AFC Champions League: Covid-19 casts shadow over restart in Qatar bubble

The AFC Champions League season resumes this week after an eight-month gap between matches thanks to Covid-19 and the pandemic casts a huge shadow over the tournament. Teams are descending on Doha in Qatar for a bubble to finish this season’s tournament, which restarts on Wednesday with Australia’s Perth Glory taking on Chinese Super League side Shanghai Shenhua. Photos of Shanghai SIPG travelling in full hazmat suits is but one indication of the impact of the coronavirus, which has also seen squads gutted by injury and restrictions. That means star players such as Chinese Super League top scorer Cedric Bakambu and Shanghai SIPG’s Marko Arnautovic are missing. Shanghai SIPG have landed in Doha! Can you spot the players? pic.twitter.com/PbHRTfV3Pj — #ACL2020 (@TheAFCCL) November 15, 2020 Chinese teams have not picked any players who travelled overseas for the current Fifa international window, which sees them miss some of their best players. Elsewhere, Guangzhou Evergrande’s Paulinho is the latest to pull out, citing injury after the end of a domestic season where he top scored with 12 goals for the CSL runners-up. Chinese Super League season a triumph and a travesty The Brazilian’s absence has damaged the hopes of Fabio Cannavaro’s side adding a third continental crown to the trophy cabinet as he was vital when they last won it in 2015. For those who do make it to Qatar there are inevitable mental health concerns, with Chinese teams in their third bubble of the season after the two stages of the CSL, which finished last week. That is on top of the risk of contracting the virus, which remains even inside the bubble. The Diamond in the Desert Hosts the #ACL2020 East opener Other Group Stage matches 2️⃣ Round of 16 ties pic.twitter.com/R7NzvxkD3R — #ACL2020 (@TheAFCCL) November 15, 2020 That was the problem in September in Doha when the West Zone resumed. Last year’s champions Al Hilal saw their hopes of retaining the title end early when they were kicked out after only being able to name nine outfield players for a game after an outbreak. Similarly, several South Korean players are isolating in Austria right now after a number of positive tests during their national team camp where they have played Mexico and are set to play Qatar on Tuesday. Ulsan Hyundai goalkeeper Jo Hyeon-woo was among the first four players to test positive and he is unlikely to feature for the side in the group stage. Concerns grow for viability of finishing Asian Champions League The West Zone finished last month with Iran’s Persepolis finishing as winners and awaiting whoever wins the East Zone for the final on December 19. The venue for that game is not yet confirmed. Still, Qatar has been chosen for the East Zone to finish the group stage replacing Malaysia, which was to hold the games from October 16 before plans changed after a spike in cases. That ongoing spike has also seen Malaysian champions, Johor Darul Ta’zim, prevented from joining the rest of the clubs in Doha, with the government unwilling to allow the team to travel to the bubble. Guangzhou Evergrande's updated squad for the Asian Champions League(1) Absent (injury): Paulinho, Zheng Zhi, Gao Zhunyi, Li Xuepeng(2) foreign player: Talisca, Ricardo Goulart, Tyias Browning, Park Ji-soo(3) 3 naturalized players as player: Fernando Henrique, Elkeson, Aloisio. pic.twitter.com/AO7nEgDUnn — Titan Sports Plus (@titan_plus) November 16, 2020 The problems are not even confined to getting to Qatar. Australian clubs are in an awkward position. Not only have they not played since the summer but the new season is set to start barely a week after the final and that is not the biggest concern. Should an A-League side make it to the later stages then they may be without their players for the new season because of the country’s compulsory 14-day hotel quarantine for new arrivals. The new format will see the remaining games played behind closed doors and teams confined to hotels outside matches and training – as was followed by the CSL, Chinese Basketball Association and NBA to get their seasons completed. As Beijing Guoan did for Cederic Bakambu, Shanghai SIPG also dropped Marko Arnautovic out from the squad for the Asian Champions League. Covid-19 