2006 AFC Champions League explained

Tourney Name:	AFC Champions League
Year:	2006
Num Teams:	25
Champion Other:	Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors
Count:	1
Second Other:	Al-Karamah
Matches:	78
Goals:	250
Top Scorer:	Magno Alves (8 goals)
Player:	Choi Jin-cheul^[1]
Prevseason:	2005
Nextseason:	2007

The 2006 AFC Champions League was the 25th edition of the top-level Asian club football tournament and the fourth edition under the current AFC Champions League title. Al-Ittihad automatically qualified for the quarter-finals as the title holders.

Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors won their first AFC Champions League title after beating Al-Karamah 3–2 on aggregate in the final. Jeonbuk also became the first team in history of Asia to have won the Champions League before the national league title (they won their first K League championship three years later, in 2009).

Format

Group stageA total of 28 clubs were divided into seven groups of four, according to the region. Each club played double round-robin (home and away) against fellow three group members for a total of six matches. Clubs received three points for a win, one for a tie, and no points for a loss. The clubs were ranked according to points. If two or more teams were tied on points, the following tiebreaking criteria were applied:

Points earned between the clubs in question
Goal difference between the clubs in question
Goals for between the clubs in question
Points earned within the group
Goal difference within the group
Goals for within the group

The seven group winners along with the defending champion advanced to the quarter-finals.

Knockout roundAll 8 clubs were randomly matched; however, the only restriction was that the clubs from the same country could not face each other in the quarter-finals. The games were played over two legs, home and away, and the aggregate score decided the winner. If the aggregate score was level, the away goals rule was used. If still tied, clubs played extra time, where the away goals rule still applied. If still tied, the game went to penalties.

Teams

West Asia		East Asia
Quarter-finals
Team	Qualifying method	Team	Qualifying method
Al-Ittihad	Defending champions
Group Stage
Team	Qualifying method	Team	Qualifying method
Foolad	2004–05 Iran Pro League champions	Dalian Shide	2005 Chinese Super League champions &<br>2005 Chinese FA Cup winners
Saba Battery	2004–05 Hazfi Cup winners and 2005 Iranian Super Cup winners	Shanghai Shenhua	2005 Chinese Super League runners-up
Al-Quwa Al-Jawiya	2004–05 Iraqi Premier League champions		2005 Liga Indonesia Premier Division champions
Al-Minaa	2004–05 Iraqi Premier League runners-up		2005 Copa Indonesia winners
Al Qadisiya	2004–05 Kuwaiti Premier League champions	Gamba Osaka	2005 J.League Division 1 champions
Al-Arabi	2005 Kuwait Emir Cup winners	Tokyo Verdy 1969	2004 Emperor's Cup winners
Al-Gharafa	2004–05 Qatar Stars League champions	Ulsan Hyundai Horang-i	2005 K League champions
Al Sadd	2004–05 Emir of Qatar Cup winners	Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors	2005 Korean FA Cup winners
Al Hilal	2004–05 Saudi Premier League champions &<br>2004–05 Saudi Crown Prince Cup winners		2004–05 Thai League champions
Al Shabab	2004–05 Saudi Premier League runners-up		2004–05 Thai League runners-up
Al-Ittihad	2004–05 Syrian Premier League champions &<br>2004-05 Syrian Cup winners	Đồng Tâm Long An	2005 V-League champions &<br>2005 Vietnamese Cup winners
	2004–05 Syrian Premier League runners-up		2005 V-League runners-up
Al Wahda	2004–05 UAE Football League champions
Al Ain	2004–05 UAE President's Cup winners
Pakhtakor	2005 Uzbek League champions &<br>2005 Uzbekistan Cup winners
Mash'al	2005 Uzbek League runners-up

Notes

Group stage

Group A

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Group B

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Group C

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Group D

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Group E

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Group F

Group G

Knock-out stage

Quarter-finals

First leg

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Second leg

Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors won 4–3 on aggregate.----Al Qadisiya won 5–2 on aggregate.----Ulsan Hyundai Horang-i won 7–0 on aggregate.----Al-Karamah won 4–2 on aggregate.

Semi-finals

First leg

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Second leg

Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors won 6–4 on aggregate.----Al-Karamah won 1–0 on aggregate.

Final

See main article: 2006 AFC Champions League Final.

Second leg

Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors won 3–2 on aggregate.

Top scorers

Rank	Player	Club											Total
1	Magno Alves	Gamba Osaka	1	4	2			1		8
2	Fernandinho	Gamba Osaka		4				2		6
2	Nenad Jestrović	Al Ain			2		1	2	1	6
4	Ali Daei	Saba Battery	2	1			2			5
	Gao Lin	Shanghai Shenhua			3		1	1
	A'ala Hubail	Al-Gharafa			2			3
	Kim Hyeung-bum	Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors	2		1			2
	Bader Al-Mutawa	Al Qadisiya		1	1	1	2
	Zé Carlos	Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors				1					2	1	1
10	Godwin Attram	Al-Shabab		2		1	1					4
	Choi Sung-kuk	Ulsan Hyundai Horang-i	1				2		1
	Mohannad Ibrahim	Al-Karamah		1						2			1
	Carlos Tenorio	Al Sadd		1	1		2
	Zou Jie	Dalian Shide	1	1		1		1