December 19 – Chinese brewer Tsingtao has renewed its sponsorship of the fast developing and increasingly commercial AFC Champions League for another four years, no figure was announced for the deal.
As well as partnering the AFC Champions League, the brewer will also partner the revamped AFC Cup. From the 2017 season the new format AFC Cup will be played in each of the five sub-existing regions of the AFC, delivering a champion in each region for the first time.
The four champions from ASEAN, Central, East and South will also play off to provide an overall East champion. That team will then face the West Champions in the AFC Cup final.
For Tsingtao the reformatted competition will give the brand more exposure and geographical coverage as more member associations are involved in a greater number of matches.
Included in the Tsingtao sponsorship package is the right to present the Man of the Match awards.
The Tsingtao sponsorship announcement was made prior to the draw of the AFC Champions League and the AFC Cup for the 2017 season. AFC General Secretary Dato’ Windsor John said: “We are delighted at the renewed commitment of companies like Tsingtao to the ever-improving and fast developing landscape of club football in Asia. We thank them for the support of the AFC club competitions.
“The AFC’s Vision and Mission states our objective is to provide top level competitions to provide the platform for our teams to continue to raise their standards and challenge on the world stage. It is a challenge that we are determined to meet.
“The AFC Champions League and AFC Cup in 2016 were the richest in history and the AFC Champions League has the highest prize money for the winners of any club competition outside Europe. It is a clear signal that the AFC is determined to reward success.”
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