Asian Champions League Team Profiles (Part 1)

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GROUP A

Al-Hilal

Key Player: Yasser Al-Qahtani. Known as ‘The Sniper’, this prolific striker will spearhead Al Hilal’s attack and is lethal both in the air and anywhere near the six yard box.

Manager: Gabriel Calderon. Former Argentina international with experience in the region after spells in charge of the Saudi national team, Oman and Al Ittihad, whom he lead to a Saudi Premier League triumph in 2008.

Basics: One of Asia’s biggest and most decorated clubs, they are the reigning champions of Saudi Arabia and came within touching distance of winning the Champions League last season. Boast some big names in their roster and will expect to go all the way this time.

Al-Gharafa

Key Player: Younis Mahmoud. The Iraq captain is one of Asian football’s most recognisable faces and led his country to a historic triumph at the 2007 Asian Cup. Top-scored in Qatar last season.

Manager: Caio Junior. The journeyman Brazilian manager led the club to the league title last season and has been at the helm of the side since 2009.

Basics: Made it into the knockout stages of the tournament last season where they were beaten over two legs by Al-Hilal, they nonetheless gave the Saudis a real fright and the presence of Mahmoud and former Lyon captain Juninho mean they’re a team not to be taken lightly.

Al-Jazira

Key Player: Ricardo Oliveira. You can’t look past the pedigree of the Brazil international, who has played for AC Milan, Real Zaragoza and Real Betis and cost the Emirate outfit €14 million.

Manager: Abel Braga. Hugely experienced Brazilian manager who is enjoying his first stint in Asia with Al-Jazira and is set to win the club their first ever UAE Pro League title this season.

Basics: Don’t have the pedigree of some of the other teams in this year’s competition but are a product of the ridiculous sums of money being pumped into football in the Middle East. Boast some decent foreign talent and finished runners-up in the UAE last season.

Sepahan

Key Player: Ibrahima Toure. The Ivorian striker’s goals were crucial as his club lifted only their second ever league title last season and he’ll carry their goal-scoring burden in the Champions League.

Manager: Amir Ghalenoei. Former Iran international who has won three league titles in Iran during his coaching career, the last coming with Sepahan.

Younis Mahmoud will be looking for goals.

Basics: Reigning champions in Iran, they have enjoyed most of their success in recent years but don’t have the reputation of the likes of Esteghlal and Persepolis.

GROUP B

Esteghlal

Key Player: Farhad Majidi. The experienced striker was in excellent form both domestically and on the continent last season and will look to recapture it again in 2011. Will captain the side.

Manager: Parviz Mazloomi. Has enjoyed successful if short reigns at whichever club he has generally joined, though a club the size of Esteghlal represents his biggest test yet.

Basics: Command a huge following and are two-time champions of Asia, a club of Esteghlal’s pedigree should by rights be challenging consistently for continental glory and will have high hopes of progressing farther than they did in the ACL last time out.

Al-Nassr

Key Player: Bader Al-Mutwa. The Kuwait international is highly thought of in his homeland and is a recent signing for Al-Nassr. He'll be hoping to reproduce the electric displays that have seen him become a lynchpin for his national team.

Manager: Dragan Skocic. The Croatian manager only joined Al-Nassr this January after a stint in charge of Al-Shabab in the United Arab Emirates.

Basics: With sixteen domestic trophies to their name Al-Nassr are yet another Saudi power ready to challenge East Asian dominance this season. They’ve certainly got the individual quality to do it.

Pakhtakor

Key Player: Bojan Miladinović. The former Serbian youth international will have a key role to play for his side at centre-back and is a former Red Star Belgrade player.

Manager: Ravshan Khaydarov. Will be concerned with the manner in which his side dropped points as Bunyodkor romped to the league title last season, as well as the departure of two key players in Aleksandr Geynrikh and Odil Akhmedov.

Basics: Their standing as Uzbekistan’s powerhouse club has all but evaporated thanks to the success of cashed-up Bunyodkor, who have won the Uzbek League on the last three occasions. Pakhtakor appear to have an uphill battle on their hands in Asia this season after losing Geynrikh and Akhmedov.

Al-Sadd

Key Player: Nadir Belhadj. The explosive wing-back brings with him invaluable experience after time spent with Lyon and Portsmouth in the English Premier League.

