Asian Football Confederation (AFC) club licensing strengthens professionalism in Asia

Press Release

10 November 2016 - Club development and professionalism in the continent was further strengthened today at the Asian Football Confederation (AFC)’s annual Club Licensing Workshop in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

More than 40 club and league licensing administrators from the AFC Member Associations were presented with the new AFC Club Licensing Regulations, which have been formulated with a greater emphasis on enabling Member Associations to establish a more professional and competitive local league.

The two-day workshop culminates a landmark year for club licensing in Asia. The new club licensing system, which is based on the AFC Champions League club licensing system, albeit with fewer criteria, was introduced this year and will be enforced for all clubs participating in the AFC Cup by 2018.

In addition, the new AFC Club Licensing Administration System (CLAS) has also been gaining momentum, with the number of the Member Associations implementing the ground-breaking online platform growing steadily since the implementation of the new tool.

Dato’ Windsor John, the AFC General Secretary, said at the opening ceremony: “The AFC’s Vision and Mission has outlined our aspirations to raise the standard of competitions on our continent and to maximise the potential of MAs through focused and dedicated services.

“With the new AFC club licensing system and everyone’s joint efforts, we are witnessing real improvements. In the long term, through the introduction of these new regulations we will enhance the professional landscape and quality of club football in Asia.”

Participants also had the opportunity to better understand the latest international developments in club licensing and gleaned insights on the industry’s best practices, which included a presentation by UEFA’s club licensing unit on financial fair play.

Ms. Phung Thi Thu Khue, Club Licensing Administrator from the Vietnam Football Federation said: “The workshop has been extremely useful for us, not only to understand the new regulations in greater detail, but also to build our ability to implement them. With the clearly defined tasks and timelines set in place today, we are more confident to take our league and clubs into the next phase of development.

“Football is still growing in Vietnam and this is a progressive step to help us develop a more vibrant and professional ecosystem in our country.”

The workshop, which is part of the AFC’s mission to implement the club licensing system for all MAs by 2020, will conclude tomorrow with a discussion on the AFC CLAS system.