AFC Champions League 2009
Encyclopedia
The 2009 AFC Champions League was the 28th edition of the top-level Asia
n club football tournament organized by the Asian Football Confederation
(AFC), and the 7th under the current AFC Champions League
title. The final took place at National Stadium
in Tokyo
, Japan
on November 7. The winners, the K-League
club Pohang Steelers
, qualified for the 2009 FIFA Club World Cup
in UAE.
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.
† One of the A-League
clubs, Wellington Phoenix
, is based in New Zealand, an OFC
member country, therefore not being eligible to compete in the ACL.
Qualifying play-off: (5 teams) United Arab Emirates
,
Indonesia
,
Singapore
,
Thailand
,
India
each have 1 team qualify
Group stage: (32 teams)
The following teams had qualified for qualifying play-off, but were removed as their leagues did not meet the Champions League criteria:
TH Title holders
* Number of appearances in the group stage since the 2002/03 season, including quarterfinals appearances for the defending champions during 2004-2008 seasons
!colspan="3"|East Asia Semi-final
|-
!colspan="3"|East Asia Final
|-
!colspan="3"|West Asia Final
|}
, 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.
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:
Winners and runners-up of each group will qualify for the next round.
Sharjah
withdrew from the competition with two games remaining. Their results were expunged.
|-
!colspan="3"|West Asia
|-
!colspan="3"|East Asia
|}
, Malaysia on June 29, 2009. The first leg matches were played on 23–24 September, with the second leg matches played on 30 September.
|}
|}
, Tokyo
, Japan
.
Asia
Asia is the world's largest and most populous continent, located primarily in the eastern and northern hemispheres. It covers 8.7% of the Earth's total surface area and with approximately 3.879 billion people, it hosts 60% of the world's current human population...
n club football tournament organized by the Asian Football Confederation
Asian Football Confederation
The Asian Football Confederation is the governing body of association football in Asia. It has 46 member countries, mostly located on the Asian continent. However, due to the disputed boundary of Europe and Asia, nations such as Russia and Turkey which are located mostly in geographic Asia are...
(AFC), and the 7th under the current AFC Champions League
AFC Champions League
The AFC Champions League is the premier Asian club football competition hosted annually by Asian Football Confederation . The tournament is contested among the top thirty-two clubs from the top 10 Asian leagues, two of which must qualify through the playoffs...
title. The final took place at National Stadium
Olympic Stadium (Tokyo)
or National Stadium is a stadium in Kasumigaoka, Shinjuku, Tokyo, Japan that served as the main stadium for the 1964 Summer Olympics. It currently serves as the stadium where the Japan national football teams home matches and major football club cup finals are held.-History:The stadium was...
in Tokyo
Tokyo
, ; officially , is one of the 47 prefectures of Japan. Tokyo is the capital of Japan, the center of the Greater Tokyo Area, and the largest metropolitan area of Japan. It is the seat of the Japanese government and the Imperial Palace, and the home of the Japanese Imperial Family...
, Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
on November 7. The winners, the K-League
K-League
The Korea Professional Football League is South Korea's only fully professional association football league. At the top of the South Korean football league system, it is the country's highest and most prestigious level of football competition currently contested by 16 clubs.-Establishment:The...
club Pohang Steelers
Pohang Steelers
Pohang Steelers are a South Korean professional football club based in Pohang, Gyeongsangbuk-do. They were originally called POSCO, after the Pohang Iron and Steel Company that owned it...
, qualified for the 2009 FIFA Club World Cup
2009 FIFA Club World Cup
-Play-off for Quarter-finals:-Quarter-finals:-----Semi-finals:-----Match for fifth place:-Match for third place:-Final:-Scorers:4 goals Denilson...
in UAE.
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
Qatar
Qatar , also known as the State of Qatar or locally Dawlat Qaṭar, is a sovereign Arab state, located in the Middle East, occupying the small Qatar Peninsula on the northeasterly coast of the much larger Arabian Peninsula. Its sole land border is with Saudi Arabia to the south, with the rest of its...
's leading telecom company Qtel
Qtel
Qtel used to be the exclusive telecommunications provider in Qatar and is one of the largest public companies in Qatar with about 2000 employees. It was successfully launched on the Doha Securities Market in 1998 and listed on the London Stock Exchange in 1999, the Bahrain Stock Exchange in 2001...
will sponsor the AFC Champions League from 2009-2012.
