2016 AFC Champions League

35th edition of premier club football tournament organized by the AFC

2016 AFC Champions LeagueTournament details

Dates| 27 January – 26 November 2016
Teams| 45 (from 17 associations)
Final positions
Champions|  Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors (2nd title)
Runners-up|  Al-Ain
Tournament statistics
Matches played| 126
Goals scored| 312 (2.48 per match)
Attendance| 1,639,885 (13,015 per match)
Top scorer(s)|  Adriano (13 goals)
Best player(s)|  Omar Abdulrahman
Fair play award|  Al-Ain

<- 2015

2017 ->

International football competition

The 2016 AFC Champions League was the 35th edition of Asia's premier club football tournament organized by the Asian Football Confederation (AFC), and the 14th under the current AFC Champions League title.

Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors defeated Al-Ain in the final to win their second AFC Champions League title, and qualified as the AFC representative at the 2016 FIFA Club World Cup in Japan, their second appearance in the FIFA Club World Cup.[1][2] Guangzhou Evergrande were the defending champions, but were eliminated in the group stage.

## Association team allocation

[edit]

The AFC Competitions Committee proposed a revamp of the AFC club competitions on 25 January 2014,[3] which was ratified by the AFC Executive Committee on 16 April 2014.[4] The 46 AFC member associations (excluding the associate member Northern Mariana Islands) are ranked based on their national team's and clubs' performance over the last four years in AFC competitions, with the allocation of slots for the 2015 and 2016 editions of the AFC club competitions determined by the 2014 rankings:[5]

* The associations are split into West Zone and East Zone, with 23 associations in each zone:
* West Zone consists of the associations from West Asia, Central Asia, South Asia, except India and Maldives
* East Zone consists of the associations from ASEAN and East Asia, plus India and Maldives
* In each zone, there are a total of 12 direct slots in the group stage, with the 4 remaining slots filled through play-offs.
* The top 12 associations in each zone as per the AFC rankings are eligible to enter the AFC Champions League, as long as they fulfill the AFC Champions League criteria.
* The top six associations in each zone get at least one direct slot in the group stage, while the remaining associations get only play-off slots:
* The associations ranked 1st and 2nd each get three direct slots and one play-off slot (in play-off round).
* The associations ranked 3rd and 4th each get two direct slots and two play-off slots (one in play-off round, one in preliminary round 2).
* The associations ranked 5th each get one direct slot and two play-off slots (both in preliminary round 2).
* The associations ranked 6th each get one direct slot and one play-off slot (in preliminary round 2).
* The associations ranked 7th to 12th each get one play-off slot (in preliminary round 1).
* The maximum number of slots for each association is one-third of the total number of clubs in the top division (e.g., Australia can only get a maximum of three total slots as there are only nine Australia-based clubs in the A-League).

The AFC Competitions Committee finalised the slot allocation for the 2015 and 2016 editions of the AFC Champions League based on the criteria, including the AFC rankings and the implementation of club licensing regulations, on 28 November 2014.[6][7][8]

The following table shows the slot allocation for the 2016 AFC Champions League, which are adjusted accordingly since some of the slots are unused.

Participation for 2016 AFC Champions League[9]

| Fulfills participation criteria
| Does not fulfill participation criteria

West Zone  | Rank  | Member
Association  | Points[5] | Slots

|
|
|

Group
stage  | Play-off
Zone  | All  | Play-off
round | Prelim.
round 2 | Prelim.
round 1
1 | 2 |  Saudi Arabia | 88.268 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0
2 | 3 |  Iran | 80.794 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0
3 | 5 |  Uzbekistan | 62.272 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0
4 | 7 |  United Arab Emirates[A] | 57.792 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0
5 | 9 |  Qatar[B] | 56.103 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0
6 | 10 |  Iraq[C] | 47.106 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0
7 | 11 |  Kuwait[D] | 45.423 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0
8 | 12 |  Jordan[E] | 44.309 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0
9 | 14 |  Oman[F] | 30.586 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0
10 | 16 |  Bahrain[F] | 25.547 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0
11 | 17 |  Lebanon[F] | 25.043 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0
12 | 19 |  Syria[F] | 22.883 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0
Total  | 12 | 8 | 0 | 0

East Zone  | Rank  | Member
Association  | Points[5] | Slots

|
|
|

Group
stage  | Play-off
Zone  | All  | Play-off
round | Prelim.
round 2 | Prelim.
round 1
1 | 1 |  South Korea | 94.866 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0
2 | 4 |  Japan | 77.107 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0
3 | 6 |  Australia | 57.940 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0
4 | 8 |  China | 57.660 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0
5 | 13 |  Thailand | 33.049 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0
6 | 15 |  Vietnam | 27.753 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0
7 | 18 |  Indonesia[G] | 25.004 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0
8 | 20 |  Hong Kong | 20.077 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0
9 | 21 |  Myanmar[H] | 18.949 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0
10 | 22 |  Malaysia[H] | 18.153 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0
11 | 23 |  India | 16.756 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1
12 | 24 |  Singapore | 16.097 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1
Total  | 12 | 4 | 7 | 2

Notes

1. ^

United Arab Emirates had their fourth team entering the play-off round instead of the preliminary round 2 due to unused slots.

2. ^

Qatar had their third and fourth teams entering the play-off round instead of the preliminary round 2 due to unused slots.

3. ^

Iraq were allocated two preliminary round 2 slots, but were not allowed to participate as none of their teams passed the club licensing requirements.

4. ^

Kuwait were allocated one preliminary round 1 slot, but could not participate due to FIFA's suspension of its football association.

5. ^

Jordan had their team entering the play-off round instead of the preliminary round 1 due to unused slots.

6. ^ a b c d

Oman, Bahrain, Lebanon and Syria were allocated one preliminary round 1 slot, but were not allowed to participate as none of their teams passed the club licensing requirements.

