Saudi stars make Asia tougher for Korean clubs

Saudi stars make Asia tougher for Korean clubs

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It is not even four months since the last AFC Champions League finished but the draw for the group stage of the new edition has already taken place and it will all kick off next month. The last time that a Korean team lifted the trophy was 2020. And while that is not a long gap, in the past you might have expected Korean teams to continue to do well, as the country has been the best performer in the continental competition but change, it seems, is in the air.

Saudi Arabian teams, always strong in this tournament, have strengthened considerably. Al Hilal have won four titles, more than any other, and the Riyadh giants have signed Brazilian superstar Neymar. He goes along with other top-class talents such as Ruben Neves, Sergej Milinkovic-Savic and Aleksandar Mitrovic ― players who have all shone at the highest levels of world football. In short, a very good team has become stronger.

Then there is Cristiano Ronaldo and others at Al Nassr and Karim Benzema and more at Al Ittihad. There is so much money in Saudi Arabian football these days that there is simply no way that any clubs elsewhere 토토 can compete and that is certainly the case when it comes to South Korea. Perhaps it is fortunate that the competition is split into two geographic halves until the final so if a K-League team makes it then there is likely to be just one Saudi side to beat and in that situation, there is always a chance.

But we are getting ahead of ourselves. There are four Korean teams and three of them have a combined total of seven championships in Asia. Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors has two of those. Fans of the Greens will have some memorable trips if they visit away games. Bangkok United was Thai League 1 runner-up last season, Lion City Sailors is a Singapore powerhouse and then there is a trip to Hong Kong and a showdown with Kitchee. Jeonbuk has been struggling, relatively, in the K-League and is in fourth place but the Jeonju club is a genuine continental powerhouse.

Ulsan Hyundai FC is currently on its way to a second successive Korean title and would love nothing more than a third Asian crown. Kawasaki Frontale is a Japanese powerhouse but has never managed to go all the way on the continent. There is also the Johor Darul Tazim team that wins the Malaysian title every year and has growing Asian ambitions. There is another trip to Thailand and BG Pathum United.

Pohang Steelers has three Asian championships, second only to Al Hilal and level with Group J opponent Urawa Reds. The Japanese team is the defending title-holder and will be looking to successfully defend its title. The group is completed by Hanoi as well as Chinese champion Wuhan Three Towns, making its debut in the competition.

Another first-time participant is Incheon United, who came through the play-offs. Finishing first in the group will not be easy as it contains Japan's Yokohama FM. Marinos and Chinese powerhouse Shandong Taishan F.C. Kaya FC of the Philippines complete the line-up.

With only the top team in each of the ten groups guaranteed a place in the Round of 16 ― where they will be joined by the six best runners-up ― it is going to be tough but the rise of the Saudi Arabian clubs shows that everything is getting more difficult in Asia.