AFC assessment ranking
| Pos | Member Association |
Points (total 500) |
Clubs | Spots | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Group stage | Play-off | AFC Cup AFC Cup The AFC Cup is an annual international association football competition between domestic clubs sides run by the Asian Football Confederation . Qualification to the competition is to clubs from AFC-affiliated countries which fall into the AFC's 'developing nations' category as laid out in their... |
||||
| 4 |  Saudi ArabiaSaudi Arabia Football Federation The Saudi Arabia Football Federation is the football governing body of Saudi Arabia. Founded in 1956, its responsibilities include administration of club competitions and national teams.... |
365 | 12 | 4 | 0 | 0 |
| 5 | UAE United Arab Emirates Football Association The United Arab Emirates Football Association is the governing body of football in the United Arab Emirates.-Domestic Competitions:*UAE Premier League*UAE Football League Division 1*UAE Football League Division 2*UAE Super Cup*UAE Vice Presidents Cup... |
356 | 12 | 3 | 1 | 0 |
| 7 |  IranIslamic Republic of Iran Football Federation The Football Federation of the Islamic Republic of Iran ' is the governing body for football in Iran. It was founded in 1920, and has been a member of FIFA since 1945. It is also a member of the Asian Football Confederation... |
340 | 18 | 4 | 0 | 0 |
| 9 |  UzbekistanUzbekistan Football Federation The Uzbekistan Football Federation is the governing body of football in Uzbekistan, controlling the Uzbek national team. It was founded in 1946, while Uzbekistan was still under Soviet rule, and has been a member of FIFA and the Asian Football Confederation since 1994.The federation organizes the... |
289 | 16 | 2 | 0 | 1 |
| 10 |  QatarQatar Football Association The Qatar Football Association is the governing body of football in Qatar.-Beginnings:The advent of football at Qatar dates back to the year of 1946, accompanied by the arrival of oil companies... |
270 | 10 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| 13 | India All India Football Federation The All India Football Federation is the organisation which manages the game of association football in India. It administers the running of the India national football team and also controls the I-League, India's premier domestic club competition, in addition to various other competitions and... |
202 | 10 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| Meet the criteria | |
| Do not meet the criteria |
| Pos | Member Association |
Points (total 500) |
Clubs | Spots | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Group stage | Play-off | AFC Cup AFC Cup The AFC Cup is an annual international association football competition between domestic clubs sides run by the Asian Football Confederation . Qualification to the competition is to clubs from AFC-affiliated countries which fall into the AFC's 'developing nations' category as laid out in their... |
||||
| 1 |  JapanJapan Football Association The Japan Football Association, sometimes known as the Japan Soccer Association , is the governing body responsible for the administration of association football in Japan. It is responsible for the national team as well as club competitions.... |
470 | 18 | 4 | 0 | 0 |
| 2 |  Korea RepublicKorea Football Association The Korea Football Association is the governing body of football in Korea. The first governing body of Korean football was the Joseon Football Association , founded on 19 September 1933.... |
441 | 14 | 4 | 0 | 0 |
| 3 |  China PR |
431 | 16 | 4 | 0 | 0 |
| 6 |  AustraliaFootball Federation Australia Football Federation Australia is the governing body for the sport of football in Australia. Before 1 January 2005, it was known as the Australian Soccer Association , which succeeded Soccer Australia in this role in 2003... |
343 | 7+1† | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| 8 | Indonesia Football Association of Indonesia The Football Association of Indonesia or PSSI is the governing body of football in Indonesia. It was founded on April 19, 1930, 15 years before Indonesian independence... |
296 | 18 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| 11 | Singapore Football Association of Singapore The Football Association of Singapore is the governing body of football in Singapore. It was founded in 1952. Prior to that, the Singapore Amateur Football Association, founded in 1892, was the governing body for football in Singapore... |
279 | 12 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| 12 | Thailand Football Association of Thailand The Football Association of Thailand or the full name is the Football Association of Thailand under Patronage of His Majesty the King is the governing body of football in Thailand. It was founded in 25 April 1916 and then joined FIFA in 23 June 1925 and AFC in 1957.Recently the FAT has been... |
221 | 16 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| 14 |  VietnamVietnam Football Federation The Vietnam Football Federation is the governing body of football in Vietnam. It is responsible for the Vietnam men's, women's, olympic, and other youth teams as well as national competitions.... |
191 | 14 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
† One of the A-League
A-League
The A-League is the top Australasian professional football league. Run by Australian governing body Football Federation Australia , it was founded in 2004 following the folding of the National Soccer League and staged its inaugural season in 2005–06. It is sponsored by Hyundai Motor Company...
