after the final of the Asian Cup, which was won by hosts Qatar.
The Asian Football Confederation (AFC) is responsible for both competitions, which span a vast area from Australia to the Middle East and Central Asia.
The current Champions League is split into two zones, "West" and "East", until a two-legged final home and away.
Starting in the next campaign, there will also be a geographical split at the start of the tournament, but the quarter-finals, semi-finals and final will be held in Saudi Arabia.
FIFPRO said this remodelled version, which will see the winner take home an increased cheque of $12 million, was also unsustainable.
Takuya Yamazaki, FIFPRO's chairman for Oceania-Asia, hopes its report will "spark meaningful discussions with governing bodies, leagues, clubs and fans" about the Champions League.
"The results indicate that, as anticipated, the merits do not outweigh the drawbacks for most players and clubs, making it an unsustainable system," he said in the report.
FIFPRO accused the AFC of adopting "a top-down approach that excludes the voices of players and clubs from decision-making".
It called on the AFC to forge "a genuine partnership with players, clubs and leagues to ensure that the competition delivers for all parties".
Among its conclusions, the 49-page report said that the average quality of teams in the Champions League was inferior to the top domestic divisions in Japan, South Korea and Saudi Arabia.
It said the average quality of the competition was also going down.
FIFPRO also voiced concern about the economic cost for teams, given the long travel sometimes involved, and the effect of travel and match scheduling on the workload of players.
AFP has contacted the Kuala Lumpur-based AFC for comment.
A.F.Rosado--PC
