KUALA LUMPUR – The Asian Football Confederation (AFC) confirmed on Wednesday that Shandong Taishan FC has officially withdrawn from the AFC Champions League Elite 2024/25.
The decision comes after the Chinese club informed the AFC that it would not report for its scheduled League Stage (East) match against South Korea’s Ulsan HD FC on February 19, 2025.
The AFC cited Article 5.2 of the competition regulations in its statement and announced that the matter will now be referred to the appropriate AFC committees for further decisions.
According to Chinese media reports, Shandong’s withdrawal may be linked to an incident during their previous AFC Champions League Elite match against South Korea’s Gwangju FC. The controversy arose when Shandong fans displayed images of former South Korean President Chun Doo-hwan and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, provoking strong reactions from Korean supporters. The issue has since escalated to a diplomatic level.
The AFC has yet to issue an official statement on the broader implications of the incident.
24 teams fight for the last six spots in the AFC Asian Cup 2027, with high-stakes clashes set to unfold in the Final Round Qualifiers.