clubs, Wellington Phoenix
Wellington Phoenix FC
Wellington Phoenix Football Club is a professional association football club based in Wellington, New Zealand. The club competes in the Football Federation of Australia A-League. Ricki Herbert has been the coach since the club's inception to the A-League in July 2007. The current club captain is...
, is based in New Zealand, an OFC
Oceania Football Confederation
The Oceania Football Confederation is one of the six continental confederations of international association football, consisting of Papua New Guinea, New Zealand and island nations such as Tonga, Fiji and other Pacific Island countries...
member country, therefore not being eligible to compete in the ACL.
Allocation of entries
Below is the qualification scheme for the 2009 Champions League:Qualifying play-off: (5 teams) United Arab Emirates
United Arab Emirates Football Association
The United Arab Emirates Football Association is the governing body of football in the United Arab Emirates.-Domestic Competitions:*UAE Premier League*UAE Football League Division 1*UAE Football League Division 2*UAE Super Cup*UAE Vice Presidents Cup...
,
IndonesiaFootball Association of Indonesia
The Football Association of Indonesia or PSSI is the governing body of football in Indonesia. It was founded on April 19, 1930, 15 years before Indonesian independence...
,
SingaporeFootball Association of Singapore
The Football Association of Singapore is the governing body of football in Singapore. It was founded in 1952. Prior to that, the Singapore Amateur Football Association, founded in 1892, was the governing body for football in Singapore...
,
ThailandFootball Association of Thailand
The Football Association of Thailand or the full name is the Football Association of Thailand under Patronage of His Majesty the King is the governing body of football in Thailand. It was founded in 25 April 1916 and then joined FIFA in 23 June 1925 and AFC in 1957.Recently the FAT has been...
,
IndiaAll India Football Federation
The All India Football Federation is the organisation which manages the game of association football in India. It administers the running of the India national football team and also controls the I-League, India's premier domestic club competition, in addition to various other competitions and...
each have 1 team qualify
Group stage: (32 teams)
- 2 qualifying play-off entries
- 4 teams qualify: JapanJapan Football AssociationThe Japan Football Association, sometimes known as the Japan Soccer Association , is the governing body responsible for the administration of association football in Japan. It is responsible for the national team as well as club competitions....
, China, IranIslamic Republic of Iran Football FederationThe Football Federation of the Islamic Republic of Iran ' is the governing body for football in Iran. It was founded in 1920, and has been a member of FIFA since 1945. It is also a member of the Asian Football Confederation...
, South KoreaKorea Football AssociationThe Korea Football Association is the governing body of football in Korea. The first governing body of Korean football was the Joseon Football Association , founded on 19 September 1933....
, Saudi ArabiaSaudi Arabia Football FederationThe Saudi Arabia Football Federation is the football governing body of Saudi Arabia. Founded in 1956, its responsibilities include administration of club competitions and national teams.... - 3 teams qualify: United Arab EmiratesUnited Arab Emirates Football AssociationThe United Arab Emirates Football Association is the governing body of football in the United Arab Emirates.-Domestic Competitions:*UAE Premier League*UAE Football League Division 1*UAE Football League Division 2*UAE Super Cup*UAE Vice Presidents Cup...
- 2 teams qualify: AustraliaFootball Federation AustraliaFootball Federation Australia is the governing body for the sport of football in Australia. Before 1 January 2005, it was known as the Australian Soccer Association , which succeeded Soccer Australia in this role in 2003...
, UzbekistanUzbekistan Football FederationThe Uzbekistan Football Federation is the governing body of football in Uzbekistan, controlling the Uzbek national team. It was founded in 1946, while Uzbekistan was still under Soviet rule, and has been a member of FIFA and the Asian Football Confederation since 1994.The federation organizes the...