risk is the concern of the two clubs and CFA. CFA have urged the two clubs not to call up those who returned for international duty. pic.twitter.com/bagZaerk8D — Titan Sports Plus (@titan_plus) November 15, 2020 It also means a truncated Champions League, with games coming thick and fast to finish out the group stages and then the knockout stage to follow, plus no home advantage. While no East Zone team played more than two matches before the pandemic pause back in March, three of the four CSL teams are yet to play, with only Beijing Guoan getting a game in before the pandemic postponed the tournament. For all but Beijing Guoan, who beat Chiangrai United in their only game, that would be 10 games in 33 days after a similarly hectic CSL schedule. Al Hilal hit out at ‘inflexible’ AFC over Champions League axing The Champions League would ordinarily be stretched throughout the season – which coincides with the calendar year for most AFC nations rather than the autumn to spring format of Europe – the November-December format brings its own problems of preparation. Most leagues have either just completed or as in the case of the J-League seen teams forced to play their matches to make space on the schedule for Doha. Beijing Guoan announced their squad for the Asian Champions League: Cederic Bakambu is dropped out from the squad. The Congolese striker, as the best scorer of CSL this season(14 goals), has left for international duties. He could enter Doha to join the team in theory. pic.twitter.com/VXTfBxa3K2 — Titan Sports Plus (@titan_plus) November 15, 2020 Group E Beijing Guoan (China), Chiangrai United (Thailand), FC Seoul (South Korea), Melbourne Victory (Australia) There will be no Cedric Bakambu for the third best team in China after he travelled for DR Congo duty, while Melbourne Victory have not played since August and that was late for the A-League. Form is out of the window in this group. Chiangrai are perhaps not as good as Thai sides of the past and they do not have a head coach right now while Seoul struggled to score all season. Shanghai Shenhua announced the squad for the Asian Champions League: Kim Shin-wook back to the squad. Alexander N'Doumbou(Qian Jiegei, naturalized from Gabon) as a foreign player due to AFC's rule. Miller Bolanos & Fidel Martinez are NOT in. The 1st match vs Perth Glory on 18th. pic.twitter.com/FnUm8h4a0g — Titan Sports Plus (@titan_plus) November 14, 2020 Group F FC Tokyo (Japan), Perth Glory (Australia), Shanghai Shenhua (China), Ulsan Hyundai (South Korea) Off-field concerns dominate in Western Australia while on the pitch coach Tony Popovic has left for Greece. Shenhua have been struggling with injuries but have added Gio Moreno and Kim Shin-wook to the squad list. Tokyo have not impressed of late in the J League but, in fourth, they are the highest in the table of all the Japanese sides in the Champions League and top of the group on four points, while Ulsan may struggle without their keeper. ️ #OTD in 2013, Guangzhou Evergrande ended 2️⃣3️⃣ years of hurt to become China's first Asian club champion since Liaoning in 1990!#OnThisDay via #QNB pic.twitter.com/Q5E9FciiWo — #ACL2020 (@TheAFCCL) November 9, 2020 Group G Guangzhou Evergrande (China), Johor Darul Ta’zim (Malaysia), Suwon Samsung Bluewings (South Korea), Vissel Kobe (Japan) JDT have gone and will not be replaced. Evergrande have lost Paulinho and replaced him with Ricardo Goulart and Suwon were in the relegation play-offs this season. Meanwhile, Kobe have been flattering to deceive, as usual, though they do have Andres Iniesta and one win on the board already. Guangzhou Evergrande, led by the legendary Marcello Lippi, lift their first #ACL #OTD in 2013, ending 23 year drought for the pic.twitter.com/YhAb3XFMBF — #ACL2020 (@TheAFCCL) November 9, 2020 Group H Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors (South Korea), Shanghai SIPG (China), Sydney FC (Australia), Yokohama F Marinos (Japan) No Marko Arnautovic for Shanghai SIPG, who missed out on the Champions League spots with a fourth-placed CSL finish. They face a strong challenge from South Korean double winners Jeonbuk while Sydney FC also won the A-League Grand Final. J League side Yokohama are struggling domestically but will sit on the six points they won in March.