7. ^

Indonesia were allocated one preliminary round 2 slot, could not participate in the AFC Champions League due to FIFA's suspension of its football association.

8. ^ a b

Myanmar and Malaysia had their team entering the preliminary round 2 instead of the preliminary round 1 due to unused slots.

## Teams

[edit]

The following 45 teams from 17 associations entered the competition.[9]

In the following table, the number of appearances and last appearance count only those since the 2002–03 season (including qualifying rounds), when the competition was rebranded as the AFC Champions League. TH means title holders.

West Zone  | Team  | Qualifying method  | App  | Last App

|
|
|

Group stage direct entrants (Groups A–D)
Al-Nassr | 2014–15 Saudi Professional League champions  | 3rd  | 2015
Al-Hilal | 2015 King Cup winners
2014–15 Saudi Professional League 3rd place  | 12th  | 2015
Al-Ahli | 2014–15 Saudi Professional League runners-up  | 8th  | 2015
Sepahan | 2014–15 Persian Gulf Pro League champions  | 11th  | 2014
Zob Ahan | 2014–15 Hazfi Cup winners  | 5th  | 2012
Tractor | 2014–15 Persian Gulf Pro League runners-up  | 4th  | 2015
Pakhtakor | 2015 Uzbek League champions  | 13th  | 2015
Nasaf Qarshi | 2015 Uzbekistan Cup winners
2015 Uzbek League 3rd place  | 4th  | 2015
Lokomotiv Tashkent | 2015 Uzbek League runners-up  | 4th  | 2015
Al-Ain | 2014–15 UAE Pro-League champions  | 11th  | 2015
Al-Nasr | 2014–15 UAE President's Cup winners  | 3rd  | 2013
Lekhwiya | 2014–15 Qatar Stars League champions  | 5th  | 2015
Qualifying play-off participants
Entering in play-off round
Al-Ittihad | 2014–15 Saudi Professional League 4th place  | 10th  | 2014
Naft Tehran | 2014–15 Persian Gulf Pro League 3rd place  | 2nd  | 2015
Bunyodkor | 2015 Uzbek League 4th place  | 9th  | 2015
Al-Jazira | 2014–15 UAE Pro-League runners-up  | 8th  | 2015
Al-Shabab | 2014–15 UAE Pro-League 3rd place  | 4th  | 2013
Al-Sadd | 2015 Emir of Qatar Cup winners
2014–15 Qatar Stars League runners-up  | 11th  | 2015
El Jaish | 2014–15 Qatar Stars League 3rd place  | 4th  | 2015
Al-Wehdat | 2014–15 Jordan League champions  | 3rd  | 2015
East Zone  | Team  | Qualifying method  | App  | Last App

|
|
|

Group stage direct entrants (Groups E–H)
Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors | 2015 K League Classic champions  | 10th  | 2015
FC Seoul | 2015 Korean FA Cup winners  | 6th  | 2015
Suwon Samsung Bluewings | 2015 K League Classic runners-up  | 7th  | 2015
Sanfrecce Hiroshima | 2015 J1 League champions  | 4th  | 2014
Gamba Osaka | 2015 Emperor's Cup winners
2015 J1 League runners-up  | 8th  | 2015
Urawa Red Diamonds | 2015 J1 League 3rd place  | 5th  | 2015
Melbourne Victory | 2014–15 A-League premiers and 2015 A-League Grand Final winners  | 5th  | 2014
Sydney FC | 2014–15 A-League regular season runners-up  | 3rd  | 2011
Guangzhou EvergrandeTH | 2015 Chinese Super League champions  | 5th  | 2015
Jiangsu Suning[Note CHN] | 2015 Chinese FA Cup winners  | 2nd  | 2013
Buriram United | 2015 Thai Premier League champions and 2015 Thai FA Cup winners  | 6th  | 2015
Becamex Bình Dương | 2015 V.League 1 champions and 2015 Vietnamese Cup winners  | 3rd  | 2015
Qualifying play-off participants
Entering in play-off round
Pohang Steelers | 2015 K League Classic 3rd place  | 7th  | 2014
FC Tokyo | 2015 J1 League 4th place  | 2nd  | 2012
Adelaide United | 2014–15 A-League regular season 3rd place  | 5th  | 2012
Shanghai SIPG | 2015 Chinese Super League runners-up  | 1st  | none
Entering in preliminary round 2
Shandong Luneng | 2015 Chinese Super League 3rd place  | 8th  | 2015
Muangthong United | 2015 Thai Premier League runners-up  | 5th  | 2014
Chonburi | 2015 Thai Premier League 4th place[Note THA] | 5th  | 2015
Hà Nội T&T | 2015 V.League 1 runners-up  | 3rd  | 2015
Kitchee | 2014–15 Hong Kong Premier League champions  | 2nd  | 2015
Yangon United | 2015 Myanmar National League champions  | 1st  | none
Johor Darul Ta'zim | 2015 Malaysia Super League champions  | 2nd  | 2015
Entering in preliminary round 1
Mohun Bagan | 2014–15 I-League champions  | 2nd  | 2002–03
Tampines Rovers | 2015 S.League runners-up[Note SIN] | 2nd  | 2014

Notes

1. ^

China (CHN): Jiangsu Suning had its name changed from "Jiangsu Sainty" in December 2015. They are referred to as "Jiangsu FC" by the AFC in its official reports for the 2016 AFC Champions League.

2. ^

Singapore (SIN): Since Brunei DPMM, the 2015 S.League champions, is a team managed by the National Football Association of Brunei Darussalam and thus ineligible to represent Singapore in AFC club competitions, their place was taken by Tampines Rovers, the league runners-up.