, QatarQatar Football AssociationThe Qatar Football Association is the governing body of football in Qatar.-Beginnings:The advent of football at Qatar dates back to the year of 1946, accompanied by the arrival of oil companies... - 1 team qualify: IndonesiaFootball Association of IndonesiaThe Football Association of Indonesia or PSSI is the governing body of football in Indonesia. It was founded on April 19, 1930, 15 years before Indonesian independence...
The following teams had qualified for qualifying play-off, but were removed as their leagues did not meet the Champions League criteria:
| Team | Original qualification |
|---|---|
| Binh Duong Bình Duong F.C. Becamex Binh Duong is a Vietnamese football club based in Thu Dau Mot, Vietnam and currently plays in Vietnam's top division, the V-League.The team plays at Go Dau Stadium, Thu Dau Mot... |
2008 V-League champions |
 MuharraqMuharraq Club Al-Muharraq Sports Club , is the oldest sports club in Muharraq island in the Persian Gulf region. Al-Muharraq Sports Club has won the Bahraini Football Premier League 31 times. Al-Muharraq Sports Club also takes part in other sports than football like Basketball and Volleyball... |
2008 AFC Cup winners |
 SafaSafa Sporting Club Safa Beirut SC is a Lebanese sports club based in Wata El-Museitbeh, Beirut. In English the name Safa الصفاء means clarity... |
2008 AFC Cup runners-up |
Qualified teams
|
|
|
TH Title holders
* Number of appearances in the group stage since the 2002/03 season, including quarterfinals appearances for the defending champions during 2004-2008 seasons
Schedule
|
|
Qualifying play-off
|-!colspan="3"|East Asia Semi-final
|-
!colspan="3"|East Asia Final
|-
!colspan="3"|West Asia Final
|}
Group stage
The draw for the group stage was held on January 7, 2009 in Abu DhabiAbu Dhabi
Abu Dhabi , literally Father of Gazelle, is the capital and the second largest city of the United Arab Emirates in terms of population and the largest of the seven member emirates of the United Arab Emirates. Abu Dhabi lies on a T-shaped island jutting into the Persian Gulf from the central western...
, 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 goalsAway goals ruleThe away goals rule is a method of breaking ties in association football and other sports when teams play each other twice, once at each team's home ground. By the away goals rule, the team that has scored more goals "away from home" will win if scores are otherwise equal...
do not apply) - Greater number of goals scored in the group matches between the teams concerned; (Away goalsAway goals ruleThe away goals rule is a method of breaking ties in association football and other sports when teams play each other twice, once at each team's home ground. By the away goals rule, the team that has scored more goals "away from home" will win if scores are otherwise equal...
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.
Group A
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Group B
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SharjahSharjah FC
Sharjah Sports Club is a United Arab Emirates professional football club. It is based in Sharjah city. The home stadium is Sharjah Stadium....
withdrew from the competition with two games remaining. Their results were expunged.
Group C
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Group D
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Group E
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Group F
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Group G
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Group H
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Round of 16
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.|-
!colspan="3"|West Asia
|-
!colspan="3"|East Asia
|}
Quarter-finals
The draw for the quarter-finals and the remaining knockout rounds took place at Kuala LumpurKuala Lumpur
Kuala Lumpur is the capital and the second largest city in Malaysia by population. The city proper, making up an area of , has a population of 1.4 million as of 2010. Greater Kuala Lumpur, also known as the Klang Valley, is an urban agglomeration of 7.2 million...
, Malaysia on June 29, 2009. The first leg matches were played on 23–24 September, with the second leg matches played on 30 September.
|}
Semi-finals
The first leg matches were played on 21 October, with the second leg matches were played on 28 October 2009.|}
Final
The 2009 AFC Champions League Final was played on November 7 at National StadiumOlympic Stadium (Tokyo)
or National Stadium is a stadium in Kasumigaoka, Shinjuku, Tokyo, Japan that served as the main stadium for the 1964 Summer Olympics. It currently serves as the stadium where the Japan national football teams home matches and major football club cup finals are held.-History:The stadium was...
, Tokyo
Tokyo
, ; officially , is one of the 47 prefectures of Japan. Tokyo is the capital of Japan, the center of the Greater Tokyo Area, and the largest metropolitan area of Japan. It is the seat of the Japanese government and the Imperial Palace, and the home of the Japanese Imperial Family...
, