Following the AFC Executive Committee’s strategic enhancements to the AFC Club Competitions last month, the AFC Club Licensing Task Force has today discussed key changes and the revised timeline to the AFC Club Licensing implementation process at its third meeting held virtually.

In his opening address, AFC Club Licensing Task Force Chairperson Hamad Mohamed Aljneibi recognised the undeniable role of club licensing in raising the professional standards across the Asian football landscape, whilst underlining the importance of raising the quality of compliance among the AFC’s Member Associations (MAs), particularly as the Confederation marked a decade-long journey in club licensing.

As such, the Task Force reviewed several Club Licensing quality compliance of the Licensors in implementing the Club Licensing system and decided to suspend both the Football Federation Islamic Republic of Iran’s and Tajikistan Football Federation’s Club Licensing Administrations until all defects have been addressed and rectified to the satisfaction of the AFC General Secretariat.

With the AFC Champions League and the AFC Cup set for Autumn-Spring seasons beginning from 2023-24, the Task Force was presented with several major amendments to the implementation of the Club Licensing Core Process and its Regulations such as the deadline for submission of the list of licensing decisions by the MAs to the AFC, the overdue payables criteria, extraordinary application, among several other matters.

Moving forward, the AFC Administration will begin initiating discussions with MA Licensing Administrators to explain the possible outcomes arising from the AFC club competitions season change, while the required changes to the AFC Club Licensing Regulations will be brought before the Task Force for consideration and approval after the conclusion of the consultation process with the MAs.

The Task Force also received updates on the implementation of the AFC Futsal Club Licensing Criteria, the process of which will commence this year ahead of its pilot implementation at the AFC Futsal Club Championship 2023 before the mandatory entry requirements are enforced for the subsequent edition in 2024.

Similarly, the progress of the landmark Women’s club licensing regulations was also shared in great detail ahead of its full implementation for the AFC Women’s Champions League in 2024.

(AFC)