3. ^

Thailand (THA): Since Suphanburi, the 2015 Thai Premier League 3rd place, failed to pass the club licensing requirements, their place was taken by Chonburi, the league 4th place.[10]

Al-Nassr
Al-Hilal

Al-Ahli
Al-Ittihad (p)

Sepahan
Zob Ahan

Tractor

Naft Tehran (p)

Pakhtakor
Lokomotiv
Bunyodkor (p)

Nasaf

Al-Ain

Al-Nasr
Al-Shabab (p)

Al-Jazira (p)

Qatar

Teams from Qatar:
Lekhwiya
Al-Sadd (p)
El Jaish (p)

Al-Wehdat (p)

Jeonbuk HM

FC Seoul

Suwon SB

Pohang S (p)

Sanfrecce H

G Osaka

Urawa RD

FC Tokyo (p)

Melbourne V

Sydney FC

Adelaide U (p)

Guangzhou E

Jiangsu S

Shanghai SIPG (p)

Shandong LT (p)

Buriram U

Muangthong U (p)

Chonburi (p)

B Bình Dương

Hà Nội T&T (p)

Kitchee (p)

Yangon U (p)

Johor DT (p)

Mohun Bagan (p)

Tampines R (p)

class=notpageimage|

Location of teams of the 2016 AFC Champions League.
West Zone
East Zone
(p) Qualifying play-off participants

## Schedule

[edit]

The schedule of the competition is as follows (all draws are held in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia).[11]

Stage  | Round  | Draw date  | First leg  | Second leg

|
|
|
|

Preliminary stage  | Preliminary round 1  | No draw  | 27 January 2016
Preliminary round 2  | 2 February 2016
Play-off stage  | Play-off round  | 9 February 2016
Group stage  | Matchday 1  | 10 December 2015[9] | 23–24 February 2016
Matchday 2  | 1–2 March 2016
Matchday 3  | 15–16 March 2016
Matchday 4  | 5–6 April 2016
Matchday 5  | 19–20 April 2016
Matchday 6  | 3–4 May 2016
Knockout stage  | Round of 16  | 17–18 May 2016  | 24–25 May 2016
Quarter-finals  | 9 June 2016[12] | 23–24 August 2016  | 13–14 September 2016
Semi-finals  | 27–28 September 2016  | 18–19 October 2016
Final  | 19 November 2016  | 26 November 2016

## Qualifying play-off

[edit]

Main article: 2016 AFC Champions League qualifying play-off

In the qualifying play-off, each tie was played as a single match. Extra time and penalty shoot-out were used to decide the winner if necessary (Regulations Article 10.2). The eight winners of the play-off round advanced to the group stage to join the 24 direct entrants. All losers in each round which were from associations with only play-off slots entered the AFC Cup group stage.[2]

The bracket of the qualifying play-off was determined by the AFC based on the association ranking of each team, with the team from the higher-ranked association hosting each match. Teams from the same association could not be placed in the same play-off.[13][14]

### Preliminary round 1

[edit]

Team 1  |  Score | Team 2

|
|

East Zone  Mohun Bagan | 3–1 |  Tampines Rovers

### Preliminary round 2

[edit]

Team 1  |  Score | Team 2

|
|

East Zone  Hà Nội T&T | 1–0 |  Kitchee
Chonburi | 3–2 (a.e.t.)  |  Yangon United
Shandong Luneng | 6–0 |  Mohun Bagan
Muangthong United | 0–0 (a.e.t.)
(3–0 p)  |  Johor Darul Ta'zim

### Play-off round

[edit]

Team 1  |  Score | Team 2

|
|

West Zone  Al-Ittihad | 2–1 |  Al-Wehdat
Naft Tehran | 0–2 |  El Jaish
Bunyodkor | 2–0 |  Al-Shabab
Al-Jazira | 2–2 (a.e.t.)
(5–4 p)  |  Al-Sadd
Team 1  |  Score | Team 2

|
|

East Zone  Pohang Steelers | 3–0 |  Hà Nội T&T
FC Tokyo | 9–0 |  Chonburi
Adelaide United | 1–2 |  Shandong Luneng
Shanghai SIPG | 3–0 |  Muangthong United

## Group stage

[edit]

Main article: 2016 AFC Champions League group stage

The draw for the group stage was held on 10 December 2015, 16:00 MYT (UTC+8), at the Petaling Jaya Hilton Hotel in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.[9] The 32 teams were drawn into eight groups of four. Teams from the same association could not be drawn into the same group.[15][16] In the group stage, each group was played on a home-and-away round-robin basis. The winners and runners-up of each group advanced to the round of 16.[2]

Tiebreakers

The teams were ranked according to points (3 points for a win, 1 point for a draw, 0 points for a loss). If tied on points, tiebreakers would be applied in the following order (Regulations Article 11.5):[2]

1. Greater number of points obtained in the group matches between the teams concerned;
2. Goal difference resulting from the group matches between the teams concerned;
3. Greater number of goals scored in the group matches between the teams concerned;
4. Greater number of away goals scored in the group matches between the teams concerned;
5. If, after applying criteria 1 to 4, teams still have an equal ranking, criteria 1 to 4 are reapplied exclusively to the matches between the teams in question to determine their final rankings. If this procedure does not lead to a decision, criteria 6 to 10 apply;
6. Goal difference in all the group matches;
7. Greater number of goals scored in all the group matches;
8. Penalty shoot-out if only two teams are involved and they are both on the field of play;
9. Fewer score calculated according to the number of yellow and red cards received in the group matches (1 point for a single yellow card, 3 points for a red card as a consequence of two yellow cards, 3 points for a direct red card, 4 points for a yellow card followed by a direct red card);
10. Team who belongs to the member association with the higher AFC ranking.

