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The competition for the Chinese Super League title has intensified, putting greater pressure on the teams' commitment to the AFC Champions League.


Reporter Chen Yong reported On August 15, the draw for the AFC Elite League and AFC League 2 was held. The three Chinese Super League teams entering the AFC Elite League successfully avoided Australia's Melbourne City and will compete against six teams from Japan and South Korea, along with Buriram United and Johor DT. Meanwhile, Beijing Guoan, participating in the AFC League 2, is grouped with Australia's Macarthur, Hong Kong's Tai Po, and Vietnam's Hanoi Police.


Currently, on the Chinese Super League points table, Shanghai Port, Shanghai Shenhua, and Chengdu Rongcheng occupy the top three positions. However, within the top 12 of the AFC Elite League, their strength is estimated to be in the lower half. Even with the knockout format of 12 to 8, they will need to give their all to advance to the next stage.




Other East Asian teams participating in this AFC Elite League include Vissel Kobe, Sanfrecce Hiroshima, Machida Zelvia (Japan), Ulsan Hyundai, FC Seoul, and Gangwon FC, along with Australia's Melbourne City, Thailand's Buriram United, and Malaysia's Johor DT.


The grouping of the Chinese Super League teams has both advantages and disadvantages. On one hand, avoiding Melbourne City spares the Chinese teams from unnecessary travel. On the other hand, Melbourne City is relatively weak, so facing them might have been a better option from a competitive standpoint.



As for the qualification prospects of the Chinese Super League's BIG3, we can compare them to last season's AFC Champions League: By the end of Round 7 of the 2024/2025 season (the last round where Shandong Taishan withdrew, making comparison difficult), the three Japanese teams were at the top, followed by South Korea's Gwangju FC, Malaysia's Johor DT, and Thailand's Buriram United. At that time, Shandong Taishan had 3 wins, 1 draw, and 3 losses, totaling 10 points, placing them 7th, while Pohang Steelers were 8th, Shanghai Port had 2 wins, 2 draws, and 3 losses for 8 points, ranking 9th, and Shanghai Shenhua had 2 wins, 1 draw, and 4 losses for 7 points, placing 10th. Last season, two weak teams, Ulsan Hyundai and Central Coast Mariners, ended up with only 3 and 1 points after 7 rounds.


Overall, the competitiveness of Chinese Super League teams in the AFC Elite League was around the 7th to 10th position at that time. This season's competitive landscape in the AFC Elite League may have some changes, but it is unlikely to significantly enhance the competitiveness of the Chinese teams—while the BIG3 certainly have a chance to qualify, they must approach the matches with sufficient seriousness and effort. Theoretically, having one team from the Chinese Super League qualify is expected, while two would be a pleasant surprise.



In the new season of the AFC Elite League, there is good news for the Chinese Super League teams: their schedule is much better than last season's, due to various factors. Firstly, there is a crucial break in early September for the Chinese Super League teams, especially since there will be no national team training camps during this international match day, providing each team with an opportunity to rest and prepare fully for the AFC Elite League starting in September.



Secondly, in October and November, although the national team will hold training camps, these will primarily involve friendly matches, resulting in relatively low pressure and minimal impact on the clubs. In contrast, last season, September, October, and November were packed with matches for the top 18 teams, leaving the national team players exhausted.


From this perspective, the overall scheduling situation for the Chinese Super League's BIG3 in the AFC Elite League is significantly better than last season.


However, the intense competition for the Chinese Super League title this season will greatly impact the AFC Elite League. Currently, Shanghai Port, Shanghai Shenhua, and Chengdu Rongcheng, who are participating in the AFC Elite League, along with Beijing Guoan in the AFC League 2, are ranked among the top four in the Chinese Super League, with very small point differences between them. In such a fierce competitive landscape, how the BIG3 approach the AFC Elite League is also a question. Objectively speaking, on one hand, they aim to compete for the league title, while on the other, merely advancing from the group stage of the AFC Elite League may lead teams to prioritize the league.



In fact, attitude is crucial. In the first season of the AFC Elite League, Shandong Taishan was ranked lower than Shanghai Port and Shanghai Shenhua in the league, but they performed better in the AFC Elite League. The main reason was that Taishan could focus solely on the AFC Elite League, while their league performance was less critical, allowing them to proceed with matches without pressure.


With the September break and a somewhat more relaxed schedule compared to last season, the BIG3 in the Chinese Super League have some space to progress in both the AFC Elite League and the league. As Chengdu Rongcheng's coach Xu Zhengyuan stated, in modern football, if a player cannot adapt to competing on two fronts, he will certainly not become a top player. Similarly, if a team cannot strive hard in both continental competitions and domestic leagues, its potential will inevitably be limited.


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