Asian Champions League Final 2015
Paul Williams
Unless you live in Dubai or Guangzhou you might not know the AFC Champions League final will take place this weekend between Al Ahli and Guangzhou Evergrande.
Converting the millions of football fans across Asia into fans of Asian football remains the biggest challenge for the Asian Football Confederation. But what should be their annual showpiece remains largely ignored across the continent.
While they flirted with a neutral final for a few years, although only ever holding it in Tokyo, it didn't really manufacture the widespread interest they desired.
To generate that interest, though, requires brave thinking and a willingness to think outside the box.
As it is, the tournament is split between East and West until the final, where the two best teams from either side of the continent meet in the final. It's not much of a change to take that a step further and run the two as separate competitions, much like the Conference system in American sports.
The current semi-finals would therefore become the "Conference" finals, with the matches branded as the AFC Champions League - East/West Final. As it is now, the match would be played over two legs so the respective home fans can see their side in the final. The winner of each match will be presented a trophy as the Champion from their side of the continent.
The two winners would then meet in a one-off match - the AFC Super Cup.
Played at a neutral venue to try and grow the reach of Asian football across the continent, the Super Cup would be modelled on the UEFA Champions League Final, becoming a week-long festival of Asian football.
A dedicated live site along the line of the 'Champions Festival' in Europe could be set up in a strategic and popular location in the host city featuring interactive sponsor displays, a temporary Asian Football Museum that details the many stories of continental club football in Asia in an interactive and engaging way, meet & greet opportunities with past champions, football clinics with the stars and big screens displaying past finals and highlights from the current campaign.
It would be just one element of the festival, with the city awash with Super Cup branding to hammer home the point that something special is taking place.
The AFC could also look to shift its annual awards night to take place in the lead-up to the final, thus ensuring players, coaches and administrators from all over Asia are in the host city for the final and adding a sense of glitz to the week. Selected media could be invited to ensure the week-long festival is given the coverage it requires.
The competing clubs would be required to be in the host city early in the week and AFC could mandate that one training session be open to fans to encourage interaction and create extra media opportunities.
There are a multitude of things the AFC could do, but it requires courageous and creative thinking to move away from the norm and try something different.
Expecting it to match the level of festivities and mania seen in Europe is expecting too much, the distances and cultures on both continents are vastly different, but with the right investment it can find its own place.
It is about showcasing the best of Asian football and creating an "event" that people not only want to attend, but cities want to host knowing the economic benefits that will come from hosting it.
It requires strategic thinking from the AFC to host the Super Cup in cities that can make it a success. Cities with a large population base, the right size stadium, and a city that has demonstrated support for big scale football events.
Of course there are downsides, no plan is ever perfect.
Running the two "Conference" format does further divide Asia between East and West when the intention should be to unite Asia as one, but it is only continuing what already takes place.
A neutral final also makes it is difficult for fans of the competing teams to attend, especially given the vast distances between cities in Asia and the expense of air-travel and there is a risk that locals don't turn out to support the event.
But with the host city being decided and announced 12 months out, again at a ceremony during the week-long festivities, there is ample time for the host city and AFC to work together to ensure it is a success.
The 'Cup Final' should be a showpiece event on the calendar, but as it stands barely anyone outside the two host nations has an interest. It's time for something different.
Copyright: Paul Williams & Soccerphile.com
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