### Group A

[edit]

Pos | Team

* v
* t
* e

| Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification  |  |  LOK |  NAS |  ITT |  SEP

|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|

1  |  Lokomotiv Tashkent | 6  | 2  | 4  | 0  | 6  | 3  | +3  | 10  | Advance to knockout stage |  | -- | 0–0 | 1–1 | 1–0
2  |  Al-Nasr | 6  | 2  | 3  | 1  | 5  | 4  | +1  | 9  |  | 1–1 | -- | 0–0 | 2–0
3  |  Al-Ittihad | 6  | 2  | 3  | 1  | 9  | 4  | +5  | 9  |  |  | 1–1 | 1–2 | -- | 4–0
4  |  Sepahan | 6  | 1  | 0  | 5  | 2  | 11  | −9  | 3  |  | 0–2 | 2–0 | 0–2 | --

Source: AFC

### Group B

[edit]

Pos | Team

* v
* t
* e

| Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification  |  |  ZOB |  LEK |  NSR |  BYD

|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|

1  |  Zob Ahan | 6  | 4  | 2  | 0  | 12  | 2  | +10  | 14  | Advance to knockout stage |  | -- | 0–0 | 3–0 | 5–2
2  |  Lekhwiya | 6  | 2  | 3  | 1  | 7  | 2  | +5  | 9  |  | 0–1 | -- | 4–0 | 0–0
3  |  Al-Nassr | 6  | 1  | 2  | 3  | 5  | 14  | −9  | 5  |  |  | 0–3 | 1–1 | -- | 3–3
4  |  Bunyodkor | 6  | 0  | 3  | 3  | 5  | 11  | −6  | 3  |  | 0–0 | 0–2 | 0–1 | --

Source: AFC

### Group C

[edit]

Pos | Team

* v
* t
* e

| Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification  |  |  TRA |  HIL |  PAK |  JAZ

|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|

1  |  Tractor Sazi | 6  | 4  | 0  | 2  | 10  | 3  | +7  | 12  | Advance to knockout stage |  | -- | 1–2 | 2–0 | 4–0
2  |  Al-Hilal | 6  | 3  | 2  | 1  | 10  | 7  | +3  | 11  |  | 0–2 | -- | 4–1 | 1–0
3  |  Pakhtakor | 6  | 3  | 1  | 2  | 10  | 9  | +1  | 10  |  |  | 1–0 | 2–2 | -- | 3–0
4  |  Al-Jazira | 6  | 0  | 1  | 5  | 2  | 13  | −11  | 1  |  | 0–1 | 1–1 | 1–3 | --

Source: AFC

### Group D

[edit]

Pos | Team

* v
* t
* e

| Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification  |  |  JSH |  AIN |  AHL |  NSF

|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|

1  |  El Jaish | 6  | 3  | 1  | 2  | 6  | 8  | −2  | 10  | Advance to knockout stage |  | -- | 2–1 | 1–4 | 1–0
2  |  Al-Ain | 6  | 3  | 1  | 2  | 8  | 6  | +2  | 10  |  | 1–2 | -- | 1–0 | 2–0
3  |  Al-Ahli | 6  | 3  | 0  | 3  | 10  | 7  | +3  | 9  |  |  | 2–0 | 1–2 | -- | 2–1
4  |  Nasaf Qarshi | 6  | 1  | 2  | 3  | 4  | 7  | −3  | 5  |  | 0–0 | 1–1 | 2–1 | --

Source: AFC

### Group E

[edit]

Pos | Team

* v
* t
* e

| Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification  |  |  JHM |  TOK |  JIA |  BBD

|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|

1  |  Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors | 6  | 3  | 1  | 2  | 13  | 9  | +4  | 10  | Advance to knockout stage |  | -- | 2–1 | 2–2 | 2–0
2  |  FC Tokyo | 6  | 3  | 1  | 2  | 8  | 8  | 0  | 10  |  | 0–3 | -- | 0–0 | 3–1
3  |  Jiangsu Suning | 6  | 2  | 3  | 1  | 10  | 7  | +3  | 9  |  |  | 3–2 | 1–2 | -- | 3–0
4  |  Becamex Binh Duong | 6  | 1  | 1  | 4  | 6  | 13  | −7  | 4  |  | 3–2 | 1–2 | 1–1 | --

Source: AFC

### Group F

[edit]

Pos | Team

* v
* t
* e

| Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification  |  |  SEO |  SHD |  HIR |  BUR

|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|

1  |  FC Seoul | 6  | 4  | 1  | 1  | 17  | 5  | +12  | 13  | Advance to knockout stage |  | -- | 0–0 | 4–1 | 2–1
2  |  Shandong Luneng | 6  | 3  | 2  | 1  | 7  | 5  | +2  | 11  |  | 1–4 | -- | 1–0 | 3–0
3  |  Sanfrecce Hiroshima | 6  | 3  | 0  | 3  | 9  | 8  | +1  | 9  |  |  | 2–1 | 1–2 | -- | 3–0
4  |  Buriram United | 6  | 0  | 1  | 5  | 1  | 16  | −15  | 1  |  | 0–6 | 0–0 | 0–2 | --

Source: AFC

### Group G

[edit]

Pos | Team

* v
* t
* e

| Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification  |  |  SSI |  MEL |  SSB |  GAM

|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|

1  |  Shanghai SIPG | 6  | 4  | 0  | 2  | 10  | 8  | +2  | 12  | Advance to knockout stage |  | -- | 3–1 | 2–1 | 2–1
2  |  Melbourne Victory | 6  | 2  | 3  | 1  | 7  | 7  | 0  | 9[a] |  | 2–1 | -- | 0–0 | 2–1
3  |  Suwon Samsung Bluewings | 6  | 2  | 3  | 1  | 7  | 4  | +3  | 9[a] |  |  | 3–0 | 1–1 | -- | 0–0
4  |  Gamba Osaka | 6  | 0  | 2  | 4  | 4  | 9  | −5  | 2  |  | 0–2 | 1–1 | 1–2 | --

