And, with the first step in this journey being a thorough overhaul of the AFC Champions League in 2009, the AFC Ad-Hoc Pro-League Committee, led by Japan Football Association (JFA) President Captain Saburo Kawabuchi, is expected to confirm the first list of countries and clubs who will be eligible to participate in the continental showcase on May 20, 2008.

Spearheaded by Deputy Chairman Tokuaki Suzuki, a two-member team of the committee undertook two rounds of whistle-stop tours of no less than 21 countries and the clubs therein to rigorously evaluate their eligibility for the new version of the continent’s premier club competition.

The criteria used were: 1) Teams and format; 2) attendance; 3) marketing; 4) stadiums; 5) legal, and; 6) media.

The 21 countries visited and assessed by the inspection team were Hong Kong, United Arab Emirates, Oman, Bahrain, China, Korea Republic, Japan, Singapore, Malaysia, Vietnam, Australia, Uzbekistan, Iran, Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Syria, Qatar, Kuwait, Indonesia, Thailand and India. The current security situation in Iraq prevented an assessment visit.

While 14 of these associations already have teams in the current AFC Champions League, seven were selected on the basis of their potential based on a preliminary survey.