OFFICIAL PROGRAMME

2014 GROUP STAGE<strong>OFFICIAL</strong> <strong>PROGRAMME</strong>

Mingle morningor nightemirates.com/auWhether you’re a morning or evening person,find inspiration any time of day in our A380Business Class Onboard Lounge. Now flyingmorning and night from Sydney to the world.Gourmet food and wine • Chauffeur-driven service* • Exclusive airport lounges5 AFC Message6 History12 Group AEsteghlal (IRN)Al Rayyan (QAT)Al Jazira (UAE)Al Shabab (KSA)16 Group BAl Fateh (KSA)Foolad Khouzestan (IRN)Bunyodkor (UZB)El Jaish (KSA)22 Group CAl Ain (UAE)Al Ittihad (KSA)Tractorsazi Tabriz (IRN)Lekhwiya (QAT)26 Group DAl Sadd (QAT)Al Ahli (UAE)Al Hilal (KSA)Foolad Sepahan (IRN)32 Group EPohang Steelers (KOR)Buriram United (THA)Shandong Luneng (CHN)Cerezo Osaka (JPN)36 Group FSanfrecce Hiroshima (JPN)Central Coast Mariners (AUS)FC Seoul (KOR)Beijing Guoan (CHN)42 Group GGuangzhou Evergrande (CHN)Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors (KOR)Yokohama F. Marinos (JPN)Melbourne Victory (AUS)46 Group HWestern Sydney Wanderers (AUS)Guizhou Renhe (CHN)Kawasaki Frontale (JPN)Ulsan Hyundai (KOR)50 Roll of HonourWhile every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of thecontent in this publication, for up-to-date information on the 2013AFC Champions League and the participating clubs, please visit www.the-afc.com.Contents‘Airline of the Year’ 2013 Skytrax World Airline Awards. * Excludes Trans Tasman services. Mileage restrictions apply.

Shaikh Salman Bin Ebrahim Al KhalifaAFC PresidentDear friends,The AFC Champions League’s popularity has soared over the yearsand this season of the continent’s premier club competition is set tocontinue that upward trend.The television viewership of 2013 edition of the AFC ChampionsLeague achieved a combined average rating of 280 million, with atotal reach of 1.37 billion, which is highly encouraging for not onlythe AFC but also the participating Member Associations and clubs.And with the doors of the tournament open to more MemberAssociations, this year’s AFC Champions League promises to be evenmore intriguing and we have already enjoyed a taste of what liesahead from the exciting and entertaining play-offs.Asian football continues to evolve and the participating clubs haveinvested a lot of resources into building strong teams for the AFCChampions League and this also serves to improve the quality of therespective national teams.AFC MESSAGEAnd this competition not only provides a chance to win the prestigiousAFC Champions League title, it also offers an opportunity to representAsia in the FIFA Club World Cup later this year.I would like to conclude by wishing all the teams the very best for thegroup stage and would ask them to follow the spirit of fair play andsportsmanship. I would also like to thank sponsors, fans and the mediafor their continuous support of the competition.Shaikh Salman Bin Ebrahim Al KhalifaAFC PresidentFIFA ExCo Member5

WRITINGA NEWHISTORYGuangzhou Evergrande’s historic triumph over FC Seoulin the final of the AFC Champions League last Novemberended China’s 23-year Asian title drought with victoryin front of a sea of rapturous red at Guangzhou’s TianheStadium.Marcello Lippi’s side secured the title on away goalsfollowing a 1-1 draw in Guangzhou that saw the ChineseSuper League champions draw 3-3 over the two legs.After the pair shared a thrilling 2-2 draw in front of a lively 55,501 crowdat Seoul World Cup Stadium, a sublime opener from Brazilian striker Elkesongave the Southern Chinese side the lead just before the hour mark only forDejan Damjanovic to level the scores four minutes later to crank up thetension in the stands.But Choi Yong-soo’s side could not find their way through the home defencea second time to claim the goal needed to keep the trophy in Korean handsand Guangzhou became the first Chinese side since Liaoning in 1990 to becrowned Asian club champions to the delight of the majority of the 55,847inside Tianhe Sport Center Stadium.“Winning the cup is very important for Chinese football,” said Lippi afterbecoming the first coach to win continental club titles in both Europe andAsia.“We grew a lot and what we tried to do was reach the level of being able tocompete against other teams at this level. We won again, and that’s good forChinese football and for Guangzhou Evergrande.”While Guangzhou’s formidable South American attacking trio of AFC ForeignPlayer of the Year Muriqui, Dario Conca and Elkeson grabbed the headlinesand provided the flair, the work rate and commitment put in by China captainZheng Zhi acted as the beating heart of the team, and he was duly rewarded2013HISTORY2012 2011 20107

with the AFC Player of the Year award.“It shows the world that Chinese clubs are competitive in Asia andit should give Chinese clubs more confidence in the AFC ChampionsLeague,” said Zheng, who helped Shandong Luneng reach thequarter-finals in 2005 before repeating the feat with Guangzhouin 2012.“In recent years the winners of the AFC Champions League havebeen from either Japan or Korea, so hopefully our victory can havea positive impact for clubs in China.“It is very difficult to win the AFC Champions League and I am surethat it brought joy to fans in Guangzhou and also the whole country.It was a historical moment.”Ever since April 29 1990, when Zheng’s hometown club Liaoningheld Nissan to a 1-1 draw in Shenyang that gave them a 3-2aggregate victory and the Asian Club Championship, teams fromChina have never been able to replicate those feats, although severalcame close.In fact, just a year later, Liaoning were close to winning back-tobackchampionships but fell at the last hurdle in a 2-1 defeat toEsteghlal of Iran in the final of the competition.Seven years later, Dalian Wanda went even closer as the Asian ClubChampionship 1997-98 final between the Chinese side and PohangSteelers could only be separated by penalties, and the Koreansprevailed 6-5 to lift their second continental championship.Virtually invincible on the domestic front, Dalian Wanda again madeit to the latter stages of the following year’s tournament but thistime crashed out in the semi-finals to Esteghlal after losing 4-3 inextra-time.In the next few years Chinese clubs struggled to make an impact inthe knockout stages of the tournament, but in 2002 the competitivelandscape of club football in Asia was given an entire overhaul and2009brought with it an upturn in China’s luck.Previously, three competitions had existed: the Asian ClubChampionship, played for by the league winners in each country;the Asian Cup Winners’ Cup, which was contest by the championsof each nation’s knockout competition; and the Asian Super Cup,which saw the winners of the two aforementioned tournaments gohead-to-head.The AFC Champions League saw the merging of the Asian ClubChampionship, the Asian Cup Winners’ Cup and the Asian SuperCup into a consolidated competition that determined without anydoubt the continent’s number one club.Have struggled in the last three Asian Club Championships, thenewly re-named Dalian Shide initially flourished in the inauguralAFC Champions League competition and went undefeated in thegroup stages, before falling in the semi-finals to eventual championsAl Ain of the United Arab Emirates.And the Emirati side held off the valiant efforts of Thailand’s BECTero Sasana to clinch the inaugural title and also become the firstMiddle Eastern nation to be crowned continental champions.Further refinements to the tournament followed in the comingseasons as clubs from the west of the continent dominated the earlyyears, with Saudi Arabia’s Al Ittihad claiming the title in both 2004and 2005.A new power in China, Shenzhen Jianlibao, had attempted to breakup the monopoly but they suffered a heavy defeat to Al Ain inthe semi-finals of the 2005 competition which signaled the end ofChinese presence in the final four for the next eight years.Instead it was Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors of Korea Republic, whobecame the first winner of the revamped tournament from the eastin 2006.That win sparked a shift in power to the east of the continent and9HISTORY

20042005I AM SHARING INSPIRATIONI AM THE NEW NIKON D5300. I am imagination unleashed. Creativitytakes on a whole new perspective when seen through the vari-angle LCD monitor ofthe Nikon D5300. The built-in Wi-Fi and GPS allow you to share creative momentsof genius, instantly. Image quality is never an issue with the new processing engineEXPEED 4, a 24.2 MP sensor and extended ISO sensitivity. I am sharing my masterpiece.www.nikon-asia.com2007 2008an awakening amongst the J.League, with Urawa Reds claiming thetitle in front of a bumper crowd at Saitama Stadium against Sepahanfrom Iran in 2007.Japan’s position of strength continued the following season asGamba Osaka overcame Urawa in a pulsating semi-final beforehanding Adelaide United a 5-0 aggregate defeat.The Koreans, however, were keen to prove that whatever theirJapanese counterparts were capable of achieving; they could at thevery least match.Pohang Steelers struck the first blow as they beat Al Ittihad in Tokyoto become the only side to be crowned continental champions threetimes before Seongnam Ilhwa Chunma downed Zobahan from Iranat the same venue 12 months later.However, after six years residing in the east, the title returned tothe west in 2011 with Qatar’s Al Sadd besting Jeonbuk in the finalthanks to a penalty shootout that saw goalkeeper Mohamed Saqremerge as his team’s hero.That state of affairs, though, was to last only 12 months as Ulsanreclaimed the title and Korean clubs continued their remarkable runof success.Throughout this period the traditional powerhouses of Chinesefootball from the cities of Beijing, Shandong and Shanghai hadbeen representing their nation without much success past the groupstages.However, a new force was rising in the south of the country, whensecond division Guangzhou was bought by the Evergrande groupin 2010 to spark a meteoric rise that would take them to the verypinnacle of Asian football.Immediate promotion to the Chinese Super League was followed bythe domestic title in 2011 and with it the club’s first foray into theAFC Champions League in 2012 as Guangzhou reached the quarterfinalsonly to be undone by a late Al Ittihad goal in the second legof thrilling tie.But World cup-winning coach Marcello Lippi and his team were notto be denied in their second outing, though, taking the 2013 AFCChampions League title and creating history.Although this year they will lack key playmaker Conca, Guangzhoustill wield Brazilian duo Muriqui and Elkeson and have added Italyinternational Alessandro Diamanti into their attacking line-upwhich has mouth-watering prospects and mark them out as one ofthe favourites.Guangzhou aside, the Chinese Super League sides have also spentheavily to challenge the new southern power on both the domesticfront and in the AFC Champions League.From Korea Republic, FC Seoul will be determined to avenge theirfinal heartache and set matters straight, with 2012 champions UlsanHyundai returning alongside domestic champions Pohang Steelersand fellow former continental supremos Jeonbuk.J.League champions Sanfrecce Hiroshima, Emperor’s Cup winnersYokohama F. Marinos, Kawasaki Frontale and Cerezo Osaka representa strong Japanese contingent looking to follow in the footsteps on2008 winners Gamba.From the west, Esteghlal will have to do without former captainJavad Nekounam as the Iran champions look to build on last year’ssemi-final appearance, with 2007 finalists Sepahan, Tractorsazi andFoolad Khouzestan making up the Iranian contingent.Two-time AFC Champions League winners Al Ittihad from SaudiArabia will be aiming to make up for their absence in last year’stournament having reached the semi-finals on 2012, with Al Hilaland 2013 quarter-finalists Al Shabab returning alongside domesticchampions Al Fateh.Inaugural AFC Champions League winners Al Ain also returnalongside 2011 champions Al Sadd from Qatar, with the latestedition of the continent’s premier club competition again set to befilled with excitement, entertainment and expectation as 32 teamsstake their claims to become the next champions of Asia.11HISTORY

EsteghlalIRNAl RayyanQATQualified as: Iran Pro League – Champion • Founded: 1945 • Ground: Azadi Stadium (100,000)Iran Pro League (8): 2013, 2009, 2006, 2001, 1998, 1990, 1975, 1971Hazfi Cup (6): 2012, 2008, 2002, 2000, 1996, 1977 Crown Prince Cup (3): 1999, 1996, 1993AFC Champions League: : Semi-Finals 2013; Round of 16 2012, 2010; Group Stage 2011, 2009, 2003Asian Club Championship (2): 1991, 1970; Runner-up 1999, 1992 Asian Cup Winners’ Cup (1): Semi-Finals 2001, 1997Qualified as: Emir Cup - Winner • Founded: 1967 • Ground: Al Rayyan Stadium, Doha (25,740)Qatar Stars League (7): 1995, 1990, 1986, 1984, 1982, 1978, 1976Emir Cup (6): 2013, 2011, 2010, 2006, 2004, 1999AFC Champions League: Group Stage 2013, 2012, 2011, 2007, 2005 AFC Cup : Round of 16 2010Asian Club Championship: Semi-Finals 1992; Quarter-Finals 1997GROUP A12OverviewAfter spending three seasons in the shadow of Sepahan, Esteghlal regainedthe Iran Pro League title in 2013 when they finished two points aheadof runners-up Tractorsazi Tabriz. It was the eighth league championshipfor the Blues as they moved within one of the record nine titles claimedby their Tehran rivals Persepolis. Esteghlal are Iran’s most successful clubon the continental stage with victories in the Asian Club Championshipin 1971 and 1991 but they failed to go beyond the Round of 16 in theirfirst five appearances in the AFC Champions League until enjoying theirbest performance in the competition in 2013 when they went all the wayto the semi-finals before losing to FC Seoul.Key PlayersWidely regarded as Iran’s best goalkeeper since the legendary AhmadrezaAbedzadeh, who helped the country to qualify for the 1998 FIFA WorldCup, Medhi Rahmati is one of Iranian football’s most decorated playersafter winning four league titles and two Hazfi Cups. The 29-year-old,who has over 75 caps for Iran, is hardly ever beaten from distance andusually comes out on top in one-on-one situations. Jlloyd Samuel hasdeveloped into one of the most popular foreign imports to have played inthe Iranian league, with the left-back often used as an attacking weaponas much as a defensive one. The 32-year-old Trinidadian arrived at theIranian champions in 2012 after lengthy spells with Aston Villa and BoltonWanderers in the English Premier League and scored three times duringEsteghlal’s run to the AFC Champions League semi-finals last year.Coach: Amir Ghalenoei (IRN)The most successful coach at club level in Iran, Amir Ghalenoei has wonfive of the 12 titles of the professional era – three with Esteghlal and twowith Sepahan – and three Hazfi Cups. The 50-year-old, who is in his thirdspell at Esteghlal, enjoyed his best performance on the continental stagelast season as he guided Esteghlal to the last four of the AFC ChampionsLeague. In 2007, he was Iran’s national coach as they fell in the quarterfinalsof the AFC Asian Cup.3Samuel8Nouri9Borhani27Carvalho4Sadeghi1Rahmati11Ghazi10Akbarpour5Omranzadeh14Teymourian2HeydariNo. Pos. Name Date of Birth1 GK Mehdi Rahmati 03/02/19832 DF Khosro Heydari 14/09/19833 MF Jloyd Samuel 18/03/19814 DF Amir Hossein Sadeghi 06/09/19815 DF Hanif Omranzadeh 30/04/19858 MF Pejman Nouri 14/07/19809 FW Arash Borhani 14/09/198310 FW Siavash Akbarpour 21/01/198511 FW Mohammad Ghazi 30/12/198412 GK Mehrdad Hosseini 08/02/198913 MF Ghasem Ghamoushi 06/06/198914 MF Andranik Teymourian 06/03/198315 DF Ahmad Nematollahi 11/11/199316 MF Hashem Beikzadeh 22/09/198417 DF Meisam Joudaki 03/02/199518 MF Babak Jabbari 02/03/199519 MF Boubaker Kebe 10/05/198720 MF Ahmad Jamshidian 06/05/198421 GK Seyed Hossein Hosseini 30/06/199222 MF Alireza Vahdi Nikbakht 30/06/198027 MF Antonio Carvalho 29/05/198632 FW Mohammad Mahdi Nazari 02/03/198934 MF Iman Basafa 03/01/199270 DF Majid Gholamnejhad 18/06/198377 FW Mehrdad Oladi 25/05/19852Al Aaeldin11Salem3Goumou5OtavioYakubuGonzalez30Barry8Talib13Cho Yong-hyung18Mohsin12IsmaeilNo. Pos. Name Date of Birth1 GK Soud Abdulla 19/07/19862 DF Mohamed Al Aaeldin 24/01/19943 MF Daniel Goumou 04/10/19904 MF Hamad Al Abidi 21/04/19915 DF Nathan Otavio 02/06/19906 DF Abdulla Alawi 05/08/19917 FW Ahmed Al Aaeldin 31/01/19938 MF Abdulla Talib 05/04/19919 FW Kalu Uche 15/11/198211 MF Abdulkareem Salem 25/03/199112 DF Hamid Ismaeil 16/06/198613 DF Cho Yong-hyung 03/11/198314 DF Nasser Al Kaabi 11/11/199415 DF Saleh Al Zewaidi 29/05/199116 FW Mohamed Salah Al Neel 01/01/199117 MF Saud Abdullah 06/03/199218 MF Sayaf Mohsin 14/09/199119 DF Abdulmajid Anad 07/01/199420 FW Jaralla Al Maari 03/04/198822 GK Mohammed Al Jasser 21/03/199223 FW Fahad Khalfan 23/03/199224 DF Musa Haroon 13/09/198525 DF Ibrahim Dami 11/05/199326 DF Abdulrahman Mohammed 18/08/199427 FW Yakubu 22/11/198229 DF Younis Yaqoub 14/03/198630 GK Oumar Barry 18/07/198633 MF Lucho Gonzalez 19/01/198144 MF Sultan Al Kuwari 03/08/19952733OverviewAl Rayyan qualified for the group stage of the AFC Champions Leaguefor a fourth consecutive season and sixth time overall after they defeatedAl Sadd 2-1 to win the Emir Cup having finished fourth in the QatarStars League last season. Established in 1967, Al Rayyan have won theQatari title seven times although their last championship was in 1995.They finished third in the Asian Club Championship in 1992 and reachedthe quarter-finals of the same competition in 1997, but they have yetto make an impression in the AFC Champions League, failing to advancebeyond the group stage in all of their previous appearances.Key PlayersNigerian striker Yakubu recently joined Al Rayyan from Chinese sideGuangzhou R&F where he played for one season and finished third inthe Chinese Super League scoring chart with 15 goals. The 31-year-oldrepresented his country in four editions of the African Cup of Nations andthe 2010 FIFA World Cup. After starting his youth career with Al Sadd,Hamid Ismaeil joined Al Arabi and became a key player there before heleft in 2009 for Al Rayyan where the 26-year-old is now the club captain.While primarily a defender, Ismail made his mark in the Khaleeji OlympicCup in 2008 when he scored three goals and was named player of thetournament. He also played for Qatar in the Asian Games and Gulf Cup in2010 and the AFC Asian Cup in 2011. Young forward Ahmed Alaaeldin hasmade rapid progress in recent years, becoming one of the most promisingplayers for Al Rayyan and playing for Qatar’s U-23 side in the qualifiersfor the 2012 Olympics.Coach: Manuel Jimenez (ESP)A former Spain international full-back, Manuel Jiminez spent nearly hisentire playing career with Sevilla and coached their B team before takingcharge of the first team for three year in 2007. He had a short spellin Greece at AEK Athens before returning to Spain to take the helm ofReal Zaragoza. The 50-year-old became head coach of Al Rayyan lastNovember, replacing Uruguayan Diego Aguirre who had led the team tovictory in the 2013 Emir Cup.13GROUP A

