The 2020 AFC Champions League qualifying play-offs were played from 14 to 28 January 2020.[1] A total of 28 teams competed in the qualifying play-offs to decide the remaining eight of the 32 places in the group stage of the 2020 AFC Champions League.[2]
Teams
The following 28 teams, split into two regions (West Region and East Region), entered the qualifying play-offs, consisting of three rounds:
In the qualifying play-offs, each tie was played as a single match. Extra time and a penalty shoot-out were used to decide the winner if necessary (Regulations Article 9.2).[2]
Schedule
The schedule of each round was as follows.[1][3]
Round
Match date
Preliminary round 1
14 January 2020
Preliminary round 2
21 January 2020
Play-off round
28 January 2020
Bracket
The bracket of the qualifying play-offs for each region was determined based on the association ranking of each team, with the team from the higher-ranked association hosting the match.[4] Teams from the same association could not be placed into the same tie. The eight winners of the play-off round (four each from both West Region and East Region) advanced to the group stage to join the 24 direct entrants. All losers in each round from associations with only play-off slots entered the AFC Cup group stage.
^The match between Bunyodkor and Al-Zawraa, originally to be played on 21 January 2020, was re-scheduled to 22 January 2020, to avoid a clash with the match between Lokomotiv Tashkent and Istiklol, also to be played in Tashkent, on the same day.[5]
^ a b c dThe Football Federation Islamic Republic of Iran received a letter from the Asian Football Confederation on 17 January 2020 announcing that teams from Iran would not be allowed to host their home matches in their country due to security concerns.[6][7] The four AFC Champions League teams from Iran announced on 18 January 2020 that they would withdraw from the tournament if the ban was not reversed.[8][9] As a result, the two preliminary round 2 matches which the Iranian teams were supposed to host, Shahr Khodro against Al-Riffa and Esteghlal against Al-Kuwait, were not played as scheduled on 21 January 2020 (at 16:20 UTC+3:30 at Imam Reza Stadium, Mashhad and at 18:00 UTC+3:30 at Azadi Stadium, Tehran respectively), and the AFC announced on 22 January 2020 that the matches were re-scheduled to 25 January 2020 in the United Arab Emirates.[10][11]
^The match between Shanghai SIPG and Buriram United was played without spectators due to the COVID-19 pandemic in China.[12][13]
References
^ a b"AFC Competitions Calendar 2020". AFC. 6 December 2019.
^ a b"2020 AFC Champions League Competition Regulations" (PDF). Asian Football Confederation.
^"AFC Champions League 2020 Official Match Schedule". AFC.
^"AFC Champions League 2020 At A Glance". AFC.
^"«Ал Завра»га қарши ўйин ҳақида". FC Bunyodkor. 11 January 2020.
^"اطلاعیه روابط عمومی". Football Federation Islamic Republic of Iran. 17 January 2020.
^"Another blow to Iranian sport as AFC ban country from hosting Champions League football". Inside The Games. 17 January 2020.
^"Iranian football teams stand against AFC's decision". Tehran Times. 18 January 2020.
^"Iran: 'Clubs to quit AFC Champions League over home game ban'". BBC Sport. 18 January 2020.
^"AFC Statement". AFC. 22 January 2020.
^"AFC moves Champions League matches out of Iran". Reuters. 22 January 2020.
^"官方：上港的亚冠资格赛将在大年初四正常举行，比赛将空场" (in Chinese). Dongqiudi. 25 January 2020.
^"Shanghai SIPG FC AFC Champions League Preliminary Round match". AFC. 26 January 2020.
Al-Ain
Bunyodkor
Al-Zawraa
Al-Ahli
Istiklol
Shahr Khodro advanced to Group B.
Al-Sailiya
Shahr Khodro (p)
Chennai City
Al-Riffa
Al-Faisaly
Al-Kuwait
FC Seoul
Kedah
Tai Po
Shanghai SIPG advanced to Group H.
Shanghai SIPG
Buriram United
Ho Chi Minh City
FC Tokyo
Ceres–Negros
Shan United
Melbourne Victory advanced to Group E.
Melbourne Victory
Tampines Rovers
Bali United
