The champions league was expanded to 35 clubs this year, with 5 teams starting from a knockout qualifying stage. An extra stage in the knockout phase was added so that the runners up as well as the winners from the group stage would progress. The previous season winner no longer got a bye through to the knockout round. Each team was allowed to field a maximum of four foreign players this season, one of whom had to be from an AFC Member Association country. On 5 November 2008 it was announced that Qatar's leading telecom company Qtel will sponsor the AFC Champions League from 2009-2012.[1]
Qualification
A total of 35 teams will participate in the 2009 Champions League.[2]
The draw for the group stage was held on January 7, 2009 in Abu Dhabi, UAE.
Each club plays double round-robin (home and away) against fellow three group members, a total of 6 matches each. Each team had been numbered from 1 to 4, the numbers determine the order of the fixtures.
Match Day 1: 1 vs 4, 3 vs 2
Match Day 2: 2 vs 1, 4 vs 3
Match Day 3: 1 vs 3, 4 vs 2
Match Day 4: 3 vs 1, 2 vs 4
Match Day 5: 4 vs 1, 2 vs 3
Match Day 6: 1 vs 2, 3 vs 4
Clubs receive 3 points for a win, 1 point for a tie, 0 points for a loss. The clubs are ranked according to points and tie breakers are in following order:
Greater number of points obtained in the group matches between the teams concerned;
Goal difference resulting from the group matches between the teams concerned; (Away goals do not apply)
Greater number of goals scored in the group matches between the teams concerned; (Away goals do not apply)
Goal difference in all the group matches;
Greater number of goals scored in all the group matches;
Kicks from the penalty mark if only two teams are involved and they are both on the field of play;
Fewer score calculated according to the number of yellow and red cards received in the group matches; (1 point for each yellow card, 3 points for each red card as a consequence of two yellow cards, 3 points for each direct red card, 4 points for each yellow card followed by a direct red card)
Drawing of lots.
Winners and runners-up of each group will qualify for the next round.
The draw for the round of 16 of the 2009 AFC Champions League was held on 7 January 2009, along with the draw for the group stage. The West Asian matches were played on 26 and 27 May. The East Asian matches were played on 24 June.
The draw for the quarter-finals and the remaining knockout rounds took place at Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia on June 29, 2009. The first leg matches were played on 23–24 September, with the second leg matches played on 30 September.
Pohang Steelers
Al-Ittihad
Leandro 
United Arab Emirates, 
Indonesia, 
Singapore, 
Thailand, 
India each have 1 team qualify
Japan, 
China, 
Iran, 
Australia, 
Uzbekistan, 
Qatar
Binh Duong
Muharraq
Safa
74'
Prince Tagoe
Hicham Aboucherouane
Dejan Damjanović