AFC And FIFA Give Full Backing For Inaugural Asean Club Championship

KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 6 (Bernama) -- International Federation of Association Football (FIFA) president Gianni Infantino and Asian Football Confederation (AFC) president Shaikh Salman Ebrahim Al Khalifa have both given their full support to the inaugural Asean Club Championship (ACC), which will kick off next year. The ACC is a competition featuring 12 leading clubs from among the AFF member associations. “We shared our plans for the club championship with president Infantino and His Excellency Shaikh Salman and they were both supportive. "We are deeply grateful to have the full support from FIFA and AFC," said AFF president Major General Khiev Sameth in a statement Tuesday. Designed to support and incentivise the leading clubs, the AFF believed, the ACC would be the key platform for the next stage of regional development for the top flight professional game. Organised and sanctioned by the AFF, the ACC would provide a focus on enhancing each venue experience, for fans and players alike, whilst also rewarding successful team performances throughout. Each club would receive a participation fee from the earliest rounds, together with escalating prize money as they progress through the championship. "This is the second time AFF had discussed the ACC with Infantino; the first was in Vientiane last month in a meeting attended by AFF including Laos FA president Mr Viphet Sihachakr," he said. Sameth noted that they took time to put this integrated and holistic plan together as there were numerous factors to consider, including ensuring no conflict in scheduling with the domestic leagues, FIFA and AFC fixtures including that of the expanded ACL. He said AFF also had to look into other crucial matters like branding, prize money and format of competition as well as having the negotiations with the various commercial partners over the past months before securing the approval of the AFF Council. -- BERNAMA