UAE clubs were represented by four clubs in the first edition of the ACL held this year: Al Shabab league champions, Al Ahli President’s cup winner, Al Jazira league runners up, and Sharjah who qualified for the group stage after a play-off against Dempo of India.

Sharjah lost all four matches in group B of the competition, which they said contributed to their domestic struggle at the bottom of the UFL. The team could face relegation to the first division.

Al Ahli and Al Jazira couldn’t achieve success in their groups, while Al Shabab went to Tashkent yesterday with a hope of beating Bunyodkor of Uzbekistan to reach the pre-quarterfinals.

According to Sharjah, the withdrawal and poor form of the UAE clubs in the first edition of the ACL will decrease the number of UAE clubs participating in the ACL next year to 2.5 clubs instead of 3.5, with the league champions and President’s Cup winner qualifying automatically to the group stage, and the league’s runner up taking part in a play-off before reaching the group stage.

However, the UAE football association (FA) will request the AFC to keep the number of UAE clubs in the ACL at 3.5.

Meanwhile a meeting was held at the UAE FA premises in Dubai with the attendance of Tokuki Suzuki, manager of the ACL, with officials from Sharjah club, and the UFL to discuss Sharjah’s withdrawal.

Sharjah club officials said at the meeting their withdrawal came due to the critical situation the club is facing in the UAE league, and the short period between the ACL club matches and domestic league matches.