Al JaziraU A EAl ShababKSAQualified as: UAE Pro League – Third • Founded: 1974 • Ground: Mohammed Bin Zayed Stadium, Abu Dhabi (42,000)UAE Pro League (1): 2011; Runner-up 2010, 2009, 2008President’s Cup (2): 2012, 2011; Runner-up 2002AFC Champions League: : Round of 16 2012; Group Stage 2013, 2011, 2010, 2009Qualified as: Saudi Pro League – Third • Founded: 1947 • Ground: King Fahad International Stadium, Riyadh (76,000)Saudi League (6): 2012, 2006, 2004, 1993, 1992, 1991 King’s Cup (2): 2009, 2008Crown Prince Cup (3): 1999, 1996, 1993AFC Champions League: Semi-Finals 2010; Quarter-Finals 2013, 2006; Round of 16 2011, 2009; Group Stage 2007, 2005Asian Club Championship: Runner-up 1992 Asian Cup Winners’ Cup (1): 2001 Asian Super Cup: Runner-up 2001GROUP A14OverviewAl Jazira finished their domestic season empty-handed for the first timesince 2009 after a campaign in which they finished a distant third inthe UAE Pro League, 15 points behind champions Al Ain. However, withleague runners-up Al Ahli also winning the President’s Cup, the AbuDhabi club were able to qualify for the group stage of the AFC ChampionsLeague for a sixth consecutive time. They reached the knockout Stagefor the first time in 2012, going out in the Round of 16 after losing ina penalty shootout to eventual finalists Al Ahli of Saudi Arabia. However,they were again eliminated in the group stage last year after managingonly one win in six games.Key PlayersStriker Ali Mabkhout scored six goals in four games as the UAEimpressively qualified for the 2015 AFC Asian Cup with two games tospare. Mabkhout, who has progressed through the ranks with Al Jazira,also featured prominently at the 2012 Olympic Games and helped theUAE win the 2013 Gulf Cup. Former United Arab Emirates internationalmidfielder Subait Khater won the inaugural AFC Champions League titlewith Al Ain in 2003. He joined Al Jazira in 2008 having spent over adecade with Al Ain. Korea Republic international Shin Hyung-min joinedAl Jazira in August 2013 having previously tasted success in the AFCChampions League with Pohang Steelers in 2009.Coach: Walter Zenga (ITA)Former Italy international goalkeeper Walter Zenga replaced Luis Millaas Al Jazira coach in October 2013 from Al Nasr, who he had joined atthe start of 2011. Having led Al Nasr to consecutive top-three finishes inthe UAE Pro League, Zenga also oversaw their group stage appearancein the AFC Champions League last season. The 51-year-old started hiscoaching career as a player-coach at Major League Soccer’s New EnglandRevolution in 1999 and had stints in Romania, Serbia and Turkey and aspell with UAE side Al Ain before he went back to Italy to manage Cataniaand Sampdoria. He returned to the Middle East in May 2010 for a shortspell with Saudi Arabia’s Al Nassr.13Esmaeel18Mousa10Barrada3Abdulla30Caicedo11Jucelei1Ali Khaseif7Mabkhout5Fayez8Qasem20Shin Hyung-minNo. Pos. Name Date of Birth1 GK Ali Khaseif 09/06/19873 DF Juma Abdulla 11/03/19824 FW Yaser Matar 20/09/19855 DF Musallem Fayez 26/03/19876 DF Salem Masoud 08/01/19857 FW Ali Mabkhout 05/10/19908 FW Abdulla Qasem 11/08/198610 FW Abdelaziz Barrada 19/06/198911 MF Jucelei 06/04/198813 MF Khamis Esmaeel 16/08/198918 MF Abdulla Mousa 23/02/198720 MF Shin Hyung-min 18/07/198622 FW Khalfan Al Rezzi 09/05/199523 DF Khalid Sebil 22/06/198724 MF Subait Khater 27/02/198030 FW Felipe Caicedo 05/09/198831 MF Hamad Al Hosani 01/03/199334 MF Khalid Musabeh 29/08/199136 GK Khaled Al Senaani 04/10/98940 GK Ahmed Al Shabibi 03/01/199344 FW Ahmed Al Hashmi 28/09/199545 FW Ahmed Gheilani 14/08/199547 MF Abdulrahman Jasem 15/02/199551 FW Sultan Al Shamsi 22/06/199670 MF Humaid Al Mas 21/01/199277 MF Sultan Al Menhali 18/01/198982 DF Sultan Al Suwaidi 26/11/199391 MF Sultan Abdulwahab 24/08/199596 GK Sultan Al Mentheri 05/01/19957Rafinha2Al Astaa11Otayf3Al Bishi9Hazazi10Torres1Abdullah8Menegazzo25Al Marshadi18Al Ruwali13FallatahNo. Pos. Name Date of Birth1 GK Waleed Abdullah 19/04/19862 DF Abdullah Al Astaa 24/08/19863 DF Sayyaf Al Bishi 18/06/19805 DF Naif Al Qadi 03/04/19796 MF Omar Al Ghamadi 11/04/19797 MF Rafinha 04/08/19838 MF Fernando Menegazzo 03/05/19819 FW Naif Hazazi 27/07/198810 MF Macnelly Torres 01/11/198411 MF Ahmed Otayf 14/04/198312 MF Abdulmalek Al Khaibri 13/03/198613 DF Hassan Fallatah 27/01/198614 DF Abdullah Shuhail 02/06/198515 FW Essa Al Mahyani 22/06/198316 FW Fahad Al Dossari 01/05/199018 MF Abdulmajeed Al Ruwaili 28/08/198619 DF Waleed Al Jahdali 01/06/198221 FW Imad Khalili 03/04/198722 GK Ibrahim Zaied 22/01/19025 DF Majed Al Marshadi 01/11/198426 DF Hadi Yahya 03/04/199027 MF Saeed Al Dosari 15/07/199030 MF Bader Al Sulateen 16/07/199032 DF Saleh Al Qumayzi 30/10/19933 GK Mohammed Al Owais 10/10/199134 MF Abdulrahman Al Barakah 21/09/199035 MF Saqer Otayf 03/09/199044 FW Muhannad Asiri 14/10/198645 MF Abdulmajeed Al Sulayhim 15/04/1994OverviewAl Shabab were left to rue the away goals rule in the AFC Champions Leaguefor a second time last season. Having gone out to Korean side SeongnamIlhwa Chunma by that method in the 2010 semi-finals, the Riyadh-basedclub suffered a similar fate in the 2013 quarter-finals against KashiwaReysol after drawing 1-1 in Japan and 2-2 at home. Winners of the SaudiPro League for a sixth time in 2012, Al Shabab endured much frustrationlast year as they relinquished their title after finishing third while alsolosing the King’s Cup final 4-2 to Al Ittihad. They won the Asian CupWinners’ Cup in 2001 but their semi-final appearance in 2010 remainstheir best AFC Champions League performance.Key PlayersSaudi Arabia striker Naif Hazazi joined Al Shabab prior to last season’s AFCChampions League quarter-finals having made the switch from Al Ittihad.Hazazi had scored eight goals as two-time champions Al Ittihad reachedthe semi-finals of the 2012 AFC Champions League and played a part inthe two-time champions’ run to the 2009 final. Colombia internationalMacnelly Torres helped Colombia qualify for the 2014 FIFA World Cuphaving, like Hazazi, joined Al Shabab midway through last year. AhmedOtayf is a two-time Saudi league winner with Al Shabab having spent hisentire career with the club. He was part of Saudi Arabia’s squad at the2011 AFC Asian Cup. Younger brother Saqer Otayf returned from a spellin Portugal with lower league side Louleteno having begun his career inAl Shabab’s academy.Coach: Ammar Souayah (TUN)Having coached at clubs in his native Tunisia for a number of years,Ammar Souayah came to prominence in 2002 when he was put in chargeof the Tunisia national team for the FIFA World Cup finals. He alsocoached Tunisian giants Etoile du Sahel and had spells with Saudi clubs AlHazm, Al Qadisiya, Al Ta’ee and Al Ittifaq before he returned to Tunisia totake charge of their Olympic team. The 56-year-old was appointed as AlShabab coach in January after the departure of Emilio Ferrera.15GROUP A

Al FatehKSAFoolad KhouzestanIRNQualified as: Saudi Pro League - Champion • Founded: 1958 • Ground: Prince Abdullah Bin Jalawi Stadium, Hofouf (20,000)Saudi Pro League (1): 2013Qualified as: Iran Pro League - Fourth • Founded: 1986 • Ground: Ghadir Stadium, Ahvaz (51,000)Iran Pro League (1): 2005Emir Cup (6): 2013, 2011, 2010, 2006, 2004, 1999AFC Champions League: Group Stage 2006GROUP B16OverviewUnheralded Al Fateh produced a stunning run of form to clinch their firstever Saudi Pro League title in 2013. Promoted in 2009, the team fromSaudi Arabia’s eastern Al Ahsa province finished no higher than sixth inthe next three seasons but they won 13 of their first 16 league matchesin the 2012-13 campaign and never looked back as they finished eightpoints clear of Al Hilal and Al Shabab with a record 20 wins during theseason. Al Fateh’s surprise title triumph made them the first team otherthan Al Hilal, Al Ittihad or Al Shabab to win the Saudi championship since1995 and secured them a spot in the AFC Champions League for the firsttime.Key PlayersMuch of Al Fateh’s unexpected league championship was founded on thegoals of prolific striker Doris Salomo. The clinical Congolese averagesnearly a goal every other game for his side and was the Saudi ProLeague’s second highest top-scorer last season. Salomo was ably assistedby the creativity of Brazilian playmaker Elton who also notched 11 goalslast season, one of his most noteworthy being the winning strike thatclaimed the Saudi Super Cup for Al Fateh. If Salomo and Elton provide thegoals and flair of the team respectively, then forward Hamdan Al Hamdanprovides the soul having been at the club his entire career. The 29-yearoldicon broke into the first team in 2004 after his promotion from theyouth team, and has been a fixture in the side ever since.Coach: Fathi Al Jabal (TUN)Described by the club’s president as “the reason behind the greatachievements of Al Fateh,” Tunisian Fathi Al Jabal has been at the helm ofthe reigning Saudi Pro League champions since August 2010. Appointedfollowing their promotion in 2009, Al Jabal oversaw a period of stabilityin the top flight before guiding Al Fateh’s rise to the pinnacle of SaudiArabian football last season. And in doing so, the 51-year-old coach hasbrought his newly crowned team to the AFC Champions League for theirfirst-ever appearance at the continent’s premier competition.8Al Moghawi16Al Saed14Al Fehaid5Jemal9Salomo77Elton22Al Owayshir32Bo Shaqra88Al Asmari7Al Hamdan4Al NaklyNo. Pos. Name Date of Birth1 GK Mohammed Al Jamaish 19/12/19894 DF Badr Al Nakly 20/05/19885 DF Ammar Jemal 20/04/19876 MF Ahmad Al Sultan 22/07/19937 MF Hamdan Al Hamdan 13/01/19888 MF Hussain Al Moqahwi 24/03/19889 FW Doris Salomo 18/09/198411 MF Fahad Al Souod 07/09/199213 MF Fayez Al Alyani 11/07/199114 DF Mohammed Al Fehaid 02/08/199415 FW Bader Al Khamees 04/08/198416 DF Mashal Al Saed 18/08/198317 DF Abdullah Alabdullah 10/02/199118 MF Noah Al Mosa 11/07/199120 FW Sultan Al Shammari 28/10/199122 GK Abdullah Al Owayshir 13/05/199123 MF Abdullah Al Dosri 01/02/198324 DF Mohammad Al Nakhli 01/07/198230 GK Ali Mazyadi 24/11/198532 DF Abdulaziz Bo Shaqra 23/11/198134 GK Mohammed Al Burayh 19/11/199350 DF Shafi Al Dossari 02/01/199066 MF Abdulrahman Al Qahtani 22/07/198377 MF Elton 07/05/199080 MF Mubarak Al Sultan 23/05/199488 MF Mubarak Al Asmari 25/06/198711Rahmani24Jamaati14S.Karami10A.KaramiNo. Pos. Name Date of Birth1 GK Alirez Salimi 23/02/19842 DF Leandro Padovani 21/12/19834 DF Ayoub Vali 09/08/19875 MF Mehdi Badrloo 14/01/19866 MF Mehdi Nouri 25/01/19847 MF Rafiei Soroush 24/03/19908 FW Esmaeil Sharifat 06/06/19889 FW Abbas Mohammadrezaei 09/09/198210 DF Abdollah Karami 27/02/198311 MF Bakhtiyar Rahmani 23/09/199113 GK Ershad Yousefi 19/09/198114 MF Shahab Karami 16/03/199115 MF Leandro Chaves 04/10/198316 FW Arash Afshin 21/01/198917 DF Hassan Jafari 21/07/199020 MF Ayoob Kalantari 27/11/199021 DF Omid Khaledi 29/10/198723 FW Sasan Ansari 04/05/199124 DF Mehrdad Jamaati 07/10/198927 DF Saroosh Saeidi 06/06/199128 FW Mehdi Niayeshpoor 25/01/199229 FW Chimba 15/10/198330 MF Ahmad Zadeh 06/05/199332 MF Valid Zadeh 11/01/199337 FW Gholamreza Rezaei 06/03/198455 DF Saeid Salarzadeh 13/02/198377 GK Sousha Makani 18/11/198629Chimba8Sharifat77Makani4Vali5Badrloo37Rezaei21KhalediOverviewFoolad Khouzestan enjoyed their best performance in the Iranian leaguein nine seasons when they finished fourth last year. With third-placedSepahan also winning the Hazfi Cup, the club from Ahvaz secured a placein the AFC Champions League for only the second time. Established in1986, Foolad moulded a strong young side which swept aside traditionalgiants Esteghlal and Persepolis to win the Iran Pro League in 2005. Theybegan their maiden AFC Champions League campaign the following yearwith a 6-0 thumping of Kuwait’s Al Qadsia but failed to get past thegroup stage and also suffered a swift decline in their domestic league asthey were relegated in 2007 just two seasons after winning the title.Key PlayersBrazilian Luciano Pereira Mendes, who is more commonly known asChimba, joined Foolad in 2012 and is often deployed as the lone striker.Having quickly formed an excellent understanding with fellow forwardsBakhtiyar Rahmani and Esmaeil Sharifat, Chimba scored 12 goals lastseason as Foolad claimed a fourth place finish in the Iran Pro League.Sharifat has enjoyed a rejuvenation of form since returning to Fooladhaving begun his career with his local club. The diminutive left wingerretuned to Foolad following an unsuccessful spell with Esteghlal, althoughhe did win the Hazfi Cup in 2012. Central defender Abdullah Karami camethrough Foolad’s youth system and was originally a defensive midfielderbefore he moved to Shahin Bushehr. He returned to Foolad in 2011 andhas a reputation for being a combative defender.Coach: Hossein Faraki (IRN)Hossein Faraki, 56, has been coach of Foolad since 2012 and has shown awillingness to offer young players opportunities. The former striker wonthe league title twice with Pas and scored 11 times in 22 matches for Iranat the end of the 1970s, while he played in all three matches of Iran’sFIFA World Cup debut in 1978. He has since held various coaching roleswith the national team.17GROUP B