Source: AFC
Notes:

1. ^ a b Head-to-head points: Melbourne Victory 2, Suwon Samsung Bluewings 2. Head-to-head away goal: Melbourne Victory 1, Suwon Samsung Bluewings 0

### Group H

[edit]

Pos | Team

* v
* t
* e

| Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification  |  |  SYD |  URA |  GZE |  POH

|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|

1  |  Sydney FC | 6  | 3  | 1  | 2  | 4  | 4  | 0  | 10  | Advance to knockout stage |  | -- | 0–0 | 2–1 | 1–0
2  |  Urawa Red Diamonds | 6  | 2  | 3  | 1  | 6  | 4  | +2  | 9  |  | 2–0 | -- | 1–0 | 1–1
3  |  Guangzhou Evergrande | 6  | 2  | 2  | 2  | 6  | 5  | +1  | 8  |  |  | 1–0 | 2–2 | -- | 0–0
4  |  Pohang Steelers | 6  | 1  | 2  | 3  | 2  | 5  | −3  | 5  |  | 0–1 | 1–0 | 0–2 | --

Source: AFC

## Knockout stage

[edit]

Main article: 2016 AFC Champions League knockout stage

In the knockout stage, the 16 teams played a single-elimination tournament, with the teams split between the two zones until the final. Each tie was played on a home-and-away two-legged basis. The away goals rule, extra time (away goals do not apply in extra time) and penalty shoot-out were used to decide the winner if necessary (Regulations Article 12.3).[2]

### Bracket

[edit]

| Round of 16 | | | Quarter-finals | | | Semi-finals | | | Final |

|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|

|  |  |  |  | | |  |  |  |  | | |  |  |  |  | | |  |  |  |  |
|  FC Tokyo | 2 | 0 | 2 | | | |
|  Shanghai SIPG (a) | 1 | 1 | 2 |
| |  Shanghai SIPG | 0 | 0 | 0 |
|  |
| | |  Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors | 0 | 5 | 5 |
|  Melbourne Victory | 1 | 1 | 2 |

|  Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors | 1 | 2 | 3 |
| |  Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors | 4 | 1 | 5 |
|  |
| | |  FC Seoul | 1 | 2 | 3 |
|  Urawa Red Diamonds | 1 | 2 | 3 (6) | |

|  FC Seoul (p) | 0 | 3 | 3 (7) |
| |  FC Seoul | 3 | 1 | 4 |
|  |
| | |  Shandong Luneng | 1 | 1 | 2 |
|  Shandong Luneng (a) | 1 | 2 | 3 |

|  Sydney FC | 1 | 2 | 3 |
| |  Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors | 2 | 1 | 3 |
|  |
| | |  Al-Ain | 1 | 1 | 2 |
|  Al-Ain | 1 | 2 | 3 | | |

|  Zob Ahan | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| |  Al-Ain | 0 | 1 | 1 |
|  |
| | |  Lokomotiv Tashkent | 0 | 0 | 0 |
|  Al-Hilal | 0 | 1 | 1 |

|  Lokomotiv Tashkent | 0 | 2 | 2 |
| |  Al-Ain | 3 | 2 | 5 |
|  |
| | |  El Jaish | 1 | 2 | 3 |
|  Lekhwiya | 0 | 4 | 4 | |

|  El Jaish | 4 | 2 | 6 |
| |  El Jaish (1st leg awd.) | 3 | 1 | 4 |
|  |
| | |  Al-Nasr | 0 | 0 | 0 |
|  Al-Nasr | 4 | 1 | 5 |

|  Tractor Sazi | 1 | 3 | 4 |

### Round of 16

[edit]

In the round of 16, the winners of one group played the runners-up of another group from the same zone, with the group winners hosting the second leg.[14]

Team 1  | Agg.Tooltip Aggregate score | Team 2  | 1st leg  | 2nd leg

|
|
|
|

West Zone  Al-Hilal | 1–2  |  Lokomotiv Tashkent | 0–0 | 1–2
Al-Nasr | 5–4  |  Tractor Sazi | 4–1 | 1–3
Al-Ain | 3–1  |  Zob Ahan | 1–1 | 2–0
Lekhwiya | 4–6  |  El Jaish | 0–4 | 4–2
Team 1  | Agg.Tooltip Aggregate score | Team 2  | 1st leg  | 2nd leg

|
|
|
|

East Zone  Melbourne Victory | 2–3  |  Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors | 1–1 | 1–2
FC Tokyo | 2–2 (a)  |  Shanghai SIPG | 2–1 | 0–1
Urawa Red Diamonds | 3–3 (6–7 p) |  FC Seoul | 1–0 | 2–3 (a.e.t.)
Shandong Luneng | 3–3 (a)  |  Sydney FC | 1–1 | 2–2

### Quarter-finals

[edit]

In the quarter-finals, the four teams from the West Zone were drawn into two ties, and the four teams from the East Zone were drawn into the other two ties, with the order of legs also decided by the draw.[17]

The draw for the quarter-finals was held on 9 June 2016, 16:00 MYT (UTC+8), at the Petaling Jaya Hilton Hotel in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.[12] There was no seeding or country protection, so teams from the same association could be drawn into the same tie.[17]

Team 1  | Agg.Tooltip Aggregate score | Team 2  | 1st leg  | 2nd leg

|
|
|
|

West Region  Al-Ain | 1–0  |  Lokomotiv Tashkent | 0–0 | 1–0
El Jaish | 4–0  |  Al-Nasr | 3–0 (awd.)[I] | 1–0
Team 1  | Agg.Tooltip Aggregate score | Team 2  | 1st leg  | 2nd leg

|
|
|
|

East Region  Shanghai SIPG | 0–5  |  Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors | 0–0 | 0–5
FC Seoul | 4–2  |  Shandong Luneng | 3–1 | 1–1

