The tournament has provided numerous thrilling moments during more than two decades of action, with Asia’s finest talents and FIFA World Cup-winning players and coaches among those who have been on display.
As fans across the continent look forward to Saturday’s showpiece event, the-AFC.com reflects on some of the key stats and facts from over the years.
ACL specialists
While Al Hilal SFC can lay claim to being crowned Asian champions more than any other side (4), during the AFC Champions League era no team can match Urawa Red Diamonds’ three titles.
The Saitama side first lifted the trophy in 2007 before repeating the feat a decade later to win the 2017 title. Their victory over Al Hilal in the final of the 2022 edition saw them move out in front with three titles to their name.
Continental powerhouse
When it comes to final appearances, Al Hilal come out on top, having competed in the showpiece event five times. All of these appearances came from 2014 onwards, meaning the Riyadh club have participated in five of the past 10 finals.
Having lost in the 2014 and 2017 finals, Al Hilal lifted the trophy in 2019 and 2021 to add to the Asian Club Championships they won in 1991 and 2000. Factoring in Asian Cup Winners’ Cup and Asian Super Cup successes, the Saudis have eight continental titles.
Back-to-back
Only one club has managed to successfully defend the AFC Champions League title in the competition’s 21-year history, and that was back in the early years of the tournament when Saudi Arabia’s Al Ittihad lifted the trophy in both 2004 and 2005.
Having produced a remarkable comeback to overcome Korea Republic’s Seongnam Ilhwa Chunma in 2004, the Jeddah side beat Al Ain a year later to retain the title. They missed out on number three after defeat to Korea’s Pohang Steelers in the 2009 final.
Korean kings
Looking back at each country’s overall performance, Korea Republic currently leads the way. Six of the 21 editions have been won by Korean clubs, with Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors (2), Ulsan Hyundai (2), Seongnam (1) and Pohang (1) all tasting glory.
However, should Yokohama defeat Al Ain, they will become the fourth J1 League side to win the title following Urawa, Gamba Osaka and Kashima Antlers. It would also mean Japan equals Korea Republic with six titles to their name.
History-maker
Only one player has won the AFC Champions League three times: Kwoun Sun-tae, the goalkeeper who was the last line of defence for Jeonbuk in 2006 and then followed it up by lifting the title a decade later in 2016.
Kwoun then swapped K League 1 for the J1 League and was once more on the podium after he kept back-to-back clean sheets in the 2018 final as Kashima overcame Iranian side Persepolis and the custodian lifted the trophy for an unprecedented third time.
Big-game player
While Al Ittihad legend Mohammed Noor falls just short of Kwoun’s three titles, having been part of the Jeddah side’s back-to-back wins but then on the losing side in the 2009 final, he does hold the distinction of being the only player to score in three finals.
Noor scored twice in the second-leg come-from-behind win over Seongnam in 2004, added another in the second leg of the 2005 victory over Al Ain and then netted the Al Ittihad goal in the 2-1 loss to Pohang which denied him, and his side, title number three.
Top of the charts
With 42 goals to his name, Dejan Damjanovic is the AFC Champions League’s all-time top scorer, having found the back of the net for FC Seoul, Beijing FC, Suwon Samsung Bluewings and Kitchee SC over the years.
Next on the list comes Korean striker Lee Dong-gook, who scored all 37 of his goals for Jeonbuk, with whom he won the top scorer accolade in 2011 and finally got his hands on the trophy in 2016.
Different club, same outcome
Abderazzak Hamdallah has found the back of the net for more different clubs than anyone else over the years, with the Moroccan bagging his first goal on the continent for China PR’s Guangzhou R&F back in 2015.
But it is in West Asia where he has made a name for himself, scoring goals for El Jaish and Al Rayyan in Qatar before doing likewise for Saudi giants Al Nassr and Al Ittihad. In total, Hamdallah has scored 28 goals and is fifth on the all-time top scorers list.
Prolific campaigns
Three players can lay claim to scoring more goals than anyone else in a single edition of the tournament, with Brazilian Muriqui netting 13 times in Guangzhou FC’s triumphant 2013 campaign and his countryman Adriano matching his tally for FC Seoul in 2016.
Baghdad Bounedjah then bagged 13 goals for Al Sadd in 2018 but, like Adriano, the Algerian’s campaign was ended in the semi-finals. Currently on 11 goals, Al Ain’s Soufiane Rahimi still has a chance of matching – or even surpassing – the 13-goal mark.
Master tactician
The 20 previous finals have been won by 19 different head coaches, with the late Bruno Metsu the first tactician to taste glory when he guided Al Ain to the 2002-03 title and Maciej Skorza the most recent after leading to victory in the 2022 final.
Just one man has helmed a team to two titles – Choi Kang-hee, who was in charge of Jeonbuk in their 2006 and 2016 campaigns. Only a penalty shootout loss to Al Sadd in the 2011 final denied the now Shandong Taishan boss three victories.
source
کلاس یوس