BunyodkorUZBQualified as: Uzbek League – Champion/Uzbek Cup – Winner • Founded: 2005Ground: Bunyodkor Stadium, Tashkent (34,000)Uzbek League (5): 2013, 2011, 2010, 2009, 2008 Uzbek Cup (4): 2013, 2012, 2010, 2008AFC Champions League: : Semi-finals 2012, 2008; Quarter-finals 2009; Round of 16 2013, 2011, 20107Rakhmatullaev23Juraev11Pyshchur8Ibrokhimov4Karimov1Bugalo14Shodiev5Juraev18Akbarov21Rashidov2ShorakhmedovNo. Pos. Name Date of Birth1 GK Pavel Bugalo 21/08/19742 DF Akmal Shorakhmedov 10/05/19863 DF Shukurali Pulatov 23/02/19904 DF Hayrulla Karimov 22/04/19785 MF Dilshod Juraev 21/04/19926 DF Jahongir Jiyamuradov 04/11/19877 MF Alibobo Rakhmatullaev 08/02/19918 MF Jovlon Ibrokhimov 10/12/19909 MF Mansurjon Saidov 01/11/198310 FW Anvar Berdiev 11/05/197811 FW Oleksandr Pyshchur 26/01/198113 DF Rustam Azamov 08/07/199214 FW Vokhid Shodiev 09/11/198617 FW Alisher Shagulyamov 02/06/199418 DF Bobirjon Akbarov 14/02/198919 FW Zabikhillo Urinboev 30/03/199521 MF Sardor Rashidov 14/06/199122 MF Orifjon Mamadjanov 05/02/199023 DF Sakhob Juraev 19/01/198724 FW Bakhodir Pardaev 26/04/198725 GK Murotjon Zukhurov 23/02/198326 DF Javlon Mirabdullaev 19/03/199427 MF Sardor Sabirkhodjaev 06/11/199428 DF Kamranbey Kapadze 29/01/199430 DF Khasan Askarov 17/04/199433 MF Oleg Zoteev 05/07/198935 GK Abdukarim Mukhamedov 11/01/199444 MF Mirjamol Kosimov 24/09/199545 GK Akbar Turaev 27/08/198946 MF Sardorbek Azimov 11/06/1995OverviewAfter missing out on a fifth consecutive Uzbek League championship in2012, Bunyodkor pipped Tashkent rivals Lokomotiv by a single point toregain the title last season. And for the third time in six seasons, they alsocompleted the domestic double with a 2-1 win over Nasaf in the UzbekCup final. Formed as Kuruvchi in 2005, Bunyodkor rose quickly throughthe domestic leagues and qualified for the AFC Champions League justthree seasons later. They have reached the knockout stage in all six oftheir previous appearances in the competition, making it all the way tothe semi-finals in 2008 and 2012. However, they were eliminated 2-1 onaggregate by Thailand’s Buriram United in the Round of 16 last season.Key PlayersStriker Oleksandr Pyshchur topped the scoring charts with 19 goals lastseason as Bunyodkor won the domestic title, while the Ukrainian alsonetted three times in the AFC Champions League having arrived at thestart of the campaign. And Bunyodkor have further boosted their forwardline this year with the acquisition of Vokhid Shodiev from Buxoro. Shodievscored 12 times for Buxoro last season to earn a call up to the Uzbekistannational team and he helped his country qualify for the 2015 AFC AsianCup with goals against Vietnam and Hong Kong. Veteran goalkeeperPavel Bugalo returned to Bunyodkor ahead of the 2014 campaign havinghelped local rivals Lokomotiv to a runner-up finish in the Uzbek Leaguelast season, with Ignatiy Nesterov heading in the other direction. The39-year-old former Uzbekistan international helped Bunyodkor reach thesemi-finals of the 2008 AFC Champions League.Coach: Mirdjalal Kasimov (UZB)Uzbekistan football legend Mirdjalal Kasimov is in his second spell asBunyodkor’s head coach after he returned to the club in 2010. The formerUzbekistan captain and playmaker first took charge of the Tashkent clubin 2007 but he left the following year to become Uzbekistan’s nationalcoach. Following his return, the 43-year-old led Bunyodkor to the AFCChampions League semi-finals in 2012 and he was then reappointed asUzbekistan’s national coach. He now divides his time between his coachingroles for both club and country.19GROUP B

El JaishQATQualified as: Qatar Stars League – Third via play-offs • Founded: 2007Ground: Qatar Sports Club Stadium, Doha (12,000)AFC Champions League: Round of 16 201329Muntari3Aish9Nilmar7Rizik21Sanad33Sofyan10Kembo-Ekoko14Methnani4Anderson17Ko Seul-kiNo. Pos. Name Date of Birth1 GK Fahad Younis 30/07/19942 DF Murad Naji 12/06/19913 DF Abdullah Aish 07/06/19834 DF Anderson Martins 21/08/19875 MF Mohammed Al Jabri 30/03/19916 DF Rami Fayez 23/09/19867 MF Wesam Rizik 05/02/19818 DF Yousuf Muftah 16/05/19889 FW Nilmar 14/07/198410 FW Jires Kembo-Ekoko 08/01/198811 MF Dheyab Ali Nabi 20/06/199012 FW Magid Hassan 01/10/198514 MF Mohamed Methnani 03/03/199215 FW Abdulqadir Ilyas 17/08/198917 MF Ko Seul-ki 21/04/198618 MF Mohamed El Sayed 01/01/198719 DF Abdurahman Mohammad 03/08/199020 FW Wagner Ribeiro 14/11/198721 DF Ali Sanad 31/10/198522 MF Side Al Doukali 20/12/199323 MF Khaled Al Zrigi 14/11/199027 DF Ahmad Moein 20/10/199529 FW Mohammed Muntari 20/12/199333 GK Ahmed Sofyan 09/08/199090 GK Ivan Rodrigues 05/01/199291 GK Saoud Al Khater 09/04/199195 DF Rashid Al Hajri 18/10/199596 DF Jassim Al Mulla 06/02/19962NajiOverviewEl Jaish secured their second consecutive AFC Champions Leaguecampaign after comfortably defeating Uzbekistan side Nasaf and thenbesting Al Qadsia of Kuwait in the play-offs. The Qatari Armed Forces sidemade a solid debut in the AFC Champions League in 2013 as they finishedsecond in their group before they bowed out to Saudi Arabia’s Al Ahli inthe Round of 16. They were promoted to the Qatari top flight for the firsttime in 2011 and have finished in the top-three in their first two seasonsin the Qatar Stars League.Key PlayersSigned from rivals Al Rayyan at the end of January, Brazilian strikerNilmar is a goalscorer of international class with successful spells at Lyon,Villareal and Corinthians and 24 caps for his national side. Korea Republicmidfielder Ko Seul-ki settled quickly after his move to El Jaish last yearhaving helped Ulsan Hyundai win the AFC Champions League title in2012. Taking the playmaker mantle at El Jaish since 2011, Wagner Ribeirocontinues to be a key player in the side having scored seven goals in theAFC Champions League last season. The creative Brazilian is a reliablesource of goals and assists for the Qatari club and at 26-years-old is justentering his prime as a player.Coach: Nabil Maaloul (TUN)Signed to an 18-month deal by El Jaish in January following the departureof Romanian coach Razvan Lucescu, Tunisian Nabil Maaloul has spentthe bulk of his managerial career in his native land with two spells asEsperance de Tunis and a brief tenure as Tunisia’s national team coach.In his playing career as a midfielder, Maaloul racked up a number oftrophies with the all-conquering Esperance de Tunis side of the 1980’sthat resulted in a move to Europe and two seasons in Germany withHannover 96. As well as a season for Saudi side Al Ahli, Maaloul alsoturned out for his country on 11 occasions and participated in the 1988Olympic Games in Seoul.21GROUP B

Al AinUAEAl IttihadKSAQualified as: UAE Pro League - Champion • Founded: 1968 • Ground: Tahnoon Bin Mohamed Stadium, Al Ain (8,783)UAE Pro League (11): 2013, 2012, 2004, 2003, 2002, 2000, 1998, 1993, 1984, 1981, 1977President’s Cup (5): 2009, 2006, 2005, 2001, 1999AFC Champions League (1): Champions 2003; Runner-up 2005; Quarter-Finals 2006, 2004; Group Stage 2013, 2011, 2010, 2007Asian Club Championship: Semi-Finals 1999 Asian Cup Winners’ Cup : Quarter-Finals 2002Qualified as: King’s Cup - Winner • Founded: 1929 • Ground: Prince Abdullah Al Faisal Stadium, Jeddah (21,842)Saudi Pro League (8): 2009, 2007, 2003, 2001, 2000, 1999, 1997, 1982King’s Cup (2): 2013, 2010 AFC Champions League (2): Champions 2005, 2004; Runner-up 2009; Semi-Finals 2012, 2011;Quarter-Finals 2006; Group Stage 2008, 2010Asian Club Championship: Quarter-Finals 2001 Asian Cup Winners’ Cup (1): 1999 Asian Super Cup: Runner-up 1999GROUP C22OverviewAl Ain entered the history books in 2003 when they were crownedwinners of the inaugural AFC Champions League after a 2-1 aggregatevictory over BEC Tero Sasana of Thailand in the final. They were the onlyteam to reach the knockout stage in the first four editions and went closeto winning the competition again in 2005 when they again reached thefinal but lost 5-3 on aggregate to Al Ittihad of Saudi Arabia. Al Ain arethe most successful club in the United Arab Emirates with 11 league titlesincluding back-to-back championships in 2012 and 2013. They finished11 points clear of runners-up Al Ahli last season to qualify for the AFCChampions League for a ninth time.Key PlayersMidfielder Omar Abdulrahman underlined his ever increasing reputationwith a starring role as the UAE impressively qualified for the 2015 AFCAsian Cup. After helping the UAE win the 2008 AFC U-19 Championship,he also featured at the 2009 FIFA U-20 World Cup and 2012 OlympicGames before being named MVP as the UAE won the 2013 Gulf Cup.Ghanaian star striker Asamoah Gyan scored 31 goals last season as Ainwon a second consecutive domestic crown having contributed 22 goalsduring the previous campaign. Australia international midfielder AlexBrosque joined Al Ain in September 2012 after two seasons in Japan withShimizu S-Pulse and scored 10 goals last season.Coach: Quique Flores (SPA)Enrique ‘Quique’ Flores replaced Cosmin Olaroiu as Al Ain coach inSeptember 2013 having led UAE Pro League rivals Al Ahli to the President’sCup title and second place finish in the league last season. As a player,right-back Flores began his career with Valencia before moving to RealMadrid and winning the Spanish title, while he was included in Spain’ssquad at the 1990 FIFA World Cup. After retiring, Flores took his firstcoaching role with Getafe before taking the helm at Valencia. And after aspell in Portugal with Benfica, he returned to Spain and guided AtleticoMadrid to victory in the 2010 UEFA Europa League.10O.Abdulrahman15K.Abulrahman6Radoi5AhmedNo. Pos. Name Date of Birth1 GK Saif Rashid 10/08/19912 DF Mohammed Ayed 13/10/19903 FW Asamoah Gyan 22/11/19855 DF Ismail Ahmed 07/07/19836 MF Mirel Radoi 22/03/19817 MF Ali Al Wehibi 27/10/19838 FW Yassine El Ghanassy 12/07/199010 MF Omar Abdulrahman 20/09/199111 MF Abdulaziz Fayez 17/09/199015 DF Khaled Abdulrahman 10/09/198816 FW Mohamed Abdulrahman 04/02/198917 GK Khalid Eisa 15/09/198918 MF Ibrahim Diaky 24/05/198219 DF Mohanad Salem 01/03/198520 MF Helal Saeed 12/05/197721 DF Fawzi Fayez 14/07/198723 DF Mohamed Ahmed 16/04/198924 MF Ahmed Barman 05/02/199425 MF Ahmed Al Shamisi 03/03/198926 DF Abdul Salam Mohammed 19/06/199227 MF Salem Abdulla 05/07/198630 MF Mohamed Al Saedi 28/10/198231 DF Hazza Salem 19/12/198932 FW Alex Brosque 12/10/198333 DF Mohammed Salem 16/01/199136 GK Dawoud Sulaiman 21/03/199040 GK Mohammed Saeed 20/06/199542 DF FahedJuma 15/12/199044 DF Fares Juma 30/12/198850 DF Mohammed Fayez 06/10/19893Gyan32Brosque36Sulaiman19M.Salem18Diaky25Al Shamisi31H.Salem32Al Amri16Al Nakhli44Fallatah23Abusabaan13Asiri22Al Qarni7Jobson29Bonfim6Al Montashari8Al Muwallad2Al RahabNo. Pos. Name Date of Birth1 GK Mabrouk Zaid 11/02/19792 DF Rashed Al Rahab 03/02/19843 DF Mansour Sharahili 26/03/19914 MF Maan Khodary 13/12/19915 DF Osama Al Harbi 16/05/19846 DF Basem Al Montashari 18/09/19907 FW Jobson 15/02/19888 FW Fahad Al Muwallad 14/09/19949 FW Kiril Ognjevski10 MF Ahmed Al Fraidi 29/01/198811 MF Hatan Bahbir 16/07/199213 DF Ahmed Asiri 14/11/199116 DF Mohammed Al Nakhli 19/01/199519 FW Salman Al Sibyani 11/11/198920 MF Turki Al Khudhair 23/08/198721 DF Hamad Al Montashari 22/06/198222 GK Fawaz Al Qarni 02/04/199223 MF Mohammed Abusabaan 18/01/199025 GK Hani Al Nahedh 03/08/198729 MF Leandro Bonfim 08/01/198432 DF Mohammed Al Amri 26/11/199139 DF Talal Al Absi 22/02/199344 FW Mukhtar Fallatah 15/10/198745 MF Abdulfattah Asiri 26/02/199449 FW Abdulrahman Al Ghamdi 01/11/199450 MF Juan Rodriguez 14/06/1982OverviewDespite finishing a disappointing seventh in the Saudi Pro League in2013, a distant 31 points behind champions Al Fateh, Al Ittihad managedto secure a place in the AFC Champions League for the ninth time with a4-2 win over Al Shabab in the King’s Cup final. The Jeddah club are twotimewinners of the AFC Champions League having won the title in both2004 and 2005. They lifted the 2004 title after staging a magnificentcomeback to beat Korea’s Seongnam Ilhwa Chunma 6-3 on aggregatebefore successfully defending their title a year later with a 5-3 aggregatetriumph over Al Ain of the United Arab Emirates. They also lost 2-1 toKorean side Pohang Steelers in the 2009 final and reached the semi-finalsin 2011 and 2012.Key PlayersWinger Fahad Al Muwallad hit the headlines in the 2012 AFC ChampionsLeague at just 18 years of age, when he entered the field in the last10 minutes and scored the winning goal against Guangzhou Evergrandein the quarter-finals. Since then, he has become a fixture in the firstteam, and was named MVP in the victorious King’s Cup campaign. On thereceiving end of many of Al Muwallad’s assists has been prolific strikerMukhtar Falatah. The 26-year-old plundered one of the fastest hat-tricksin the Saudi league notching three goals in just 11 second half minutesagainst Al Shabab in this year’s season opener. At the other end of thepitch such has been rising star Fawaz Al Qarni’s form that he has forcedout two-time AFC Champions League winner Mabrouk Zaid, havingshared the role with the veteran custodian last season.Coach: Juan Verzeri (URU)Appointed in January, Juan Verzeri is best known for masterminding hisnative Uruguay to a much lauded runner-up at spot at the 2013 FIFAU-20 World Cup in Turkey. The 50-year-old also had success at the 2011Pan American Games where his Uruguayan U-22 side claimed the bronzemedal. Nicknamed “The Engineer” for his secondary profession, Verzei alsotook charge of Racing Club de Montevideo from 2008 to 2010, leadingthem to qualify for a first-ever appearance at the Copa Libertadores.23GROUP C