Notes

1. ^

The El Jaish v Al-Nasr first leg, originally won 3–0 by Al-Nasr, was forfeited and awarded 3–0 to El Jaish by the AFC Disciplinary Committee on 12 September 2016, as Al-Nasr fielded the player Wanderley who was found to be registered using a fake Indonesian passport.[18]

### Semi-finals

[edit]

In the semi-finals, the two quarter-final winners from the West Zone play each other, and the two quarter-final winners from the East Zone play each other, with the order of legs determined by the quarter-final draw.[17]

Team 1  | Agg.Tooltip Aggregate score | Team 2  | 1st leg  | 2nd leg

|
|
|
|

West Region  Al-Ain | 5–3  |  El Jaish | 3–1 | 2–2
Team 1  | Agg.Tooltip Aggregate score | Team 2  | 1st leg  | 2nd leg

|
|
|
|

East Region  Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors | 5–3  |  FC Seoul | 4–1 | 1–2

### Final

[edit]

Main article: 2016 AFC Champions League Final

In the final, the two semi-final winners play each other, with the order of legs reversed from the previous season's final, with the team from the East Zone hosting the first leg, and the team from the West Zone hosting the second leg.[17]

19 November 2016 (2016-11-19)

19:00 UTC+9

Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors | 2–1|  Al-Ain

|
|

Leonardo 70', 77' (pen.) | Report | Asprilla 63'

Jeonju World Cup Stadium, Jeonju

Attendance: 36,158

Referee: Ahmed Al-Kaf (Oman)

26 November 2016 (2016-11-26)

18:25 UTC+4

Al-Ain | 1–1|  Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors

|
|

Lee Myung-joo 34' | Report | Han Kyo-won 30'

Hazza Bin Zayed Stadium, Al Ain

Attendance: 23,239

Referee: Ryuji Sato (Japan)

Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors won 3–2 on aggregate.

## Awards

[edit]

### Main awards

[edit]

Award  | Player  | Team

|
|

Most Valuable Player[19] |  Omar Abdulrahman |  Al-Ain
Top Goalscorer[20] |  Adriano |  FC Seoul
Fair Play Award[19] | —  |  Al-Ain

### All-Star Squad

[edit]

Source:[21]

Position  | Player  | Team

|
|

Goalkeepers  |  Kwoun Sun-tae |  Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors
Ignatiy Nesterov |  Lokomotiv Tashkent
Defenders  |  Ismail Ahmed |  Al-Ain
Gil |  Shandong Luneng
Kim Ju-young |  Shanghai SIPG
Cho Sung-hwan |  Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors
Kwak Tae-hwi |  FC Seoul
Midfielders  |  Omar Abdulrahman |  Al-Ain
Kim Bo-kyung |  Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors
Server Djeparov |  Lokomotiv Tashkent
Lee Jae-sung |  Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors
Seydou Keita |  El Jaish
Leonardo |  Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors
Walter Montillo |  Shandong Luneng
Lee Myung-joo |  Al-Ain
Forwards  |  Adriano |  FC Seoul
Danilo Moreno Asprilla |  Al-Ain
Caio |  Al-Ain
Dejan Damjanović |  FC Seoul
Hulk |  Shanghai SIPG
Wu Lei |  Shanghai SIPG
Ricardo Lopes |  Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors
Romarinho |  El Jaish

### Opta Best XI

[edit]

Source:[22]

Position  | Player  | Team

|
|

Goalkeeper  |  Khalid Eisa |  Al-Ain
Defenders  |  Ahmed Al-Yassi |  Al-Nasr
Ismail Ahmed |  Al-Ain
Mahmoud Khamees |  Al-Nasr
Midfielders  |  Omar Abdulrahman |  Al-Ain
Leonardo |  Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors
Lee Jae-sung |  Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors
Wu Lei |  Shanghai SIPG
Forwards  |  Adriano |  FC Seoul
Douglas |  Al-Ain
Romarinho |  El Jaish

## Top scorers

[edit]

Rank  | Player  | Team  | MD1 | MD2 | MD3 | MD4 | MD5 | MD6 | 2R1 | 2R2 | QF1 | QF2 | SF1 | SF2 |  F1 |  F2 | Total

|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|

1  |  Adriano |  FC Seoul | 4 | 3 | 2 |  |  | 1 |  | 1 | 1 |  |  | 1 |  |  | 13
2  |  Leonardo |  Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors |  |  |  |  |  | 1 | 1 | 2 |  | 2 | 2 |  | 2 |  | 10
3  |  Romarinho |  El Jaish | 1 |  |  |  |  |  | 2 | 1 |  | 1 |  | 2 |  |  | 7
4  |  Dejan Damjanović |  FC Seoul | 1 |  | 1 |  | 1 |  |  | 1 | 1 |  |  |  |  |  | 5
Douglas |  Al-Ain | 1 |  |  | 2 |  |  | 1 |  |  |  | 1 |  |  |  | 5
Igor Sergeev |  Pakhtakor | 1 | 1 | 1 |  | 2 |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 5
Lee Dong-gook |  Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors | 1 | 1 | 1 |  |  |  |  |  |  | 2 |  |  |  |  | 5
Wu Lei |  Shanghai SIPG | 1 | 1 |  | 1 |  |  | 1 | 1 |  |  |  |  |  |  | 5
9  |  Danilo Moreno Asprilla |  Al-Ain |  |  |  |  | 1 | 1 |  | 1 |  |  |  |  | 1 |  | 4
Besart Berisha |  Melbourne Victory | 1 |  |  |  |  | 1 | 1 | 1 |  |  |  |  |  |  | 4
Elkeson |  Shanghai SIPG |  | 1 | 2 |  | 1 |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 4
Abderrazak Hamdallah |  El Jaish | 1 | 1 |  |  | 1 |  | 1 |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 4
Jô |  Jiangsu Suning |  | 1 |  | 1 | 1 | 1 |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 4
Nguyễn Anh Đức |  Becamex Bình Dương | 1 | 1 |  | 2 |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 4
Diego Tardelli |  Shandong Luneng | 1 | 1 |  |  | 1 |  | 1 |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 4

