The 2009 AFC Champions League was the 28th edition of the top-level Asian club football tournament organized by the Asian Football Confederation, and the 7th under the current AFC Champions League title. The final was held at the National Stadium in Tokyo on 7 November 2009. The winners, South Korean club Pohang Steelers, qualified for the 2009 FIFA Club World Cup in the United Arab Emirates. The champions league was expanded to 35 clubs this year, with 5 teams starting from a knockout qualifying stage. An extra stage in the knockout phase was added so that the runners up as well as the winners from the group stage would progress. The previous season winner no longer got a bye through to the knockout round. Each team was allowed to field a maximum of four foreign players this season, one of whom had to be from an AFC Member Association country.
Qualification
A total of 35 teams participated in the 2009 AFC Champions League.
In the following table, the number of appearances and last appearance count only those since the 2002–03 season, when the competition was rebranded as the AFC Champions League. TH means title holders.
Number of appearances since the 2002/03 season, when the competition was rebranded as the AFC Champions League
Schedule
Qualifying play-off
Preliminary round
Play-off round
Group stage
The draw for the group stage was held on 7 January 2009 in Abu Dhabi, UAE. Each club played double round-robin against fellow three group members, a total of 6 matches each. Each team had been numbered from 1 to 4, the numbers determine the order of the fixtures.
Match Day 1: 1 vs 4, 3 vs 2
Match Day 2: 2 vs 1, 4 vs 3
Match Day 3: 1 vs 3, 4 vs 2
Match Day 4: 3 vs 1, 2 vs 4
Match Day 5: 4 vs 1, 2 vs 3
Match Day 6: 1 vs 2, 3 vs 4
Clubs receive 3 points for a win, 1 point for a tie, 0 points for a loss. The clubs are ranked according to points and tie breakers are in following order:
Greater number of points obtained in the group matches between the teams concerned;
Goal difference resulting from the group matches between the teams concerned;
Greater number of goals scored in the group matches between the teams concerned;
Goal difference in all the group matches;
Greater number of goals scored in all the group matches;
Kicks from the penalty mark if only two teams are involved and they are both on the field of play;
Fewer score calculated according to the number of yellow and red cards received in the group matches;
Drawing of lots.
Winners and runners-up of each group qualified for the next round.
Group A
Group B
Group C
Group D
Group E
Group F
Group G
Group H
Knockout stage
Bracket
Round of 16
The draw for the round of 16 of the 2009 AFC Champions League was held on 7 January 2009, along with the draw for the group stage. The West Asian matches were played on 26 and 27 May. The East Asian matches were played on 24 June.
Quarter-finals
The draw for the quarter-finals and the remaining knockout rounds took place at Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia on 29 June 2009. The first leg matches were played on 23–24 September, with the second leg matches were played on 30 September.
Semi-finals
The first leg matches were played on 21 October, with the second leg matches were played on 28 October 2009.
Binh Duong
Muharraq
Safa
Leandro
Gamba Osaka
Prince Tagoe
Al-Ettifaq
Pohang Steelers
Hicham Aboucherouane
Dejan Damjanović
Zaynitdin Tadjiyev
Al-Gharafa