Tractorsazi TabrizIRNLekhwiyaQATQualified as: Iran Pro League – Runner-up • Founded: 1970 • Ground: Yadegar Emam Stadium, Tabriz (67,858)AFC Champions League: : Group Stage 2013Qualified as: Qatar Stars League – Runner-up via play-offs • Founded: 1938Ground: Lekhwiya Sports Club Stadium, Doha (10,000)Qatar Stars League (2): 2012, 2011 Sheik Jassim Cup: Runners-up 2010Crown Prince Cup (3): 1999, 1996, 1993AFC Champions League: Quarter-Finals 2013; Group Stage 2012GROUP C24OverviewTractorsazi Tabriz made a good start on their AFC Champions Leaguedebut last year with a 3-1 win over Al Jazira of the United Arab Emiratesand a 3-3 draw at Qatar’s El Jaish, but they lost their last four games tofinish bottom of their group. The team from the north-western city ofTabriz enjoy some of the most passionate support in Iran and regularlyfill Yadegar Emam Stadium. Promoted back to the top flight in 2009, theyhave become a force in Iranian football and have finished runners-up inthe Iran Pro League in the past two seasons. They missed out on the titleby a single point in 2012 and were just two points behind championsEsteghlal last year.Key PlayersDespite being 35, legendary Iran playmaker Ali Karimi is hoping his formthis season at Tractorsazi will help him to return to the national team intime for the FIFA World Cup in Brazil. Named 2004 AFC Player of theYear after helping Iran to third place at the AFC Asian Cup, Karimi has alsoplayed in Dubai and Qatar as well as in Germany with Bayern Munich andSchalke. Striker Karim Ansarifard is yet to realise his undoubted potentialbut he has rediscovered some of his best form since joining Tractorsazion loan. Playmaker Mehdi Karimian has experienced a renaissance thisseason, as he has weighed in with a number of crucial goal assists forTractorsazi, whom he joined in 2012.Coach: Antonio Oliveira (POR)Much-travelled Portuguese coach Antonio ‘Toni’ Oliveira re-joinedTractorsazi at the start of the year following the departure of Majid Jalaliafter just six months at the helm. Oliveira initially joined Tractorsazibefore the start of the previous season following the departure of AmirGhalenoei and oversaw a second place finish in the domestic league as wellas the club’s maiden AFC Champions League campaign last season. The66-year-old has previously had spells at clubs in his homeland, France,China, Egypt, the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia. In the 1980s,he won the Portuguese title with Benfica and finished runner-up to PSVEindhoven in the 1988 European Cup.27Ahmadzadeh88Asadi7Karimian20NosratiNo. Pos. Name Date of Birth1 GK Hamed Lak 24/11/19903 DF Habib Gordani 09/06/19834 DF Farshid Talebi 24/08/19816 MF Mehdi Kiani 10/01/19877 MF Mehdi Karimian 27/08/19808 MF Ali Karimi 08/11/19789 FW Javad Kazemeyan 23/04/198110 FW Karim Ansarifard 03/04/199013 FW Masoud Ebrahimzadeh 16/01/198914 FW Mohammad Ebrahimi 01/11/198416 MF Shahryar Shirvand 21/03/199117 MF Meisam Baeoudizabadi 19/09/198318 MF Rodrigo Pimpao 23/10/198720 DF Mohammad Nosrati 11/01/198221 FW Mohsen Delir 03/07/198822 GK Davoud Sofiani 15/07/199026 DF Mohammad Abazadeh 05/03/199127 FW Farshad Amhadzadeh 23/09/199228 MF Mohammad Hossein Mehrazma 21/09/198729 DF Navid Khoshhava 20/07/199131 MF Ebhraim Abednezhad 22/08/199233 GK Mohammad Ali Remazanian 20/02/199334 DF Milad Fakhroddini 26/05/199035 FW Peiman Babaei 14/12/199440 MF Saeed Daghighi 31/03/198544 MF Saeid Aghaei 09/02/199588 DF Morteza Asadi 05/03/198010Ansarifad8Karimi1Lak3Gordani6Kiani9Kazemeyan34Fakhroddini79Weiss77Muftah23Soria30Luiz Junior24Bougherra40Lecomte28Msakni12Boudiaf6Traore25Nam Tae-hee2MusaNo. Pos. Name Date of Birth1 GK Khalifa Al Dosari 31/01/19902 DF Mohamed Musa 01/01/19865 DF Abdulaziz Shareef 09/02/19936 DF Dame Traore 15/05/19867 MF Adel Lamy 13/11/198510 DF Ahmad Al Emadi 19/06/199011 MF Talal Al Qahtani 15/12/198712 MF Karim Boudiaf 16/09/199014 DF Kingambo Tresor 04/08/198716 FW Nasser Al Khalfan 17/10/199319 DF Ahmed Yasser 17/05/199420 FW Ali Afif 20/01/198821 FW Adel Ahmad 10/11/199023 FW Sebastian Soria 08/11/198324 DF Madjid Bougherra 07/10/198225 MF Nam Tae-hee 03/07/199128 MF Youssef Msakni 28/10/199029 FW Lassina Diaby 05/08/199230 MF Luiz Junior 13/01/198933 GK Ahmad Hatami 25/08/198040 GK Amine Lecomte 26/04/199070 FW Ismail Mohamad 04/05/199077 DF Khaled Muftah 07/02/199279 MF Vladimir Weiss 30/11/198993 DF Ali Mohammad 03/10/1993OverviewAfter defeating 2013 AFC Cup winners Kuwait Sport Club in the qualifyingplay-offs, 2013 Qatar Stars League runners-up Lekhwiya confirmedtheir third consecutive AFC Champions League campaign. In last year’scontinental competition, the Qatari side reached the knockout stage forthe first time and eliminated Saudi giants Al Hilal in the last 16 beforebowing out to eventual champions Guangzhou Evergrande in the quarterfinals.Lekhwiya won consecutive Qatar Stars League titles in 2011 and2012 but finished runners-up behind Al Sadd last season.Key PlayersSigned in January from Greek champions Olympiacos, Slovak internationalwinger Vladimir Weiss promises to add pace and creativity down the flankfor Lekhwiya. The former Manchester City, Rangers and Espanyol playerhas already built up a wealth of footballing experience despite being just24-years-old. Qatar international striker Sebastian Soria is his side’s mostpotent attacking threat and was top scorer in the league with 19 goalslast season, seamlessly continuing his prolific form after his move fromQatar SC in 2012. Soria was just as deadly in the continental competitionlast year with four goals in Lekhwiya’s first four group stage games.Versatile Korean midfielder Nam Tae-hee had his best season yet lastseason, averaging a goal every other game in the league, and proving tobe an indispensable part of the Lekhwiya line-up.Coach: Eric Gerets (BEL)Former Belgium international defender Eric Gerets is proving to bearguably even more successful a manager as he was a player, scooping upthe same league championships in Belgium and Netherlands as coach ashe did as a highly-touted right-back, and then taking that success furtherafield guiding sides in Turkey and Saudi Arabia to domestic titles. Aftertwo years as Morocco national team coach, Gerets replaced Djemal Belmadias coach of Lekhwiya in October 2012, and since then he has guided theclub to a runners-up spot in the Qatar Stars League, a Crown Prince Cup,and to the quarter-finals in last year’s AFC Champions League.25GROUP C

Al SaddQATAl AhliUAEQualified as: Qatar Stars League – Champion • Founded: 1969 • Ground: Sheik Jassim Bin Hamad Stadium, Doha (15,000)Qatar Stars League (13): 2013, 2007, 2006, 2004, 2000, 1989, 1988, 1987, 1981, 1980, 1979, 1974, 1972Emir’s Cup (13): 2007, 2005, 2003, 2001, 2000, 1994, 1991, 1988, 1986, 1985, 1982, 1977, 1975AFC Champions League (1): 2011; Quarter-Finals 2005; Group Stage 2010, 2008, 2007, 2006, 2004, 2003Asian Club Championship (1): 1989 Asian Cup Winners’ Cup : Semi-Finals 2002; Quarter-Finals 1995Qualified as: President’s Cup – Winner/UAE Pro League – Runner-up • Founded: 1970Ground: Rashed Stadium, Dubai (18,000)UAE Pro League (5): 2009, 2006, 1980, 1976, 1975President’s Cup (8): 2013, 2008, 2004, 2002, 1996, 1978, 1977, 1974AFC Champions League: Group Stage 2010, 2009, 2005GROUP D26OverviewAl Sadd return to the AFC Champions League for the first time since theirhistoric 2011 triumph having claimed the Qatar title for a record 13thtime last season. They finished five points clear of runners-up Lekhwiyabut missed out on the domestic double after they lost 2-1 to Al Rayyan inthe Emir Cup final. Three years ago, Al Sadd became the first side to winthe continental title having began in the play-offs after edging out formerchampions Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors 4-2 on penalties following a 2-2draw after extra-time. That victory added to the Asian Club Championshiptitle claimed in 1989 as Al Sadd became the first Arab side to be crownedchampions following their victory over Iraq’s Al Rasheed.Key PlayersSpanish legend Raul moved to Al Sadd in 2012 from Schalke 04 inGermany and helped the club win the 2012-2013 league title. The 36-year-old forward has previously spent 16 years with Real Madrid wherehe won the Spanish league six times and the UEFA Champions Leagueon three occasions in addition to the UEFA Super Cup in 2002. NadirBelhadj scored the decisive penalty in the 2011 AFC Champions Leaguefinal before helping Al Sadd finish third at the 2011 FIFA Club World Cup.An important part of Al Sadd’s 2012-2013 league triumph, the 31-yearoldmidfielder joined Al Sadd in 2010 from Portsmouth following spells inFrance. Khalfan Ibrahim was named AFC Player of the Year in 2006 afterimpressing at the 2005 FIFA U-17 World Cup. Having joined Al Sadd in2004, Ibrahim has helped the club win four league titles as well as theAFC Champions League while has named the league’s Player of the Yearin 2013.Coach: Hussein Amotta (MOR)After hanging up his boots with Zemmouis SC as a player-coach, formermidfielder Hussein Amotta led former club Ittihad Khemisset to theMoroccan league title in 2007 before joining FUS de Rabat for three years.He moved to Al Sadd in 2011, initially as technical director, before takingover from Uruguayan coach Jorge Fossati a year later and leading Al Saddto the league title for the first time since 2007.39Belhadj3Hassan10Ibrahim40Lee Jung-sooNo. Pos. Name Date of Birth1 GK Saad Al Sheeb 19/02/19902 DF Mesaad Ali 11/02/19863 DF Abdelkarim Hassan 28/08/19935 DF Ali Al Mahdi 02/03/19926 DF Mohammed Kasola 13/08/19867 FW Raul 27/06/19778 MF Mohammed Al Yazidi 30/10/198810 FW Khalfan Ibrahim 18/02/198811 MF Hasan Al Haydos 11/12/199012 MF Rodrigo Tabata 19/11/198013 MF Ali Asadalla 19/01/199315 MF Talal Al Bloushi 22/05/198616 FW Abdulaziz Al Ansari 19/02/199217 FW Saleh Bader 10/02/199319 DF Naser Nabeel 11/02/199020 FW Yusef Ahmed 14/10/198822 GK Muhannad Naim 01/01/199323 DF Tahir Zakariya 20/08/198827 MF JasserMedany 19/12/199230 GK Mohamed Saqr 17/05/198132 DF Ibrahim Majed 12/05/199039 MF Nadir Belhadj 18/06/198240 DF Lee Jung-soo 08/01/198070 MF Musaab Khidir 01/01/199396 DF Abdulrahman Nasser 16/02/19917Raul15Al Bloushi1Al Sheeb5Al Mahdi12Tabata11Al Haydos6Kasola7Al Hammadi26Hussain45Viana5AbbasGrafiteJimenez33Yousif60Saeed88Hassan99Ciel62SanqourNo. Pos. Name Date of Birth1 GK Ahmed Mubarak 01/01/19862 DF Salmin Khamis 09/10/19913 DF Saad Surour 19/07/19905 DF Walid Abbas 11/06/19857 MF Ismail Al Hammadi 01/07/198810 MF Luis Jimenez 17/06/198411 FW Ahmed Khalil 08/06/199112 GK Ahmed Mahmoud 30/03/198917 MF Waleed Amber 11/01/199320 FW Saeed Ahmad 17/01/199423 FW Grafite 02/04/197926 DF Abdulaziz Husain 10/09/199033 GK Saif Yousif 10/01/198945 MF Hugo Viana 15/01/198346 DF Abdulrahman Yousif 28/08/199355 GK Majed Naser 01/04/198457 MF Mohamed Sebil 13/04/199360 DF Basheer Saeed 28/06/198162 MF Abdelaziz Sanqour 07/05/198966 MF Adnan Hussain 06/12/198577 DF YousufAl Sayed 11/08/198980 MF Humaid Abdulla 16/04/198888 MF Majed Hassan 01/08/199292 FW Saeed Jassim 02/03/199599 FW Ciel 31/03/19822310OverviewAl Ahli secured a spot in the AFC Champions League for the first timesince 2010 after a solid campaign last season which saw them finishrunners-up behind Al Ain in the UAE Pro League and claim the President’sCup for a record-equalling eighth time after a 4-3 victory over Al ShababAl Arabi in the final. The Dubai-based club will be looking to make animpression in the AFC Champions League this year after underwhelmingperformances in their previous four appearances in the competition. Theywent out in the qualifying rounds of the inaugural tournament in 2002-03 and failed to make it beyond the group stage in 2005, 2009 and2010.Key PlayersBrazilian striker Grafite was named the inaugural International Playerof the Year at the Pro League awards in May 2013 having scored 24goals in 20 games for Al Ahli last season. Grafite joined Al Ahli in 2011having previously been named Bundesliga Player of the Year in 2009 andtopping the scoring charts as Wolfsburg won the league title. FormerAFC Young Player of the Year Ahmed Khalil was part of the UAE squad atthe 2012 Olympic Games before scoring three goals to help the nationalteam win the 2013 Gulf Cup. The 2008 AFC U-19 Championship MVPhas progressed through the ranks at Al Ahli and scored his first leaguegoal aged just 16. Fellow 2013 Gulf Cup winner Walid Abbas joined AlAhli from Al Shabab Al Arabi in August 2013 in a move that also broughtBrazilian striker Ciel to the club.Coach: Cosmin Olaroiu (ROM)Experienced Romanian coach Cosmin Olaroiu has enjoyed great success inthe Gulf region since joining Saudi Arabia’s Al Hilal in 2007. He led theSaudi side to the Saudi League and the Saudi Crown Prince Cup beforeleading Al Sadd to win Qatar Stars Cup in 2010. He then joined Al Ain inthe UAE and led them back-to-back league titles as well as the Super Cupin 2012 before joining Al Ahli ahead of the 2013/14 season.27GROUP D

Al HilalKSAQualified as: Saudi Pro League – Runner-up • Founded: 1957 • Ground: Prince Faisal Bin Fahad Stadium, Riyadh (22,000)Saudi League (13) : 2011, 2010, 2008, 2005, 2002, 1998, 1996, 1990, 1988, 1986, 1985, 1979, 1977King’s Cup (6): 1989, 1984, 1982, 1980, 1965, 1962Crown Prince Cup (12) : 2013, 2012, 2011, 2010, 2009, 2008, 2006, 2005, 2003, 2000, 1995, 1965AFC Champions League : Semi-Finals 2010; Quarter-Finals 2012, 2007; Round of 16 2013, 2011, 2009; Group Stage 2006, 2004, 2003Asian Club Championship (2): 2000, 1991; Runner-up 1986 Asian Cup Winners’ Cup (2): 2002, 1997; Semi-Finals 1990Asian Super Cup (2): 2000, 1997; Runner-up 200224Al Abid12Al Shahrani14Castillo26Digao30Al Subaiei27Kariri23Kwak Tae-hwiNo. Pos. Name Date of Birth2 DF Sultan Al Beshi 28/01/19904 DF Abdulelah Al Dossary 13/08/19875 MF Abdullatif Al Ghannam 16/06/19857 MF Thiago Neves 27/07/19858 MF Abdullah Otayf 03/08/199210 MF Mohammed Al Shalhoub 08/12/198011 MF Abdulaziz Al Dawsari 10/11/198812 DF Yasir Al Shahrani 25/05/199213 MF Salman Al Faraj 01/08/198914 MF Segundo Castillo 15/05/198215 FW Nassir Al Shamrani 23/11/198316 FW Yousef Al Salem 04/05/198517 DF Abdullah Al Hafith 25/12/199220 FW Yasser Al Qahtani 10/10/198223 DF Kwak Tae-hwi 08/07/198124 MF Nawaf Al Abid 26/01/199026 DF Digao 07/05/198827 MF Saud Kariri 08/07/198028 GK Abdullah Al Sdairy 02/02/199229 MF Salem Al Dawsari 19/08/199130 GK Faiz Al Subaiei 09/10/198231 DF Mohammed Al Burayk 15/09/199232 GK Hussain Shaian 23/05/198933 DF Sultan Al Duayyi 07/03/199335 GK Mohammed Al Wakid 25/03/199236 FW Khalid Kaabi 23/05/199239 MF Abdulelah Bin Mohammed 26/03/199246 DF Ahmed Sharahili 08/05/199449 DF Abdullah Al Shamekh 28/05/199351 DF Fahad Zahim 01/03/199315Al Shamrani7Neves29Al Dawsari2Al BeshiOverviewAl Hilal are one of Asia’s most successful club sides with victories in theAsian Club Championship in 1991 and 2000, plus a pair of triumphs inthe Asian Cup Winners’ Cups and Asian Super Cups. But Al Hilal, who havealso claimed a record 13 Saudi League titles, have yet to achieve successin the AFC Champions League with their best performance coming in2010 when they reached the semi-finals before bowing out to Iranianside Zob Ahan. They finished second in the Saudi Pro League in 2013,eight points behind champions Al Fateh, and suffered more agony in theAFC Champions League when lost 3-2 to Qatar’s Lekhwiya in the Roundof 16.Key PlayersCentre-back Kwak Tae-hwi knows what it takes to lift the AFC ChampionsLeague trophy after captaining Ulsan Hyundai to victory in 2012. Thenewly-signed Korea Republic international joined Al Hilal after a seasonplaying for fellow Riyadh side Al Shabab. A striker with an appetite forgoals, Nasser Al Shamrani is one of the preeminent forwards in Saudifootball. Top scorer in the 2011-12 season, Al Shamrani chalked up nearly90 goals in five years at Al Shabab before moving to Al Hilal in June.Thiago Neves re-signed for Al Hilal last year after spells with Flamengoand Fluminese during which he was voted one of the best players in theleague. A bronze medal winner with Brazil at the 2008 Olympic Games,the attacking midfielder also saw playing time with Vegalta Sendai inJapan and Germany’s Hamburg SV.Coach: Sami Al Jaber (KSA)An icon in his homeland for his exploits as a player, Sami Al Jaber remainshis country’s second highest international goalscorer with 46 goals in 156internationals. The 41-year-old appeared in four consecutive FIFA WorldCup tournaments, from 1994 to 2006, scoring in three of them, while hewas also a part of the 1996 AFC Asian Cup winning side. A one club man,Al Jaber has spent nearly the entirety of his 20 year playing career withAl Hilal after joining the club aged 15 in 1988. He was appointed as coachin May following the departure of Croatian Zlatko Dalic.29GROUP D

