DOHA: A total of 13 club teams have arrived in Doha for the three-week Asian Champions League football fiesta to be held at various stadiums in Qatar.

They will be joined by top Qatar sides Al Duhail and Al Sadd as the continental championship resumes after it was stopped in its tracks by the coronavirus pandemic in early March.

Only two rounds were played until then, but with the virus situation improving and Qatar agreeing to host the remaining West Asian matches right until the semi-final on October 3, the tournament will now go ahead much to the relief of the Asian Football Confederation (AFC).

Avazbek Berdikulov, Deputy Director of the Competitions and Football Events Division at the AFC, said yesterday that all preparations have been completed for the tournament which will be held in a bio-secure environment.

“On behalf of the AFC, we are here to host the four-group competitions for the West Asia region,” Berdikulov said at a press conference held yesterday at Al Janoub Stadium, one of the venues for the tournament.

“The competition was stopped for reasons that everyone knows, because of the coronavirus, but after fruitful negotiations with the clubs and decision-makers in Doha, it is our pleasure to be among you again,” Berdikulov added.
The tournament will be played without fans, Berdikulov added, because the threat of the virus still exists. However, he added that the possibility of fans being allowed for the semi-finals and final will be decided later, depending on the situation then.

Berdikulov asserted that everyone will feel comfortable with the many services and facilities that Qatar is providing.

“When it comes to organisation and infrastructure, Qatar’s record cannot be questioned. Qatar has organised large competitions before and their record is excellent. Our cooperation with Qatar therefore continues.”

He added that one of the reasons the AFC chose Qatar was because of its excellent facilities and strict health protocols.

“I take this opportunity to thank Qatar’s Ministry of Public Health (MoPH) for its efforts to limit the spread of the coronavirus,” he said.
“When we decided the dates and opened the bid, Qatar’s proposal was the best. No other country came forward to host all the four groups in West Asia. We know that Qatar has the best infrastructure and we are happy to host the event here.”

Dr Abdel Wahab al-Musleh, Senior Consultant to the Minister of Public Health, said Qatar has taken every measure possible to ensure a smooth tournament.

“We have put in place medical services and precautionary measures in accordance with AFC regulations. These include designated 24×7 clinics at all hotels, complete medical coverage at stadiums and mobile teams to serve people inside the venues,” he said.

In keeping Qatar’s health protocols, all players and officials participating in the tournament were required to undergo Covid-19 testing before their departure from their respective countries and again upon their arrival in Qatar, with subsequent tests will be conducted every three to six days.

Ali Al Salat, representing QFA, said yesterday: “We are hosting this press conference in exceptional circumstances. The football family knows that QFA was in communication with AFC to prepare for this competition. We have top-notch and secure facilities to host the West Zone matches. We have been granted to host the matches after detailed discussions with all stakeholders – the AFC, QFA, the Supreme Committee for Delivery and Legacy and the QSL. We also have complete cooperation with the Ministry of Interior and MOPH.”

Al Salat added: “The event is being hosted at our new World Cup stadiums. We hope this will be an exciting event despite the fact that we are coping with tough times around the world. This will be a unique experience for members of the local organizing committee as Qatar continues to prepare for the 2022 FIFA World Cup.”