Note: Goals scored in the qualifying play-off are not counted when determining top scorer (see regulations, Article 77.4).[2]

Source: the-AFC.com[23][24][25]

## Controversies

[edit]

Further information: 2016 AFC Champions League group stage § Schedule

On 25 January 2016, the AFC announced changes to the group stage schedule due to Saudi Arabia's refusal to play in Iran.[26] After the changes, all matches between teams from Iran and Saudi Arabia (including possible play-off winners) were rescheduled to be played on matchdays 5 and 6 (19–20 April and 3–4 May). The venues of these matches would be decided after an evaluation deadline of 15 March 2016. As there had not been a return to normal relations between the two countries by then with Saudi Arabia refusing to lift their travel restrictions to Iran, the AFC accepted the Saudi Arabian Football Federation's proposal of playing all matches between teams from Iran and Saudi Arabia in neutral venues.[27] The Saudi Arabian Football Federation supports its clubs who refuse to travel to Iran.[28] The Iranian Football Federation has stated that it could withdraw from the AFC Champions League due to the venue changes.[29]

## See also

[edit]

* 2016 AFC Cup
* 2016 FIFA Club World Cup

## References

[edit]

1. ^ "Jeonbuk clinch ticket to Japan". FIFA. 26 November 2016. Archived from the original on November 27, 2016.
2. ^ a b c d e f "2016 AFC Champions League Competition Regulations" (PDF). AFC. 28 November 2015.
3. ^ "Revamp of AFC competitions". AFC. 25 January 2014.
4. ^ "ExCo approves expanded AFC Asian Cup finals". AFC. 16 April 2014.
5. ^ a b c "AFC MA Ranking as at 3 November 2014" (PDF). AFC.
6. ^ "AFC Competitions Committee meeting". AFC. 28 November 2014.
7. ^ "AFC Champions League slots allocated for 2015-2016". AFC. 4 December 2014.
8. ^ "Slot allocation for ACL 2015 - 2016" (PDF). AFC.
9. ^ a b c d "Champions Guangzhou Evergrande to learn ACL 2016 opponents". AFC. 4 December 2015.
10. ^ "ด่วน! "สุพรรณ" แห้ว เอเอฟซีให้สิทธิ์ "ฉลาม" เล่นถ้วยเอเชีย". MGRSport. 15 December 2015.
11. ^ "AFC Calendar of Competitions 2016" (PDF). AFC.
12. ^ a b "ACL 2016 quarter-finalists to learn opponents on Thursday". AFC. 8 June 2016.
13. ^ "AFC Champions League 2016 Group Stage Draw". AFC. 10 December 2015.
14. ^ a b "ACL 2016 Draw Results" (PDF). AFC.
15. ^ "AFC Champions League 2016 Group Stage Draw". AFC. 10 December 2015.
16. ^ "ACL 2016 Draw Results" (PDF). AFC.
17. ^ a b c d "AFC Champions League draw produces intriguing quarter-final ties". 9 June 2016.
18. ^ "El Jaish (QAT) vs Nasr (UAE) match forfeited". AFC. 12 September 2016. Archived from the original on 13 September 2016.
19. ^ a b "Omar Abdulrahman lands AFC Champions League 2016 MVP award". AFC. 27 November 2016. Retrieved 6 November 2016.
20. ^ "Adriano named AFC Champions League 2016 top scorer". AFC. 27 November 2016.
21. ^ "TSG Report: AFC Champions League 2016 - Part 3". AFC. Retrieved 4 May 2020.
22. ^ "The Best ACL2016 XI announced!". Asian Football Confederation. 2020-05-31. Retrieved 2022-05-10.
23. ^ "Top Goal Scorers (by Stage) – 2016 AFC Champions League Group Stage". the-afc.com. AFC.
24. ^ "Top Goal Scorers (by Stage) – 2016 AFC Champions League Round of 16". the-afc.com. AFC.
25. ^ "Top Goal Scorers (by Stage) – 2016 AFC Champions League Knockout Stage". the-afc.com. AFC.
26. ^ "Decisions following AFC Competitions Committee meeting". AFC. 25 January 2016.
27. ^ "Saudi Arabia and Iran clubs to play at neutral venues in Champions League". AFC. 16 March 2016.
28. ^ "AFC Champions League football matches delayed over Saudi-Iran tension". Gulf News. 25 January 2016. Archived from the original on 10 October 2018. Retrieved 3 February 2016.
29. ^ Ali Khan, Mir Farhad (2 February 2016). "Iranian clubs could withdraw from AFC Champions League due to venue changes". Persian Football.

## External links

[edit]

* AFC Champions League, the-AFC.com

* v
* t
* e

AFC Champions League Elite

Asian Champion Club Tournament era, 1967–1972

Seasons|

* 1967
* 1969
* 1970
* 1971
* ~~1972~~

Asian Club Championship era, 1985–2002

Seasons|

* 1985–86
* 1986
* 1987
* 1988–89
* 1989–90
* 1990–91
* 1991
* 1992–93
* 1993–94
* 1994–95
* 1995
* 1996–97
* 1997–98
* 1998–99
* 1999–2000
* 2000–01
* 2001–02

AFC Champions League era, 2002–2024

Seasons|

* 2002–03
* 2004
* 2005
* 2006
* 2007
* 2008
* 2009
* 2010
* 2011
* 2012
* 2013
* 2014
* 2015
* 2016
* 2017
* 2018
* 2019
* 2020
* 2021
* 2022
* 2023–24