Foolad SepahanIRNQualified as: Hazfi Cup – Winner/Iran Pro League - Third • Founded: 1953Ground: Foolad Shahr Stadium, Esfahan (12,000)Iran Pro League (4): 2012, 2011, 2010, 2003 Hazfi Cup (4): 2013, 2007, 2006, 2004AFC Champions League: Runner-up 2007; Quarter-Finals 2012, 2011; Group Stage 2013, 2010, 2009, 2008, 2005, 20047Papi28Hajisafi20Sharifi5Aghili12Karimi15Ebrahimi1Ahmadi10Van Dijk3Khalilzadeh38Bulku6AhmadiNo. Pos. Name Date of Birth1 GK Rahman Ahmadi 30/07/19803 DF Shojae Khalilzadeh 14/05/19894 MF Moharam Navidkia 01/11/19825 DF Hadi Aghili 15/01/19816 DF Ali Ahmadi 04/07/19837 MF Hossein Papi 27/02/19859 FW Mohammad Gholami 13/02/198310 FW Sergio Van Dijk 06/08/198212 MF Ali Karimi 11/02/199414 FW Xhevahir Sukaj 05/10/198715 MF Omid Ebrahimi 16/09/198717 MF Milan Sarlak 26/03/199518 DF Hossein Moradmand 22/06/199319 DF Ali Gholami 03/05/199420 FW Mehdi Sharifi 16/08/199223 MF Amin Jahanalian 16/06/199124 DF Armin Sohrabian 26/07/199527 GK Mehdi Amini 16/05/199628 MF Ehsan Hajisafi 25/02/199030 DF Ahmad Eskandari 27/07/199332 MF Hamid Reza Kezemi 06/05/199233 DF Saeid Ghaedifar 13/04/199235 GK Shabab Gordan 21/05/198436 GK Mohammad Mahmoudvand 23/01/198638 FW Ervin Bulku 03/03/198139 DF Mohammad Rosandel 02/07/199540 DF Ali Hamoudi 21/03/198645 MF Ehsan Pahlavan 25/07/199388 MF Yagoub Karimi 31/08/199199 MF Amir Hossein Karimi 09/02/1996OverviewSepahan’s reign as Iranian league champions came to an end in 2013 whenthey were denied a fourth straight title after finishing in third place, threepoints behind champions Esteghlal. However, they beat Persepolis to liftthe Hazfi Cup for a fourth time and claimed a spot in the AFC ChampionsLeague for a 10th time in 11 seasons. In addition to being Iran’s mostsuccessful club since domestic football was professionalised in 2001, theclub from Esfahan also became the first team from their country to reachthe AFC Champions League final in 2007, when they were beaten 3-1 onaggregate by Japan’s Urawa Reds. They also reached the quarter-finals in2011 and 2012 but went out at the group stage last year.Key PlayersThe lynchpin of Sepahan’s midfield, Omid Ebrahami joined the club in2010 from second-tier side Shahrdari Bandar Abbas. After starting outas a defensive midfielder, Ebrahami has added to his attacking game anddeveloped into a fine all-rounder who played a key part in Sepahan’sback-to-back titles in 2011 and 2012. Central defender Hadi Aghilireturned to Sepahan last June after two seasons in Qatar and now hasover 200 appearances for the club. In his first spell, Aghili won two leaguetitles and two Hazfi Cups and played in the 2007 AFC Champions Leaguefinal against Japan’s Urawa Reds. Despite just turning 24, Ehsan Hajsafihas already amassed more than 50 international caps for Iran. Hajsafi,who spent a season on loan at Tractorsazi in 2011-12, is a diminutive andquick left-back who is often used by his coaches as a left winger. WithSepahan, he has won the league twice and the Hazfi Cup three times, andplayed in the 2007 AFC Champions League final.Coach: Zlatko Kranjcar (CRO)Croatian Zlatko Kranjcar returned to Iran for a second spell in 2012 andenjoyed instant success, winning the league title in his first season withSepahan before claiming the Hazfi Cup last year. After leading Croatia tothe 2006 FIFA World Cup, the 57-year-old had spells in charge of Tehran’sPiroozi and the Montenegro national team before joining Sepahan.31GROUP D

Pohang SteelersKORBuriram UnitedTHAQualified as: K-League Classic – Champion/FA Cup – Winner • Founded: 1973 • Ground: Steelyard, Pohang (17,433)K-League (5): 2013, 2007, 1992, 1988, 1986FA Cup (4): 2013, 2012, 2008, 1996AFC Champions League (1): 2009; Quarter-Finals 2010; Group Stage 2013, 2012, 2008Asian Club Championship (2): 1998, 1997 Asian Super Cup: Runner-up 1998, 1997Qualified as: Thai Premier League – Champion/FA Cup - Winner • Founded: 1970Ground: Buriram Stadium, Buriram (24,000)Thai Premier League (3): 2013, 2011, 2008 FA Cup (3): 2013, 2012, 2011AFC Champions League (2): Quarter-Finals 2013; Group Stage 2012GROUP E32OverviewThe only club to be crowned Asian champions on three occasions, PohangSteelers claimed another landmark honour in 2013 when they became thefirst team to win the Korean double. Fielding a team made up entirelyof Korean players, they beat Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors on penalties inthe FA Cup final and claimed the K-League Classic title in dramaticfashion as Kim Won-il’s stoppage-time winner in their final game ofthe season saw them leapfrog opponents Ulsan Hyundai into top spot.Pohang won the AFC Champions League in 2009 and back-to-back AsianClub Championships in 1997 and 1998 but their last two continentalcampaigns have been disappointing, with the team failing to reach theknockout stage in 2012 and 2013.Key PlayersVeteran central midfielder Hwang Ji-soo enjoyed a memorable first fullseason as captain of Pohang Steelers as he lifted both the K-League andKorean FA Cup trophies in 2013. The 32-year-old has spent most of hiscareer with the club, winning the K-League in 2007 and the Korean FACup in 2008 and 2012 but missing their AFC Champions League triumphin 2009 because of military service. Lee Myung-joo was named theK-League’s Rookie of the Year in 2012, and he continued his impressiverise last year by earning a place in the league’s Best XI alongside KimWon-il. Kim has become a rock at the heart of the Steelers defence,however, he made his most telling contribution to the club in 2013 at theother end of the pitch when he scrambled home the late winner againstUlsan Hyundai on the final day of the season.Coach: Hwang Sun-hong (KOR)Hwang Sun-hong cemented his status as a Pohang Steelers legend in 2013when he became the first coach to lead a team to the Korean domesticdouble, earning himself the K-League’s Manager of the Year award. The45-year-old spent six seasons as a striker with the Steelers, winning apair of Asian Club Championships, and also helped Korea Republic to reachthe 2002 FIFA World Cup semi-finals. He coached at Chunnam Dragonsand Busan I’Park before taking charge of Pohang in 2011.18Go Moo-yul22Kim Dae-ho29Lee Myung-joo3Kim Kwang-sukNo. Pos. Name Date of Birth1 GK Shin Hwa-yong 13/04/19832 MF Park Hee-chul 07/01/19863 DF Kim Kwang-suk 12/02/19835 MF Kim Tae-su 25/08/19816 MF Kim Jun-su 29/07/19919 MF Hwang Ji-soo 27/03/198112 FW Kim Seung-dae 01/04/199113 DF Kim Won-il 18/10/198614 FW Bae Chun-suk 27/04/199015 FW Shin Young-joon 06/09/198916 MF Lee Gwang-hun 26/11/199317 DF Shin Kwang-hoon 18/03/198718 FW Go Moo-yul 05/09/199020 DF Yoon Jun-sung 28/09/198921 FW Lee Jin-seuk 10/09/199122 MF Kim Dae-ho 15/05/198823 MF Ryu Chang-hyun 14/05/198524 MF Bae Seul-gi 09/06/198525 DF Park Jun-hui 01/03/199126 FW Cho Chan-ho 10/04/198627 DF Park Sun-ju 26/03/199228 MF Son Jun-ho 12/05/199229 MF Lee Myung-joo 24/04/199030 MF Kang Sang-woo 07/10/199331 GK Kim Da-sol 04/01/198933 FW Yu Je-ho 10/08/199234 MF Lee Gwang-hyeok 11/09/199537 MF Kim Jae-sung 03/10/198341 GK Kim Jin-young 02/03/199214Bae Chun-suk37Kim Jae-sung1Shin Hwa-yong9Hwang Ji-soo13Kim Won-il26Cho Chan-ho17Shin Kwang-hoon10Jakkaphan2Theerathon7Carmelo19Hirano5Rochela1Siwarak23Simpson8Suchao3Prathum17Anawin25SureeNo. Pos. Name Date of Birth1 GK Siwarak Tedsungnoen 20/04/19842 DF Theerathon Bunmathan 06/02/19903 DF Prathum Chutong 20/10/19834 MF Charyl Chappuis 12/01/19925 DF David Rochela 19/02/19906 DF Tanasak Srisai 25/09/19897 FW Carmelo Gonzalez 09/07/19838 MF Suchao Nutnum 17/05/19839 FW Adisak Kraisorn 01/02/199110 MF Jakkaphan Kaewprom 24/05/198813 MF Jirawat Makkharom 07/09/198614 DF Chitipat Thanklang 11/08/199115 MF Surat Sukha 27/07/198217 MF Anawin Jujeen 13/03/198719 FW Kai Hirano 16/08/198723 FW Jay Simpson 01/12/198825 DF Suree Sukha 27/07/198226 GK Yotsapon Teangdar 06/04/199232 FW Kittiphong Pluemjai 29/03/199338 GK Niwat Buttakoon 27/09/1986OverviewBuriram United became the first Thai club in a decade to advance tothe knockout stage of the AFC Champions League with their run to thequarter-finals last season. Having qualified for the group stage with aplay-off victory over Brisbane Roar, they finished second in their groupbehind FC Seoul and stunned Uzbekistan’s Bunyodkor in the Round of16 before they were eliminated by Iranian champions Esteghlal in thelast eight. The club, formerly known as Provincial Electricity Authority,dominated Thai domestic football in 2013, winning the domestic treblefor the second time in three years. They regained the Thai Premier Leaguetitle with an unbeaten record and defeated Bangkok Glass 3-1 in the FACup final and Ratchaburi 2-1 in the League Cup final.Key PlayersSuchao Nutnum enjoyed a stellar season in 2013 as the attackingmidfielder captained Buriram to the treble and the AFC Champions Leaguequarter-finals while also earning an international recall for Thailand’s AFCAsian Cup qualifier against Iran. Carmelo Gonzalez, a former Spain U-21international, joined Buriram United from Sporting Gijon in early 2013and enjoyed a prolific first season in Thailand as he netted 26 goals andfinished as the top scorer in the Thai Premier League. Hard-tackling andquick, 24-year-old Theerathon Bunmathon also had a year to rememberin 2013 as the left-back was named the Thai Premier League’s Player ofthe Year, celebrated winning the domestic treble with Buriram and thencaptained Thailand’s U-23 side to victory at the Southeast Asian Games.Coach: Alejandro Menendez (ESP)Alejandro Menendez was one of three coaches to take charge of BuriramUnited during their run to the quarter-finals of the AFC ChampionsLeague last year. The Spaniard replaced Scott Cooper in September whenthe Englishman resigned for personal reasons, just four months after hehad taken over from Attaphol Puspakom. The 47-year-old Menendez hadspells in charge of Celta Vigo, Racing Santander and Real Madrid’s B sideCastilla before he accepted the job at Buriram, which is his first coachingposition outside his native Spain.33GROUP E

Shandong LunengCHNCerezo OsakaJPNQualified as: Chinese Super League - Runner-up • Founded: 1956 • Ground: Olympic Sports Center Stadium, Jinan (60,000)Chinese Super League (4): 2010, 2008, 2006, 1999 FA Cup (4): 2006, 2004, 1999, 1995AFC Champions League: Quarter-Finals 2005; Group Stage 2011, 2010, 2009, 2007Qualified as: J.League - Fourth • Founded: 1957 • Ground: Osaka Nagai Stadium, Osaka (20,000)AFC Champions League: Quarter-Finals 2011GROUP E34OverviewShandong Luneng return for their sixth AFC Champions League appearanceafter finishing second in the Chinese Super League last season. Adisappointing 12th place finish in 2012 meant a failure to qualify for lastyear’s competition, but a return to form under the guidance of Serbiancoach Radomir Antic meant only all-conquering Guangzhou Evergrandefinished above them in last year’s campaign. In 1999, Shandong madehistory by becoming the first Chinese club team to win the league and FACup double. Continuing their domestic domination into the 2000s, theJinan-based side won three league titles and two FA Cups in a six yearspell between 2004-2010.Key PlayersProlific Brazilian striker Vagner Love joined Shandong midway through2013 and netted six goals in just 10 games. Boasting a UEFA Cup winner’smedal and a host of titles from his time at Russian side CSKA Moscow, thestriker’s clinical finishing will be a great asset to his new side in the AFCChampions League. Signed from Shanghai Shenhua in the start of 2014,goalkeeper Wang Dalei is considered by many to be the future numberone of the China national team. Under the tutelage of former Englandinternational Ian Walker, the young custodian has grown into one of thebest goalkeepers in the Chinese Super League. Former China captain DuWei is a central figure at the heart of the Shandong defence with over 60international caps and was named in the Chinese Super League Team ofthe Year in 2012.Coach: Cuca (BRA)More usually known as Cuca, Brazilian coach Alexi Stival left his postat Atletico Mineiro to join Shandong in December as a replacement forRadomir Antic, who was released by the club at the end of the 2013campaign. In his time at the Brazilian side, Cuca won the CampeonatoMineiro twice and the 2013 Copa Libertadores - the first in Atletico’shistory. The 50-year-old has over 15 years of coaching experienceincluding spells at Brazil’s most prestigious clubs in the form of Gremio,Santos, Fluminese and Flamengo.31Aloisio16Zheng Zheng33Jin Jingdao3Du WeiNo. Pos. Name Date of Birth1 GK Yang Chen 11/10/19853 DF Du Wei 09/02/19824 DF Ryan McGowan 15/08/19895 DF Wang Qiang 23/07/19826 DF Zhao Mingjian 22/11/19877 MF Cui Peng 31/05/19878 FW Wang Yongpo 19/01/19879 FW Han Peng 13/09/198310 FW Vagner Love 11/06/198411 DF Wang Tong 12/02/199312 GK Geng Xiaofeng 15/10/198713 MF Zhang Wenzhao 28/05/198714 DF Mi Haolun 10/01/199316 DF Zheng Zheng 11/07/198917 FW Wu Xinghan 24/02/199318 FW Yang Xu 12/02/198820 FW Wang Gang 17/02/198921 MF Liu Bin Bin 16/06/199323 MF Liu Wei 18/03/198524 FW Lu Zheng 25/02/198525 GK Wang Dalei 10/01/198928 FW Hao Junmin 24/03/198729 FW Gao Di 06/01/199030 MF Walter Montillo 14/04/198431 FW Aloisio 19/06/198833 MF Jin Jingdao 18/11/199235 DF Dai Lin 28/11/198710Vagner Love30Montillo25Wang Dalei4McGowan7Cui Peng8Wang Yongpo11Wang Tong13Minamino14Maruhashi10Forlan2Ohgihara4Fujimoto21Kim Jin-hyeon8Kakitani6Yamaguchi23Yamashita18Nichols17SakemotoNo. Pos. Name Date of Birth1 GK Hiroyuki Takeda 30/11/19832 MF Takahiro Ohgihara 05/10/19913 DF Yuta Someya 30/09/19864 DF Kohta Fujimoto 02/04/19865 MF Ariajasuru Hasegawa 29/10/19886 MF Hotaru Yamaguchi 06/10/19907 DF Toru Araiba 12/07/19798 FW Yoichiro Kakitani 03/01/19909 FW Ryo Nagai 23/05/199110 FW Diego Forlan 19/05/197911 MF Jumpei Kusukami 27/08/198713 MF Takumi Minamino 16/01/199514 DF Yusuke Maruhashi 02/09/199015 MF Takamitsu Yoshino 24/04/198916 DF Jun Ando 08/10/198417 DF Noriyuki Sakemoto 08/09/198418 MF Mitch Nichols 01/05/198919 DF Yuki Kotani 27/07/199120 FW Kenyu Sugimoto 18/11/199221 GK Kim Jin-hyeon 06/07/198722 GK Gu Sung-yun 27/06/199423 DF Tatsuya Yamashita 07/11/198724 MF Takeru Okada 31/08/199425 MF Masato Kurogi 24/10/198926 MF Daichi Akiyama 28/07/199427 GK Kenta Tanno 30/08/1986OverviewOn a frenetic final day of the 2013 J.League season, Cerezo Osaka tookfourth place by virtue of a superior goal-difference over Kashima Antlersand a point more than Urawa Reds. And with J.League runners-upYokohama F. Marinos going onto win the Emperor’s Cup, Cerezo qualifiedfor only their second AFC Champions League appearance. After three yearsin the second tier, Cerezo achieved promotion to the top flight in 2009and a third-place finish in their first season back in the J.League resultedin a debut in the 2011 AFC Champions League where they reached thequarter-finals.Key PlayersUruguay international Diego Forlan joined Cerezo at the start of the yearfrom Brazil’s Internacional having been named the best player at the 2010FIFA World Cup after scoring five goals as his side reached the semi-finals.The former Independiente, Manchester United, Villarreal, Atletico Madridand Inter Milan striker is a two-time winner of Europe’s golden shoe.Named in the J.League’s Team of the Year, midfielder Hotaru Yamaguchiwas part of Japan’s side at the 2012 Olympic Games. He received his firstcall-up to the senior Japan side by coach Alberto Zaccheroni for the 2013EAFF East Asian Cup and was named tournament MVP. Yoichiro Kakitanitop scored at the 2013 EAFF East Asian Cup before netting 21 goals lastseason.Coach: Ranko Popovic (SRB)Serbian Ranko Popovic replaced Levir Culpi at the end of last year aftertaking FC Tokyo to an eighth place finish in the J.League. Popovic had hisfirst taste of Japanese football as assistant coach at Sanfrecce Hiroshimain 2006 before taking on the reigns of Oita Trinita midway through the2009 season. A successful stint at Machida Zelvia, where the Serbianled the Japan Football League side to promotion to the second tier ofJapanese football, saw Emperor’s Cup champions FC Tokyo come calling inDecember 2011. With the newly promoted J.League side, Popovic enjoyedhis first taste of the AFC Champions League as the debutants made it intothe Round of 16 of the continental championship before being eliminatedby Guangzhou Evergrande.35GROUP E

