No tweaks to new leagues before 5 years: AFC

Asian football's revamped club competitions will be given time to develop before further amendments are considered, said the continent's most senior official, as the Asian Champions League Elite reaches the halfway point of its league phase.

The Asian Football Confederation (AFC) reconfigured its club tournament line-up ahead of the campaign that started in September, in an effort to encourage fresh investment with a more streamlined top tier and greater inclusion in the schedule.

The opening phase, which recommences on Nov 4, has teams playing eight matches using the Swiss league system, meaning clubs do not play the same opponent twice during the first round.

Officials want to give the set-up time to establish itself.

"It's a new concept, a new model so we need to see how it goes before we make any more changes," Windsor John, the AFC's general secretary, told Reuters.