Kuala Lumpur, September 02 (QNA) - The Asian Football Confederation (AFC) today announced the first promotional campaign for the new trophy for Asia's biggest club competition, which will be launched this year under the name "AFC Champions League Elite", through a special tour across the continent, which will give fans the opportunity to get to know the trophy up close.

In a statement today, the AFC said: "Football fans in Asia will have the thrilling opportunity to get up close and personal with the new AFC Champions League Elite (ACL Elite) silverware when it makes its way across the Continent over the course of the 2024/25 campaign." The magnificent original trophy is set to embark on a Trophy Visit to each of the 12 participating Member Associations of Asia's elite men's club competition, with the home of reigning champions Al Ain FC of the United Arab Emirates earmarked as the first stop on the opening matchday of the League Stage on Monday, September 16.

Every subsequent matchday in the League Stage will feature a different destination, along with two more in the Round of 16, as the silverware travels across Australia, China PR, Iraq, the Islamic Republic of Iran, Japan, Korea Republic, Malaysia, Qatar, Thailand, and Uzbekistan before arriving in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia to stay for the duration of the Final Stage that culminates in the all-important decider on May 4, 2025.

The Trophy Visit will allow passionate supporters a once-in-a-lifetime chance to see and be photographed with the dazzling prize, unveiled during last month's League Stage draw, as Asia's finest 24 clubs take centre stage for the highly anticipated showdowns in the revamped ACL Elite.

Fans will also be able to take in the new trophies for both the AFC Women's Champions League and AFC Champions League Two (ACL Two), which will be on display during the opening matchday of each competition on October 2 and 3 in Wuhan, China PR, which will serve as the centralised host for Group A of the AFC Women's Champions League, and Hiroshima where Japan's Sanfrecce Hiroshima open their ACL Two Group E campaign against Kaya FC-Iloilo of the Philippines on September 19. (QNA)