Finals|

* 2003
* 2004
* 2005
* 2006
* 2007
* 2008
* 2009
* 2010
* 2011
* 2012
* 2013
* 2014
* 2015
* 2016
* 2017
* 2018
* 2019
* 2020
* 2021
* 2022
* 2024

AFC Champions League Elite era, since 2024

Seasons|

* 2024–25
* 2025–26

Finals|

* 2025

* History
* Finals
* Winning managers
* Records and statistics
* Performance comparison

* Clubs by nation
* Australia
* Bangladesh
* China
* Indonesia
* Iran
* Iraq
* Japan
* Malaysia
* Myanmar
* Pakistan
* Qatar
* Saudi Arabia
* South Korea
* Thailand
* Vietnam

* v
* t
* e

2016 in Asian football (AFC)

« 2015

2017 »

Domestic leagues|

* Australia
* '15–'16
* '16–'17
* Bahrain
* '15–'16
* '16–'17
* Bangladesh
* Bhutan
* Brunei
* Cambodia
* China
* Chinese Taipei
* '15–'16
* '16–'17
* East Timor
* Guam
* '15–'16
* '16–'17
* Hong Kong
* '15–'16
* '16–'17
* India
* '15–'16
* '16–'17
* Indonesia
* Iran
* '15–'16
* '16–'17
* Iraq
* '15–'16
* '16–'17
* Japan
* Jordan
* '15–'16
* '16–'17
* Korea DPR
* Korea Republic
* Kuwait
* '15–'16
* '16–'17
* Kyrgyzstan
* Laos
* Lebanon
* '15–'16
* '16–'17
* Macau
* Malaysia
* Maldives
* Mongolia
* Myanmar
* Northern Mariana Islands
* '15–'16
* '16–'17
* Oman
* '15–'16
* '16–'17
* Palestine
* West Bank
* '15–'16
* '16–'17
* Gaza Strip
* '15–'16
* '16–'17
* Philippines
* Qatar
* '15–'16
* '16–'17
* Saudi Arabia
* '15–'16
* '16–'17
* Singapore
* Sri Lanka
* '16–'17
* Syria
* '15–'16
* '16–'17
* Tajikistan
* Thailand
* Turkmenistan
* UAE
* '15–'16
* '16–'17
* Uzbekistan
* Vietnam
* Yemen
* '15–'16
* '16–'17

Domestic cups|

* Australia
* Bahrain
* '15–'16
* '16–'17
* Bangladesh
* Independence Cup
* Federation Cup
* Brunei
* Cambodia
* China
* East Timor
* Guam
* Hong Kong
* '15–'16
* '16–'17
* India
* Iran
* '15–'16
* '16–'17
* Iraq
* '15–'16
* '16–'17
* Japan
* '15 (final)
* '16
* Jordan
* '15–'16
* '16–'17
* Korea DPR
* Hwaebul Cup
* Man'gyŏngdae Prize
* Osandŏk Prize
* Paektusan Prize
* Poch'ŏnbo Torch Prize
* Korea Republic
* Kuwait
* '15–'16
* '16–'17
* Kyrgyzstan
* Laos
* Lebanon
* '15–'16
* '16–'17
* Macau
* Malaysia
* Maldives
* Mongolia
* Myanmar
* Nepal
* Oman
* '15–'16
* '16–'17
* Pakistan
* Palestine
* '15–'16
* '16–'17
* Qatar
* Saudi Arabia
* Singapore
* Sri Lanka
* '15–'16
* '16–'17
* Syria
* Tajikistan
* Thailand
* Turkmenistan
* UAE
* '15–'16
* '16–'17
* Uzbekistan
* Vietnam
* Yemen

League cups|

* Bahrain
* '15–'16
* '16–'17
* Hong Kong
* Shield
* '15–'16
* '16–'17
* League Cup
* '15–'16
* '16–'17
* India
* Shield
* Durand Cup
* Japan
* Jordan
* Kuwait
* KF Cup
* '15–'16
* CP Cup
* '15–'16
* '16–'17
* Lebanon
* Malaysia
* Maldives
* Oman
* '15–'16
* '16–'17
* Philippines
* Qatar
* Saudi Arabia
* '15–'16
* '16–'17
* Singapore
* Thailand
* UAE
* '15–'16
* '16–'17
* Uzbekistan

Super Cups|

* Bahrain
* East Timor
* China
* Iran
* Iraq
* Japan
* Jordan
* Lebanon
* Kuwait
* Malaysia
* Oman
* Qatar
* Saudi Arabia
* Singapore
* Tajikistan
* Thailand
* UAE
* Uzbekistan
* Vietnam

Regional club competitions|

* ~~2016 GCC Club Cup~~
* 2016 Mekong Club Championship
* 2017 Arab Club Championship

AFC club competitions|

* AFC Champions League
* Qualifying play-off
* Group stage
* Knockout stage
* Final
* AFC Cup
* Qualifying play-off
* Group stage
* Knockout stage
* Final
* 2017 AFC Cup qualifying round

National team competitions|

* 2018 FIFA World Cup qualification
* 2019 AFC Asian Cup qualification
* 2016 AFC Solidarity Cup
* 2016 AFC U-23 Championship
* 2016 AFC U-19 Championship
* 2016 AFC U-16 Championship
* 2017 AFC U-19 Women's Championship qualification
* 2017 AFC U-16 Women's Championship qualification
* 2016 AFF Championship
* 2016 King's Cup
* 2016 Kirin Cup
* 2016 AYA Bank Cup

*[Pos]: Position
*[v]: View this template
*[t]: Discuss this template
*[e]: Edit this template
*[Pld]: Played
*[W]: Won
*[D]: Drawn
*[L]: Lost
*[GF]: Goals for
*[GA]: Goals against
*[GD]: Goal difference
*[Pts]: Points
*[Agg.]: Aggregate score