Turn professional or miss out, AFC tells Asian clubs

KUALA LUMPUR, May 8 (Reuters) Asian soccer chiefs are throwing their might behind a drive to professionalise leagues throughout the continent in a bid to raise standards.

The initiative means that from 2009 only teams from professional leagues will be eligible to enter the Asian Champions League, the region's elite event.

If the rule were imposed immediately, only teams from three countries -- Australia, Japan and South Korea -- would be eligible, Asian Football Confederation president Mohamed Bin Hammam told Reuters.

''What we are looking for is 32 teams playing in top competition. Even if those 32 teams come from just six or seven countries, that is still the way to become successful.'' The 2007 Asian Champions League features a mix of professional and amateur teams spread across 15 nations.

Bin Hammam's oft-stated aim is for Asian clubs to be able to compete with the biggest names in Europe on the playing pitch and in terms of financial clout to attract the best players.

''Television and sponsors only pay for top products, that is a reality,'' he told reporters in the Malaysian capital.

The AFC is conducting a study into professionalism in Asian soccer, fronted by Japanese Football Association president Saburo Kawabuchi.

Kawabuchi, the man credited with the metamorphosis of the J-League from semi-amateur status to the robust professional model today, told AFC delegates at their annual congress that it was vital to reformat the Asian Champions League to make it more attractive.

''This involves raising the level of competition,'' he said.

''The new format will see the most powerful Asian clubs compete.

The point is to create a system which is linked to the top level of the world. The dreams of clubs, players and supporters will be linked to the world.'' Reuters BJR RS1152