NEW DELHI: In what would be a huge boost for Indian club football if proved true, India could get a direct entry into the group stages of the AFC Champions League (ACL) and two additional slots for the AFC Cup starting 2021, ESPN reports.
The upcoming 2020 season will be the final 32-team affair for AFC Champions League as the Asian Football Confederation is expanding the continental club competition to accommodate 40 clubs from across the continent starting in 2021.
At present, India get two slots in the AFC competitions with I-League champions Chennai City FC getting a place in the Preliminary Round 1 of ACL 2020 while Indian Super League champions Bengaluru FC entering AFC Cup 2020 in the Preliminary Round 2.
No Indian club have ever taken part in the group stages of the Champions League, Asia’s premier club football competition.