Sanfrecce HiroshimaJPNCentral Coast MarinersAUSQualified as: J. League - Champion • Founded: : 1938 (as Mazda Football Club)Ground: Hiroshima Big Arch, Hiroshima (50,000)J.League (2): 2012, 2013AFC Champions League: Group Stage 2013, 2010Qualified as: A-League – Grand Final Winner • Founded: 2004 • Ground: Gosford Stadium, Gosford (20,059)A-League Grand Final (1): 2013A-League Premiership (2): 2012, 2008AFC Champions League: Round of 16 2013; Group Stage 2012, 2009GROUP F36OverviewSanfrecce Hiroshima secured a third AFC Champions League appearanceafter successfully defending their J.League title. They became just thesecond team in the single season era - after Kashima Antlers - to retainthe J.League title. Sanfrecce had claimed their first J.League title in 2012,but having also appeared in the AFC Champions League in 2010, againfailed to progress past the group stage last season. Known as Mazda inthe days before the J.League, they club finished third at in the 1969 AsianClub Championship.Key PlayersWhile Hisato Sato’s performances fell short of hitting the heights of his2012 season, where he was named the J. League’s MPV and top scorer,the Japan striker still netted 17 goals last season and he remains the focalpoint of the Sanfrecce attack. Named in the J.League’s Best XI for secondyear in a row was defensive midfielder Toshihiro Aoyama, the JapanInternational who acted as the first line of defence for the side’s backlineand anchored play in the middle of the park. Korea Republic internationalHwang Seok-ho continued to enhance his reputation at Sanfrecce withthe versatile defender relied upon heavily in the side’s championship run.The 24-year-old played for the Korea side that won the bronze medal atthe 2012 Olympics and may yet appear for his country at this summer’sFIFA World Cup after recently being called up to the senior side.Coach: Hajime Moriyasu (JPN)The J.League’s Coach of the Year for a second consecutive season,Hajime Moiryasu has led Sanfrecce to back-to-back titles following hisappointment in December 2011. The 45-year-old, an AFC Asian Cupwinner with the national team in 1992, has spent the bulk of his playingand coaching career with Sanfrecce, bookending a period as assistantcoach with Japan’s youth teams at the 2006 AFC U-19 Championship and2009 FIFA U-20 World Cup, and a spell with Albirex Niigata. Moriyasuguides a Sanfrecce side who are tough to beat on the pitch but also fair onthe field, as they won the J. League’s team Fair Play Prize, the TakamadoCup, for the second season in a row.2Hwang Seok-ho33Shiotani10Takahagi8Morisaki11Sato5Chiba1Hayashi9Ishihara6Aoyama4Mizumoto14MikicNo. Pos. Name Date of Birth1 GK Takuto Hayashi 09/08/19822 DF Hwang Seok-ho 27/06/19893 DF Byeon Jun-byum 05/02/19914 DF Hiroki Mizumoto 12/09/19855 DF Kazuhiko Chiba 21/06/19856 MF Toshihiro Aoyama 22/02/19867 MF Koji Morisaki 09/05/19818 MF Kazuyuki Morisaki 09/05/19819 FW Naoki Ishihara 14/08/198410 MF Yojiro Takahagi 02/08/198611 FW Hisato Sato 12/03/198213 GK Takuya Masuda 29/06/198914 MF Mihael Mikic 06/01/198016 MF Satoru Yamagishi 03/05/198317 DF Park Hyung-jin 24/06/199018 MF Yoshifumi Kashiwa 28/07/198721 GK Yutaro Hara 23/04/199022 FW Yusuke Minagawa 09/10/199124 MF Gakuto Notsuda 06/06/199425 MF Yusuke Chajima 20/07/199127 MF Kohei Shimizu 30/04/198928 MF Takuya Marutani 30/05/198929 FW Takuma Asano 11/10/199430 MF Kosei Shibasaki 28/08/198431 GK Teimoshii Shiraoka 08/09/199633 DF Tsukasa Shiotani 05/12/198834 DF Soya Takahashi 29/02/199635 DF Naoki Otani 24/09/199536 MF Hayao Kawabe 08/09/199537 MF Kazuya Miyahara 22/03/199621Sterjovski3Rose19Simon8Montgomery5Anderson12Reddy9Duke7Hutchinson4Siep26Kim Seung-yong15RouxNo. Pos. Name Date of Birth1 GK Justin Pasfield 30/05/19853 DF Josh Rose 16/12/19814 DF Marcel Seip 05/04/19825 DF Zac Anderson 30/04/19916 DF Brent Griffiths 24/03/19907 MF John Hutchinson 29/12/19798 MF Nick Montgomery 28/10/19819 FW Mitchell Duke 18/01/199111 FW Nick Fitzgerald 13/02/199212 GK Liam Reddy 08/08/198113 DF Hayden Morton 03/02/199415 DF Storm Roux 13/01/199317 MF Anthony Caceres 29/09/199219 FW Matt Simon 22/01/198620 FW Bernie Ibini-Isei 12/09/199221 FW Mile Sterjovski 27/05/197922 FW Tom Slater 26/08/199625 DF Eddy Bosnar 29/04/198026 MF Kim Seung-yong 14/03/198527 MF Isaka Cernak 09/04/198928 MF Glen Trifiro 10/07/198929 DF Matt Sim 18/04/198872 GK John Crawley 05/03/1972OverviewAfter enduring years of frustration, Central Coast Mariners finallylanded their first A-League championship last season with a 2-0 winover Western Sydney Wanderers in the Grand Final. Despite twice beingcrowned Premiership winners, the Gosford-based club were regardedas the bridesmaids of the A-League after losing previous Grand Finalsin 2006, 2008 and 2011, but goals by Patrick Zwaanswijk and DanielMcBreen helped to lay those disappointments to rest. The Mariners alsobroke new ground in the AFC Champions League in 2013 when theyadvanced to the knockout stage for the first time in their third appearancein the competition. After finishing second in their group behind Japan’sKashiwa Reysol, they bowed out in the Round of 16 to eventual championsGuangzhou Evergrande.Key PlayersKorean midfielder Kim Seung-yong joined Central Coast from UlsanHyundai in February. Having played in the AFC Champions League for FCSeoul in 2009 and Gamba Osaka in 2011, he enjoyed his best outing withUlsan two years ago as he played in all 12 games including the final whenhe scored and contributed an assist. Centre-back Eddy Bosnar returnedhome to Australia in February having spent the past 14 years playingabroad with spells in Croatia, Austria, Holland, Japan, Korea Republic andChina. Left-back Joshua Rose was named on the A-League’s All Star Teamafter he helped Central Coast to reach the grand final in 2011. Two yearslater, he played a key role in his club’s A-League success, playing in allbut one of their games during the season.Coach: Phil Moss (AUS)Having served as an assistant coach under Graham Arnold with bothAustralia’s U-23 side and Central Coast Mariners, Phil Moss took chargeof the A-League club last November after his former mentor left for Japanto manage Vegalta Sendai. The 42-year-old former defender turned tocoaching at the tail-end of his 13-year playing career and he had a spellin charge of New South Wales Premier League side Manly United beforehe joined Arnold at Central Coast in 2010.37GROUP F

FC SeoulKORQualified as: K-League Classic - Fourth • Founded: 1983 • Ground: Seoul World Cup Stadium, Seoul (66,080)K-League (5): 2012, 2010, 2000, 1990, 1985FA Cup (1): 1998AFC Champions League: Runner-up 2013; Quarter-Finals 2011, 2009Asian Club Championship: Runner-up 200222Koh Myong-jin7Kim Chi-woo10Rafael13Go Yo-han28Osmar1Kim Yong-dae14Park Hee-seong9Escudero6Kim Jin-kyu24Yun Il-lok5Cha Du-riNo. Pos. Name Date of Birth1 GK Kim Yong-dae 11/10/19792 DF Choi Hyo-jin 18/08/19833 DF Lee Woong-hee 18/07/19884 DF Kim Ju-young 09/07/19885 DF Cha Du-ri 25/07/19806 DF Kim Jin-kyu 16/02/19857 DF Kim Chi-woo 11/11/19839 FW Sergio Escudero 01/09/198810 FW Rafael Costa 23/08/198713 MF Go Yo-han 10/03/198814 FW Park Hee-seong 07/04/199015 DF Cho Min-woo 13/05/199217 MF Choi Hyun-tae 15/09/198718 FW Kim Hyun-sung 27/09/198919 FW Yun Ju-tae 22/06/199020 MF Han Tae-you 31/03/198121 DF Sim Sang-min 21/05/199322 MF Koh Myong-jin 09/01/198824 MF Yun Il-lok 07/03/199226 DF Kim Nam-chun 19/04/198927 MF Ko Kwang-min 21/09/198828 DF Osmar Barba 05/06/198829 MF Lee Sang-hyeob 01/01/199030 DF Lee Jun-hyeong 12/02/199131 GK Yu Sang-hun 25/05/198932 MF Jung Seung-yong 25/03/199133 DF Kim Woo-hyun 20/09/199134 FW Jung Dong-cheol 20/01/199238 MF Yoon Hyun-oh 11/02/199541 GK Kim Chol-ho 25/10/1995OverviewAfter going out in the quarter-finals on their previous two appearancesin the AFC Champions League, FC Seoul made it all the way to the finallast season. But they came up just short in their quest to become thefifth Korean club to win the tournament as they were beaten on awaygoals by Guangzhou Evergrande after a 2-2 draw in Seoul and a 1-1 drawin China. The club, which relocated from the satellite city of Anyang tothe Korean capital in 2004, won their second Korean title in three yearsin 2012 but finished a disappointing fourth last year, 12 points behindchampions Pohang Steelers. However, they secured a berth in the AFCChampions League after Pohang also won the FA Cup.Key PlayersFollowing the departure of Ha Dae-sung in the off-season, experiencedcentre-back Kim Jin-kyu has taken over the captaincy of FC Seoul for the2014 season. The well-built 28-year-old, who is in his second spell at theclub after stints with China’s Dalian Shide and Japan’s Ventforet Kofu, isa reliable defender who also scores his fair share of goals. He played forKorea Republic at the AFC Asian Cup in 2004 and 2007 and also appearedat the 2006 FIFA World Cup and 2008 Olympic Games. Imposing Spanishcentre-back Osmar Barba joined FC Seoul at the start of the season fromThailand’s Buriram United. He is a product of the youth system at Spain’sRacing Santander, and he made his Primera Liga debut for the club in2009 but failed to establish himself as a regular there and left to joinBuriram in the middle of 2012.Coach: Choi Yong-soo (KOR)Appointed as caretaker coach in April 2011 following the resignation ofHwangbo Kwan, Choi Yong-soo landed the K-League championship inhis first full season in charge, and a year later was named the AFC Coachof the Year. A hard working and prolific striker during his playing days,Choi played for Korea Republic at the 1998 and 2002 FIFA World Cup. Hebegan his playing career at Anyang Cheetahs in 1994 and had spells atthree Japanese clubs before he retired as an FC Seoul player in 2006.39GROUP F

Beijing GuoanCHNQualified as: Chinese Super League - Third via play-offs • Founded: 1992 • Ground: Workers’ Stadium, Beijing (61,000)Chinese Super League (1): 2009 FA Cup (3): 2003, 1997, 1996AFC Champions League: Round of 16 2013, 2010; Group Stage 2012, 2009, 2008Asian Cup Winners’ Cup: Semi-Finals 199810Zhang Xizhe20Zhang Xinxin5Matic13Xu Yunglong22Yang Zhi18Lang Zheng39Piao ChengNo. Pos. Name Date of Birth1 GK Zhang Sipeng 14/05/19873 DF Yu Yang 06/08/19894 DF Zhou Ting 05/02/19795 MF Darko Matic 26/09/19806 MF Zhang Xiaobin 14/02/19857 DF Yang Yun 18/07/19898 MF Joffre Guerron 28/04/19859 FW Tan Tiancheng 15/05/199110 MF Zhang Xizhe 23/01/199111 MF Song Boxuan 16/09/198912 GK Hou Sen 30/06/198913 DF Xu Yunlong 17/02/197915 FW Peter Utaka 12/02/198416 MF Ha Dae-sung 02/03/198517 MF Xu Wu 14/02/199118 DF Lang Zheng 22/07/198619 MF Wang Xiaolong 11/03/198620 DF Zhang Xinxin 19/10/198322 GK Yang Zhi 15/01/198324 MF Li Hanbo 26/01/199125 DF Zhang Shuai 18/01/199326 MF Wang Hao 18/02/198929 MF Shao Jiayi 10/04/198031 DF Zhao Hejing 11/05/198536 GK Bai Xiaolei 04/09/198537 MF Du Mingyang 20/01/199339 MF Piao Cheng 21/08/198940 MF Cao Hanchen 28/06/199348 FW Gong Zheng 20/04/199368 FW Zhang Chengdong 09/02/198915Utaka16Ha Dae-Sung19Wang Xiaolong4Zhou TingOverviewBeijing secured a sixth AFC Champions League appearance in seven seasonsafter defeating Thai side Chonburi in the play-offs. The side from thecapital could have qualified outright for the tournament via their seventhtop three finish in the last eight seasons, but Guizhou Renhe’s FA Cupfinal victory over Guangzhou Evergrande meant they had to negotiate thequalifying rounds for the first time. Despite continued domestic success,where Beijing also reached the semi-finals of the FA Cup, and progress onthe continent in the form of a place in the last 16 of the AFC ChampionsLeague last year, Alexander Stanojevic was unable to keep his job and theSerbian coach departed at the end of last season.Key PlayersKorean midfielder Ha Dae-sung joined Beijing from FC Seoul in Januarycaptained the side to the 2013 AFC Champions League final againstGuangzhou Evergrande. Ha also helped FC Seoul win two K-League titlesin 2012 and 2013. Massively experienced Beijing skipper Xu Yunlonghas spent his entire professional career with Beijing and the defenderwas a part of China’s squad at the 2002 FIFA World Cup. The veterancentreback was named in the Chinese Super League Team of the Year lastyear alongside midfielder Zhang Xizhe, who had his breakout season in2013. The young star netted 11 times and assisted on 12 occasions in 30games for Beijing, while also scoring his first goal for the national teamin a 6–1 home victory against Singapore last September.Coach: Gregorio Manzano (ESP)Former RCD Mallorca coach Gregorio Manzano was appointed Beijingcoach just days before their crucial play-off against Chonburi. Manzano,who led Mallorca to the 2003 Copa del Rey title in the first of his threestints with the Palma-based side, has been manager of numerous La Ligaclubs including Atletico Madrid, Sevilla and Malaga. The 57-year-oldreplaced Aleksandar Stanojevic who led Beijing to a third-place finish inthe Chinese Super League and to the semi-finals of the Chinese FA Cupduring his time with the club.41GROUP F