Manager: Jorge Fossati. The Uruguayan has taken the reigns of his country’s national team in the past as well as Qatar in a brief spell cut down by ill health.

Basics: Eleven-time domestic champions, they are Qatar’s most successful ever club but finished runners-up last season to Al-Gharafa, just as they had done twice before that. Will be keen to throw their weight around in the Champions League with some notable foreign names in their roster.

GROUP C

Hickersberger's experience will be crucial to Al-Wahda.

Al-Wahda

Key Player: Fernando Baiano. The Brazilian youth international has European experience and is a journeyman striker who has scored goals wherever he has gone. Has enjoyed huge success since joining Al-Wahda.

Manager: Josef Hickersberger. Hugely experienced manager who has been at the helm of the Bahrain and Austrian national teams on two separate occasions each in the past.

Basics: Reigning champions of the UAE, they are one of the country’s most successful and popular clubs who are always in the mix for silverware.

Persepolis

Key Player: Sepehr Heidari. The towering central defender has been a regular fixture in this side since moving from Zob Ahan and will captain Persepolis during their ACL campaign.

Manager: Ali Daei. This icon of Asian and Iranian football needs no introduction, though his managerial career is still in its infancy.

Basics: One of the most popular clubs in Asia, they have won the Iranian league nine times though a Champions League trophy has as of yet eluded them. Will be expecting to mix it with the Champions League big guns.

Al-Ittihad

Key Player: Mohammed Noor. The 33 year-old captains the club and is recognized as one of Asia’s best players. Exerts a huge influence creatively from his attacking midfield role.

Manager: Toni. Took Benfica to the final of the European Champions Cup (UEFA Champions League) in 1988 and will be hoping to repeat the feat with a club that enjoys similar standing to the Portuguese giants on its own continent.

Basics: Won back-to-back Champions League titles in 2004 and 2005 and were runners-up to Al-Hilal last season in Saudi Arabia. Clearly know what it takes to win this competition.

Bunyodkor

Key Player: Viktor Karpenko. The midfielder's versatility and experience will be invaluable for his side. Can play through the middle and on the right in both midfield and defence and has an eye for goal.

Manager: Mirjalol Qosimov. Former national team player and manager is in his second spell in charge of the cashed-up club.

Basics: Having signed a host of new faces for this season it's hard to say how well the Swallows will gel together but the Uzbek champions will be keen to continue where they left off last season. They are traditionally a tight side who don't concede many but at the same time don't score many either.

GROUP D

Al-Rayyan

Key Player: Fabio Cesar. The 32 year-old Brazilian-born Qatar international formerly played for Napoli and will be a key figure in the centre of the park for the Al-Rayyan.

Manager: Paulo Autuori. Has been managing for more than three decades and the latter part of the 54 year-old’s coaching career has seen him spend more time in Asia, where he was previously head coach of J-League side Kashima Antlers.

Basics: Finished only fifth in the league last season but nonetheless lifted the Emir of Qatar Cup.

Emirates Club

Key Player: Hadj Bouguèche. An Algeria international, he is also a relative newcomer to the club and will be hoping to make an impact on the continent this season.

Manager: Tunisian manager Ghazi Ghrairi.

Basics: Won two domestic cups last year: the UAE Super Cup and the UAE President Cup.

Zobahan

Key Player: Igor Castro. The Brazilian brings a cultured passing game and calm on the ball that is crucial to the way the Iranian side operates. Instrumental in their run to the final last season.

Manager: Mansour Ebrahimzadeh. Perennial runner-up at the helm of this club, his outstanding work with Zobahan is set to be rewarded with the club on course for a belated league title.

Basics: One of the rising powers of Iranian football, Zobahan stunned the continent by making it to the final of the 2010 Asian Champions League, only to be beaten by a strong Seongnam Ilhwa side.

Al-Shabab

Key Player: Marcelo Tavares. The Brazilian is the rock at the heart of the Al-Shabab defence and will be a key figure for the Saudi club, as he was in the last Champions League.

Manager: Enzo Trossero. In charge of his second successive Saudi Arabian side, the Argentina international having previously been manager of Al-Ittihad.

Basics: Whilst not quite of the size of Al-Ittihad or Al-Hilal, they showed they're a force to be reckoned with last season in the ACL and will be dangerous if they hit form again.