Defending champions Al-Ahli will face a reunion with Roberto Firmino in the league phase of the Asian Champions League Elite after the Saudi Pro League side were drawn to meet the former Liverpool forward’s new side Al-Sadd of Qatar on Friday.
Firmino was instrumental in the Jeddah-based outfit lifting the continental title for the first time in May when he inspired Al-Ahli to a 2-0 win over Japan’s Kawasaki Frontale in the final before leaving the club in July.
The Brazilian has since joined the Qatar Stars League champions and the two clubs have been drawn to face one another in Doha during the eight-match league phase of the competition, which will kick off on Sept. 15.
The tournament will again adopt the Swiss league format for the opening round after its introduction last season, with the 24 participants divided into 12-team groups for both west and east Asia.
The first eight finishers on each side of the Asian confederation will progress to the last 16, which will be played in March with the quarter-finals, semifinals and final to be held in Saudi Arabia from April 17 to 25.
Al-Ahli will also face Shabab Al-Ahli, Sharjah FC and Al-Wahda, all from the United Arab Emirates, Uzbekistan’s Nasaf, Iraqi outfit Al-Shorta as well as Al-Gharafa and Al-Duhail of Qatar.
Four-times Asian champions Al-Hilal, also from Saudi Arabia, will take on Al-Sadd, Al-Shorta, Shabab Al-Ahli, Nasaf, Al-Duhail, Al-Wahda, Sharjah FC and Al-Gharafa.
In the east, Japanese champions Vissel Kobe will meet South Korean trio Ulsan HD, FC Seoul and Gangwon FC, Melbourne City from Australia, China’s Shanghai Port, Chengdu Rongcheng and Shanghai Shenhua plus Johor Darul Ta’zim from Malaysia.
Ulsan HD, winners of the Asian title in 2012 and 2020, play Japan’s Vissel Kobe, Sanfrecce Hiroshima and Machida Zelvia, Shanghai Port, Shanghai Shenhua and Chengdu Rongcheng from China as well as Melbourne City and Thailand’s Buriram United.