Guangzhou EvergrandeCHNQualified as: Chinese Super League - Champion • Founded: 1954 • Ground: Tianhe Sports Center Stadium, Guangzhou (60,000)Chinese Super League (3): 2013, 2012, 2011 FA Cup (1): 2012; Runner-up 2013AFC Champions League (1): 2013; Quarter-finals 2012Jeonbuk Hyundai MotorsKORQualified as: K-League Classic – Third • Founded: 1994 • Ground: Jeonju World Cup Stadium, Jeonju (43,389)K-League (2): 2011, 2009 FA Cup (3): 2005, 2003, 2000AFC Champions League (1): 2006; Runner-up 2011; Semi-Finals 2004; Quarter-Finals 2010, 2007; Round of 16 2013; GroupStage 2012Asian Cup Winners’ Cup: Runner-up 2002GROUP G42OverviewGuangzhou Evergrande return to defend their 2013 AFC ChampionsLeague title after winning the Chinese Super League for a national recordthird time in a row with six games to spare. The Southern Chinese clubmade history last November as Guangzhou became the first Chinese sideto be crowned continental champions since Liaoning won the Asian ClubChampionship in 1990. Bank-rolled by the Guangzhou Real Estate Group,the team have brought in China’s leading players and overseas talentto dominate the domestic scene since 2011. Helmed by world-renownedcoach Marcello Lippi, and with an attacking line-up that includes freescoringBrazilian duo Elkeson and Muriqui combining with China nationalteam stars Zheng Zhi, Gao Lin and Zhang Linpeng, Guangzhou will beheavy favourites to repeat their feats of 2013.Key PlayersNamed 2013 AFC Player of the Year for his performances for both cluband country, midfielder Zheng Zhi has captained the club’s rise from thesecond division to the very pinnacle of the continental game. Brazilianforward Muriqui capped off a stellar year by being named AFC ForeignPlayer of the Year having picked up the AFC Champions League TopGoalscorer and tournament MVP accolades. Scoring in both legs of the2013 AFC Champions League final, Elkeson’s clinical finishing on boththe continent and the domestic front, where he was top scorer in theChinese Super League last season, enhanced the 24-year-old Brazilian’sreputation as one of the most potent strikers currently playing in Asia.Coach: Marcello Lippi (ITA)Guangzhou’s historic victory meant Marcello Lippi became the first coachto win both the AFC Champions League and the UEFA Champions League,which he claimed with Juventus in 1996. After guiding Guangzhou to asuccessful retention of their Chinese Super League title, the Italian andhis side narrowly missed out on an unprecedented treble last year as theywere beaten in the FA Cup final by Guizhou Renhe. A former midfielderwith Sampdoria, Lippi has been recognised as one of the world’s mostsuccessful managers securing five Serie A titles in his career, three ChineseSuper League crowns and the 2006 FIFA World Cup with Italy.11Muriqui32Sun Xiang10Zheng Zhi6Feng XiaotingNo. Pos. Name Date of Birth1 GK Fang Jingqi 17/01/19932 MF Liao Lisheng 29/04/19933 DF Mei Fang 14/11/19895 DF Zhang Linpeng 09/05/19896 DF Feng Xiaoting 22/10/19857 MF Feng Junyan 18/02/19849 FW Elkeson 13/07/198910 MF Zheng Zhi 20/08/198011 FW Muriqui 16/06/198612 MF Zheng Long 15/04/198814 MF Feng Renliang 08/01/198916 MF Huang Bowen 13/07/198719 GK Zeng Cheng 08/01/198720 MF Yang Xin 25/01/199422 GK Li Shuai 18/08/198223 FW Alessandro Diamanti 02/05/198324 DF Liu Haidong 28/02/199525 FW Gan Tiancheng 20/01/199526 DF Li Jianbin 19/04/198928 DF Kim Young-gwon 27/02/199029 FW Gao Lin 14/02/198630 FW Yang Chaosheng 22/07/199331 DF Luo Jiacheng 05/01/199532 DF Sun Xiang 15/01/198233 DF Rong Hao 07/04/198734 FW Hu Weiwei 03/03/199437 MF Zhao Xuri 03/12/198539 MF Tan Jiajun 17/12/199340 DF Hu Bowen 20/01/19949Elkeson23Diamanti19Zeng Cheng16Huang Bowen28Kim Young-gwon29Gao Lin5Zhang Linpeng10Leonardo3Lee Jae-moung15Jung Hyuk18Wilkinson23Choi Eun-sung27Kwon Kyung-won5Jung In-whanNo. Pos. Name Date of Birth1 GK Kwoun Sun-tae 11/09/19842 DF Lee Kyu-ro 20/08/19883 DF Lee Jae-moung 25/07/19914 DF Kim Kee-hee 13/07/19895 DF Jung In-whan 15/12/19866 MF Choi Bo-kyung 12/04/19887 MF Han Kyo-won 15/06/19908 MF Marcos Aurelio 10/02/19849 FW Kaio 06/07/198710 MF Leonardo 22/09/198611 MF Lee Seung-gi 02/06/198813 MF Kim In-sung 09/09/198914 FW Lee Seung-yeoul 06/03/198915 MF Jung Hyuk 21/05/198617 MF Lee Jae-sung 10/08/199218 DF Alex Wilkinson 13/08/198419 DF Park Won-jae 28/05/198420 FW Lee Dong-gook 29/04/197921 GK Lee Bum-soo 10/12/199023 GK Choi Eun-sung 05/04/197124 MF Park Se-jik 25/05/198926 FW Kim Shin 30/03/199527 DF Kwon Kyung-won 31/01/199228 DF Lee Gang-jin 25/04/198629 DF Kwon Young-jin 23/01/199130 MF Cho Young-jun 24/08/199132 MF Lee Ju-yong 26/09/199233 MF Jeong Jong-hee 01/03/199234 DF Mun Jin-yong 14/12/199155 MF Kim Nam-il 14/03/197720Lee Dong-gook11Lee Sueng-gi8Aurelio4Kim Kee-heeOverviewJeonbuk Hyundai Motors booked their spot in the AFC Champions Leaguefor a fifth consecutive year after finishing third in the K-League Classic in2013. They just missed out on claiming silverware as they were beaten ina penalty shootout by Pohang Steelers in the FA Cup final. The first Koreanclub to win the AFC Champions League in 2006 after a 3-2 aggregatevictory over Syria’s Al Karamah, Jeonbuk also reached the semi-finals in2004 and lost the 2011 final on penalties to Qatar’s Al Sadd. They wentout at the group stage in 2012 and were beaten in the Round of 16 byJapan’s Kashiwa Reysol last season.Key PlayersLee Dong-gook enjoyed another fine goal-scoring season in 2013 whenthe veteran Korea Republic international striker netted 13 goals forJeonbuk in the league while notching another three in the AFC ChampionsLeague to raise his personal tally in the competition to 20. He was namedAFC Champions League MVP and top scorer as Jeonbuk reached the 2011final. Having joined Jeonbuk from Greek side AEK Athens in the summerof 2012, Brazilian attacking midfielder Leonardo enjoyed a tremendousfirst full season at the club last year when he scored seven league goalsand set up 13 more to earn a spot in the K-League Classic’s Best XI.Lee Seung-gi emerged as one of the K League’s brightest young starsin 2011 when he netted eight goals for Gwangju and won the Rookie ofthe Year award. The 25-year-old joined Jeonbuk before the start of the2013 season and tallied seven goals despite suffering a thigh injury thatsidelined him for several weeks.Coach: Alejandro Menendez (ESP)A former Korea Republic international defender, Choi Kang-hee becamehead coach of Jeonbuk midway through 2005 and led them to victory inthe FA Cup and the AFC Champions League the following year. Jeonbukalso won two K-League championships and reached the 2011 AFCChampions League final under Choi before he was appointed head coachof Korea Republic in late 2011. He guided the Taeguk Warriors to the2014 FIFA World Cup finals before returning to Jeonbuk last June.43GROUP G

Yokohama F . MarinosJPNQualified as: : J.League – Runner-up • Founded: 1972 (as Nissan Motors FC)Ground: Yokohama International Stadium, Yokohama (72,327)J.League (3): 2004, 2003, 1995 Emperor’s Cup (6): 1991, 1989, 1988, 1985, 1983AFC Champions League: Group Stage 2005, 2004Asian Cup Winners’ Cup (2): 1993, 1992Melbourne VictoryAUSQualified as: A-League – Third via play-offs • Founded: 2004 • Ground: Docklands Stadium, Melbourne (53,359)A-League Grand Final (2): 2009, 2007 A-League Premiership (2): 2009, 2007AFC Champions League: Group Stage 2011, 2010, 2008GROUP G44OverviewYokohama F.Marinos gained revenge for their final day defeat to SanfrecceHiroshima in the J.League title race with victory in the Emperor’s Cupfinal. The club’s first trophy since winning the league in 2004 ensureda return to the AFC Champions League for the first time since 2005. Inthe 1990s, Yokohama enjoyed continental success winning the Asian CupWinners’ Cup twice before appearing in the group stage of the 1996 AsianClub Championship. They then appeared in the AFC Champions League in2004 and 2005, but again failed to reach the knockout stage.Key PlayersFormer Celtic star and Japan national team icon Shunsuke Nakamurarolled back the years in the 2013 season captaining his team to the verybrink of the J.League championship. Although the title race was to endin heartbreak for the 35-year-old, Nakamura was named J.League Playerof the Year. Charismatic centre-back Yuji Nakazawa was one of Japan’sheroes at the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa and the veteran’sstalwart displays in defence for Yokohama last season showed that he haslost none of the skills that drew international acclaim, earning him a placein the J.League Team of the Year. With the departure of veteran Brazilianstriker Marquinhos, responsibility for leading the line could well fall tonew number nine Takuro Yajima, after the player was transferred acrossfrom Kawasaki Frontale in January.Coach: Yasuhiro Higuchi (JPN)Yasuhiro Higuchi has been involved with Yokohama F.Marinos sincetheir days as Nissan Motors. Originally from Mie prefecture, Higuchifirst played for Yokohama’s youth side and then the first team where hespent five years, before injuries saw his professional career stall and endprematurely. Turning to management, he coached at Montedio Yamagata,Omiya Ardija and Yokohama F.C. before joining the Marinos ahead of the2012 season where he guided the side to fourth place in the league; afeat he would better in 2013 with a runners-up spot in the J.League anda return to the AFC Champions League.11Saito5Dutra8Nakamachi22NakazawaNo. Pos. Name Date of Birth1 GK Tetsuya Enomoto 02/05/19834 DF Yuzo Kurihara 18/09/19835 DF Dutra 11/08/19736 MF Shohei Ogura 08/09/19857 MF Shingo Hyodo 29/07/19858 MF Kosuke Nakamachi 01/09/19859 FW Takuro Yajima 28/03/198410 MF Shunsuke Nakamura 24/06/197811 MF Manabu Saito 04/04/199013 DF Yuzo Kobayashi 15/11/198514 MF Andrew Kumagai 06/06/199315 DF Fabio 28/02/198916 FW Sho Ito 24/07/198817 MF Jin Hanato 31/05/199019 FW Yoshihito Fujita 13/04/198320 MF Yuhei Sato 29/10/199021 GK Hiroki Iikura 01/06/198622 DF Yuji Nakazawa 25/02/197823 DF Takumi Shimohira 06/10/198824 DF Yuta Narawa 29/08/198725 MF Jungo Fujimoto 24/03/198426 MF Yuta Mikado 26/12/198627 MF Seitaro Tomisawa 07/08/198228 MF Takuya Kida 23/08/199429 MF Jun Amano 19/07/199130 GK Yuji Rokutan 10/04/198731 GK Ryota Suzuki 10/02/199432 MF Sho Matsumoto 04/04/199233 DF Fumitaka Kitatani 18/08/19959Yajima10Nakamura1Enomoto4Kurihara27Tomisawa7Hyodo13Kobayashi14Troisi3Traore10Thompson6Broxham2Contreras5Milligan23LeijerNo. Pos. Name Date of Birth1 GK Nathan Coe 01/06/19842 DF Pablo Contreras 11/09/19783 DF Adama Traore 03/02/19904 DF Nicholas Ansell 02/02/19945 MF Mark Milligan 04/08/19856 MF Leigh Broxham 13/01/19889 FW Kosta Barbarouses 19/02/199010 FW Archie Thompson 23/10/197811 FW Connor Pain 11/11/199313 FW Andrew Nabbout 17/12/199214 MF James Troisi 03/07/198816 MF Rashid Mahazi 20/04/199217 MF James Jeggo 12/02/199218 MF Francesco Stella 25/07/199120 GK Lawrence Thomas 09/05/199221 MF Tomas Rogic 16/12/199222 FW Jesse Makarounas 18/04/199423 DF Adrian Leijer 25/03/198624 DF Scott Galloway 25/04/199525 DF Jason Geria 10/05/199326 MF Jordan Brown 14/08/199627 DF Dylan Murnane 18/01/199528 MF Christopher Cristaldo 15/01/199529 DF Milos Ridesic 07/03/199630 GK Keegan Coulter 01/03/19951Coe9Barbarouses21Rogic24GallowayOverviewMelbourne Victory booked their place in the group stage of the AFCChampions League for a fourth time after they overcame Thailand’sMuangthong United in February’s third round play-off. Boasting thelargest supporter base in the A-League, Melbourne enjoyed much successin their early years, winning the premiership and Grand Final double in2007 and 2009 and finishing runners-up in 2010. They missed the playoffsin 2012 but returned to contention last year as they finished thirdand were narrowly beaten in the semi-finals by Central Coast Mariners.The Australian club will be looking to improve on their disappointingrecord in the AFC Champions League as they failed to get past the groupstage in all three of their previous appearances.Key PlayersOne of Australia’s brightest young talents, midfielder Tomas Rogic joinedMelbourne on loan from Scottish giants Celtic in January ahead of the2014 FIFA World Cup. He had joined Celtic from Central Coast Mariners inJanuary 2013 and made his international debut last June. Veteran strikerArchie Thompson, 35, remains a reliable source of goals for Melbourne inhis ninth season with the club. Thompson was signed by Melbourne forthe inaugural A-League season in 2005 and netted five goals in their 6-0thumping of Adelaide United in the 2007 Grand Final. Mark Milligan isa versatile Australia international and brings plenty of experience to hisrole as captain of Melbourne. The 28-year-old had spells with NewcastleJets, Chinese Super League side Shanghai Shenhua and J.League clubJEF United Chiba before he joined Melbourne in 2012. He has previouslyappeared for Sydney FC and Shanghai in the AFC Champions League.Coach: Kevin Muscat (AUS)A former Australia international defender who spent a decade in Britainplaying for Crystal Palace, Wolverhampton Wanderers, Rangers andMillwall, Kevin Muscat became an assistant coach at Melbourne Victoryafter he ended his playing career with the A-League club in 2011. Brieflythe club’s caretaker coach after the sacking of Mehmet Durakovic in 2012,the 40-year-old was handed the job on a full-time basis last October afterAnge Postecoglou left to become head coach of Australia.45GROUP G

Western Sydney WanderersAUSQualified as: A-League Premiership – Winner • Founded: 2012 • Ground: Parramatta Stadium, Parramatta (21,500)A-League Premiership (1): 2013Guizhou RenheCHNQualified as: Chinese FA Cup - Winner • Founded: 1995 • Ground: Guiyang Olympic Centre, Guiyang (53,000)FA Cup (1): 2013AFC Champions League: Group Stage 2013GROUP H46OverviewWestern Sydney Wanderers enjoyed a sensational debut in the A-Leaguein 2012-13 as they claimed the regular season title and reached the GrandFinal in their inaugural campaign. After a poor start which saw them pickup only 10 points from their first nine games, the Wanderers hit theirstride during the run-in as they reeled off 10 consecutive victories to pipCentral Coast Mariners to the Premiership by three points to secure a spotin the 2014 AFC Champions League. They stretched their unbeaten recordin the A-League to 13 games with a 2-0 win over defending championsBrisbane Roar in the play-off semi-finals but fell at the final hurdle,losing 2-0 to Central Coast in the Grand Final.Key PlayersJapanese midfielder Shinji Ono played an influential part in WesternSydney’s highly successful debut season in 2012-13 as he appeared inall but three of their games and netted eight goals. An AFC Asian Cupwinner with Japan in 2000, Ono was named AFC Player of the Year twoyears later after he helped Dutch club Feyenoord to win the UEFA Cup andaided his country’s progression to the last 16 at the FIFA World Cup whilealso claiming the AFC Champions League when on the books of UrawaReds in 2007. Defender Michael Beauchamp arrived at Western Sydneyin 2012 after spells in Germany, Denmark and the UAE as well as threeother A-League clubs. Beauchamp played for Australia at the 2007 AFCAsian Cup and 2010 FIFA World Cup and was appointed as the Wanderers’inaugural club captain. Forward Mark Bridge won the Wanderers’ Playerof the Year award and Golden Boot last season after scoring 11 goals.Coach: Tony Popovic (AUS)A former Australia international defender, whose 20-year playing careerincluded spells at clubs in Japan, Qatar and England, Tony Popovic turnedto coaching after he hung up his boots in 2008 and worked as an assistantcoach at Sydney FC and England’s Crystal Palace before he was put incharge of Western Sydney Wanderers in 2012. Despite his inexperience asa head coach, the 40-year-old led the newly-formed club to the regularseason title which deservedly earned him the A-League’s Coach of theYear award.11Santalab3D’Apuzzo10Mooy5BeauchampNo. Pos. Name Date of Birth1 GK Ante Covic 13/06/10752 DF Shannon Cole 04/08/19843 DF Adam D’Apuzzo 20/10/19864 DF Nikolai Topor-Stanley 11/03/19855 DF Michael Beauchamp 08/03/19817 FW Labinot Haliti 26/10/19858 MF Mateo Poljak 10/09/19899 FW Tomi Juric 22/07/199110 MF Aaron Mooy 15/09/199011 FW Brendon Santalab 09/09/198212 FW Tahj Minniecon 13/02/198913 DF Matthew Spiranovic 27/06/198814 FW Kwabena Appiah 19/05/199215 MF Yianni Perkatis 08/03/199417 MF Youssouf Hersi 20/08/198218 MF Iacopo La Rocca 17/02/198419 FW Mark Bridge 07/11/198520 GK Jerrad Tyson 21/09/198921 MF Shinji Ono 27/09/197922 DF Dean Heffernan 19/05/198023 MF Jason Trifiro 03/06/198824 FW Nicholas Olsen 26/09/199526 FW Jaushua Sotirio 11/10/199530 GK Thomas Manos 04/02/199631 MF Alusine Fofanah 21/11/199732 MF Daniel Alessi 26/08/199733 DF Daniel Mullen 26/10/198934 FW Golgol Mebrahtu 28/08/199035 DF Antony Golec 19/05/199019Bridge21Ono1Covic8Poljak4Topor-Stanley17Hersi2Cole21Yu Hai3Zhang Chenglin9Muslimovic29Yang Hao17Sun Jihai12Zhang Lie11Hyuri8Li Chunyu4Salley27Qu Bo19Liu TianqiNo. Pos. Name Date of Birth1 GK Xu Jiamin 11/04/19943 DF Zhang Chenglin 20/01/19874 DF Jonas Salley 16/03/19826 MF Fan Yunlong 15/03/19897 MF Krzysztof Maczynski 23/05/19878 MF Li Chunyu 09/10/19869 FW Zlatan Muslimovic 03/06/198111 MF Hyuri 26/09/199112 GK Zhang Lie 25/05/198213 FW Shi Liang 11/05/198914 FW Yang Yihu 16/09/199115 MF Chen Jie 15/10/198916 FW Wu Dingmao 13/04/198717 DF Sun Jihai 30/09/197718 MF Zhao Jun 19/10/198819 DF Liu Tianqi 18/07/198821 MF Yu Hai 04/06/198722 GK Sheng Peng 19/02/198927 FW Qu Bo 15/07/198129 MF Yang Hao 19/08/198330 FW Sheng Tianfeng 18/03/199431 MF Rao Weihui 25/03/198933 MF Guo Sheng 07/01/199335 DF Wan Houliang 25/02/198636 DF Xiang Hantian 25/11/199537 DF Yu Rui 11/08/199238 DF Huang Gengji 14/09/199539 FW Chen Zijie 24/12/1989OverviewGuizhou Renhe proved that last year’s surprise debut in the AFC ChampionsLeague was no fluke with a second consecutive qualification courtesy oftheir historic FA Cup final victory over 2013 AFC Champions Leaguewinners Guangzhou Evergrande. Guizhou’s shock win over Guangzhouwas the team’s first taste of top flight silverware after losing to the sameopponents in the final of the 2012 tournament. As Inter Shanghai, theside came close to winning the domestic league title in 2003, but endedup as runners-up behind local rivals Shanghai Shenhua. The side thenrelocated to Xian in 2006 and were based in the central city until movingto Guiyang in south-western China in 2012.Key PlayersFormer Manchester City defender Sun Jihai has been a consistentperformer for Guizhou over the last four seasons after spending eightyears in England. The veteran captain has proved a cornerstone of theGuizhou back-line with his experience and versatility a key asset to theside. Bosnia and Herzegovina midfielder Zvjezdan Misimovic has beenan important player for Guizhou since joining from Dinamo Moscow inJanuary last year. Misimovic was named the Balkan nation’s 2013 MaleAthlete of the Year and currently holds the record for most internationalappearances for the national team. China international Yu Hai wasGuizhou’s FA Cup final hero, scoring all three goals in their 3-2 aggregatewin against Guangzhou. The winger has been a regular fixture in the sidesince returning to the team in 2009 following a season at Vitesse Arnhemin Holland.Coach: Gong Lei (CHI)Although initially appointed as a caretaker manager at the start of the2013 league campaign, Gong Lei has proved to be the most successfulcoach in the club’s history taking the side to a second consecutive fourthplace finish in the league and going one better than his predecessor in theFA Cup; not only returning the team to the final as they did in 2012, butalso successfully claiming the title outright. As a player, Gong was partof the China side that reached the quarter-finals of the 1985 FIFA WorldYouth Championship.47GROUP H

Kawasaki FrontaleJPNUlsan HyundaiKORQualified as: J.League - Third • Founded: 1997 • Ground: Todoroki Athletics Stadium, Kawasaki (25,000)J.League: Runner-up 2009, 2008, 2006AFC Champions League: Quarter-Finals 2009, 2007; Group Stage 2010Qualified as: K-League Classic – Runner-up • Founded: 1983 • Ground: Ulsan Munsu Football Stadium, Ulsan (43,122)K-League (2): 2005, 1996AFC Champions League (1): 2012; Semi-Finals 2006; Group Stage 2009GROUP H48OverviewSurprise package Kawasaki Frontale simultaneously secured a return tothe AFC Champions League for the first time since 2010, and endedYokohama F.Marinos’ dreams of a fourth J.League title with a 1-0victory at Todoroki Athletics Stadium on the final day of last season.After promotion to the top-flight in 2004, Kawasaki enjoyed a period ofdomestic and continental success with three J.League runners-up finishesin five years and two AFC Champions League quarter-final appearances in2007 and 2009 while also reaching the group stage in 2010.Key PlayersYoshito Okubo’s goalscoring exploits last season were the foundation ofKawasaki Frontale’s rise to the AFC Champions League places with thediminutive striker finding the back of the net an astonishing 26 timesin just 32 games. After winning the German Bundesliga title with VflWolfsburg in 2009, Okubo returned to Japan and a three year stint withVissel Kobe came to an end with his transfer to Kawasaki ahead of the2013 schedule. Just as important was the consistency provided by captainKengo Nakamura. The 33-year-old midfielder has been an ever-present atthe club since they played in the J.League’s second division back in 2003and he has notched well over 400 appearances for the side. AlongsideNakamura, plays vastly experienced Junichi Inamoto who boasts over 80caps for the national team and features the likes of Arsenal, Fulham,Galatasary and Eintracht Frankfurt amongst his former clubs.Coach: Yahiro Kazama (JPN)When former coach Naoki Soma was dismissed in April 2012, KawasakiFrontale made a bold move in giving Yahiro Kazama, then coach ofUniversity of Tsukuba, his first professional managerial position. However,the decision proved to be a smart one as Kazama guided Kawasaki to animproved league positioning in 2012 before they enjoyed an even better2013 season, finishing in a surprise third-place. The 52-year-old spentthe majority of his formative years as a professional in Germany withBayer Leverkusen and Eintracht Braunschweig amongst others, beforereturning to Japan in 1989 for several seasons in the ranks of SanfrecceHiroshima.10Renato23Noborizato6Yamamoto5JeciNo. Pos. Name Date of Birth1 GK Rikihiro Sugiyama 01/05/19872 DF Yuki Saneto 19/01/19893 DF Yusuke Tanaka 03/02/19864 DF Yusuke Igawa 30/10/19825 DF Jeci 22/04/19806 MF Masaki Yamamoto 24/08/19877 DF Sota Nakazawa 26/10/19828 DF Takanobu Komiyama 03/10/19849 FW Yashuito Morishima 18/09/198710 MF Renato 04/10/198811 FW Yu Kobayashi 23/09/198713 FW Yoshito Okubo 09/06/198214 MF Kengo Nakamura 31/10/198015 MF Shogo Taniguchi 15/07/199116 MF Ryota Ohshima 23/01/199317 DF Yuto Takeoka 24/06/198618 MF Junichi Kanakubo 26/07/198719 MF Kentaro Moriya 21/09/198820 MF Junichi Inamoto 18/09/197921 GK Yohei Nishibe 01/12/198022 DF Akito Fukumori 16/12/199223 MF Kyohei Noborizato 13/11/199024 GK Shunsuke Ando 10/08/199025 DF Kyotaroh Yamakoshi 18/03/199126 MF Masataka Kani 18/04/199127 FW An Byong-jun 22/05/199030 GK Shota Arai 01/11/198834 MF Paulinho 26/01/198913Okubo14Nakamura21Nishibe2Saneto20Inamoto11Kobayashi3Tanaka20Han Sang-wun14Kim Young-sam10Rafinha16Kim Sung-hwan4Kang Min-soo18Kim Seung-gyu9Kim Shin-wook5Chikashi22Kim Chi-gon24Kim Yong-tae2Lee YongNo. Pos. Name Date of Birth1 GK Kim Young-kwang 28/06/19832 DF Lee Yong 24/12/19863 DF Jeong Dong-ho 07/03/19904 DF Kang Min-soo 14/02/19865 MF Masuda Chikashi 19/06/19856 DF Park Dong-hyuk 18/04/19797 MF Ko Chang-hyun 15/09/19838 FW Caique 10/01/19879 FW Kim Shin-wook 14/04/198810 FW Rafinha 30/06/198711 FW Almir 22/08/198513 MF Kim Sun-min 12/12/199114 DF Kim Young-sam 04/04/198216 MF Kim Sung-hwan 15/12/198617 GK Yoo Jun-soo 08/05/198818 GK Kim Seung-gyu 30/09/199019 FW Park Young-ji 09/10/199220 MF Han Sang-wun 03/05/198621 GK Lee Hee-seong 27/05/199022 DF Kim Chi-gon 29/07/198323 MF Kim Min-kyun 30/11/198824 MF Kim Yong-tae 20/05/198425 FW Kim Yong-jin 10/06/199326 DF Lee Myung-jae 04/11/199328 MF Kim Hak-chan 05/03/199229 DF Han Ji-seong 05/10/199130 MF Kim Hun-sung 20/05/199131 MF Chung Chan-il 27/04/199133 FW Cho In-hyung 01/02/199034 DF Lim Dong-cheon 13/11/1992OverviewUlsan Hyundai return to the AFC Champions League for the first time since2012 when they became the fourth Korean team to lift the trophy. Theside had enjoyed a superb continental campaign in which they won nineconsecutive games including a 3-0 trouncing of Al Ahli of Saudi Arabia inthe final. Despite earning a spot in the AFC Champions League for a fourthtime, the 2013 K-League Classic season was a huge disappointment forUlsan. The Tigers failed to win their first championship since 2005 afterblowing a five-point lead in their last two games of the season. Needingonly a draw in their last match, they conceded a stoppage-time winneragainst Pohang Steelers to hand their opponents the title.Key PlayersA scorer of six goals during Ulsan’s victorious AFC Champions Leaguecampaign in 2012, giant striker Kim Shin-wook was even more impressivelast season as he scored a league-leading 19 goals and won the K-LeagueClassic’s MPV award. Signed from Japanese side Gamba Osaka midwaythrough the 2012 season, Brazilian striker Rafinha played a major rolein Ulsan Hyundai’s charge to the AFC Champions League title that year,scoring five goals in five games including the second in the win over AlAhli in the final. And the 26-year-old continued his good form last year,scoring 11 goals in the K-League Classic to finish as the team’s secondhighest scorer. Central defender Kim Chi-gon missed out on Ulsan’s 2012AFC Champions League campaign because of military service, but was akey figure for the club last year when he started in every league matchand was named in the Best XI squad.Coach: Cho Min-kook (KOR)Cho Min-kook was put in charge of Ulsan Hyundai last December after AFCChampions League-winning coach Kim Ho-gon resigned in the aftermathof Ulsan heart-breaking loss to Pohang Steelers in the decisive final matchof the season. A former Korea Republic international defender, the 50-year-old spent several years as a coach at Korea University and Koreanlower league side Ulsan Hyundai Mipo Dolphin before he accepted his firstK-League job with Ulsan Hyundai.49GROUP H

IRN2013 Winners - Guangzhou Evergrande 2012 Winners - Ulsan HyundaiROLL OF HONOUREarly YearsInaugurated in 1967 the Asian Club Championship was dominatedby clubs from Israel with Hapoel Tel Aviv claiming the inaugural titleafter beating Malaysia’s Selangor in the final in Bangkok. MaccabiTel Aviv then won twice in three years either side of Iran’s Taj – nowknown as Esteghlal - who beat Hapoel Tel Aviv. The competitionthen disappeared from the calendar after the 1971 edition.Competition RebornThe competition returned in 1985 and Daewoo Royals of the newlyformed Korean K-League – inaugurated in 1983 – became the firstwinners from East Asia after beating Saudi Arabia’s Al Ahli in thefinal in Jeddah. The region dominated the competition in the late1980’s with pre-J.League sides Furukawa and Yomiuri prevailingbefore Qatar’s Al Sadd broke the run in 1989.West returns, Farmers riseIranian and Saudi Arabian clubs came to the fore in the early 1990sas Tehran blues Esteghlal beat defending champions Liaoning ofChina in July 1991, before losing their crown to Riyadh giantsAl Hilal. Pas of Iran beat Saudi side Al Shabab 1993, before ThaiFarmers Bank claimed successive titles.Professionalism brings successThe K-League dominated the mid-1990’s as Ilhwa Chunma lifted thetrophy in 1995 before Pohang Steelers won back-to-back titles in1997 and 1998. Boosted by the foundation of professional leaguesin Japan and China, the East won six of the last seven editions ofthe Asian Club Championship as Japan’s Jubilo Iwata reached threestraight finals, while Saudi Arabia’sAl Hilal flew the flag for the West in 2000 after Jubilo’s 1999success. Korea Republic’s Suwon Samsung Bluewings won the lasttwo editions of the Asian Club Championship in 2001 and 2001 afterbeating Jubilo and Anyang Cheetahs – who would later become FCSeoul.Champions League eraThe Asian Club Championship was discontinued in 2002 and mergedwith the Asian Cup Winners’ Cup to form the AFC ChampionsLeague. Al Ain from the United Arab Emirates were victorious in thefirst final, which was delayed until October 2003 due to SARS andthe Iraq War. The event followed a single year format from 2004,with Jeddah giants Al Ittihad winning back-to-back titles in 2004and 2005 before the East rose again as Korea’s Jeonbuk HyundaiMotors and Japanese duo Urawa Reds and Gamba Osaka lifted theprestigious trophy.New formatIn keeping with a rise in standards across the region, the AFCChampions League ushered in a new dynamic format in 2009 withonly clubs and leagues professionally run as commercial entitieseligible. Prize money was also increased and the competitionexpanded from 28 to 32 teams, while a one-leg Round of 16 andone-leg final were also introduced. The showpiece final was held inTokyo in 2009 and 2010, with K-League clubs Pohang Steelers andthen Seongnam Ilhwa Chunma lifting the impressive trophy at theNational Stadium.China takes centre stageJeonbuk earned the right to host the 2011 final, but missed out onkeeping the trophy in Korean hands as Qatar’s Al Sadd became thefirst qualifiers to win the continental title. Korea were not to bedenied a year later, though, claiming a third AFC Champions Leaguecrown in four years as Ulsan Hyundai completed an unbeatencampaign with a 3-0 win over Saudi Arabia’s Al Ahli in the 2012final. In last year’s competition, Korea had a presence in the finalyet again in the shape of FC Seoul, but the team from the capital fellshort of maintaining Korea’s dominance as Guangzhou Evergrandebecame the first Chinese side in 23 years to lift the continentaltitle.2011 Winners - Al Sadd2010 Winners - Seongnam IlhwaAFC Champions LeagueYear Winners Score Runners-up2013 Guangzhou Evergrande (CHN) 3-3 agg FC Seoul (KOR)2012 Ulsan Hyundai (KOR) 3-0 Al Ahli (KSA)2011 Al Sadd (QAT) 2-2* Jeonbuk Motors (KOR)2010 Seongnam Ilhwa (KOR) 3-1 Zobahan (IRN)2009 Pohang Steelers (KOR) 2-1 Al Ittihad (KSA)2008 Gamba Osaka (JPN) 5-0 agg Adelaide United (AUS)2007 Urawa Reds (JPN) 3-1 agg Sepahan (IRN)2006 Jeonbuk Motors (KOR) 3-2 agg Al Karama (SYR)2005 Al Ittihad (KSA) 5-3 agg Al Ain (UAE)2004 Al Ittihad (KSA) 6-3 agg Seongnam Ilhwa (KOR)2002-03 Al Ain (UAE) 2-1 agg BEC Tero Sasana (THA)Asian Club ChampionshipYear Winners Score Runners-up2001-02 Suwon Bluewings (KOR) 0-0* Anyang Cheetahs (KOR)2000-01 Suwon Bluewings (KOR) 1-0 Jubilo Iwata (JPN)1999-00 Al Hilal (KSA) 3-2 Jubilo Iwata (JPN)1998-99 Jubilo Iwata (JPN) 2-1 Esteghlal (IRN)1997-98 Pohang Steelers (KOR) 0-0* Dalian Wanda (CHN)1996-97 Pohang Steelers (KOR) 2-1 Ilhwa Chunma (KOR)1995 Ilhwa Chunma (KOR) 1-0 Al Nassr (KSA)1994-95 Thai Farmers Bank (THA) 1-0 Al Arabi (QAT)1993-94 Thai Farmers Bank (THA) 2-1 Oman Club (OMA)1992-93 Pas (IRN) 1-0 Al Shabab (KSA)1991 Al Hilal (KSA) 1-1* Esteghlal (IRN)1990-91 Esteghlal (IRN) 2-1 Liaoning (CHN)1989-90 Liaoning (CHN) 3-2 agg Nissan (JPN)1988-89 Al Saad (QAT) 3-3 agg Al Rasheed (IRQ)1987 Yomiuri (JPN) w-o Al Hilal (KSA)1986 Furukawa (JPN) g-s Al Hilal (KSA)1985-86 Daewoo Royals (KOR) 3-1 Al Ahli (KSA)1972-84 No competition1971 Maccabi Tel Aviv (ISR) w-o Al Shorta (IRQ)1970 Taj (Esteghlal) (IRN) 2-1 Hapoel Tel Aviv (ISR)1969 Maccabi Tel Aviv (ISR) 1-0 Yangzee (KOR)1967 Hapoel Tel Aviv (ISR) 2-1 Selangor (MAL)* won on penalties; agg – aggregate (away goals win if level);g-s – group-stage format; w-o – walkover

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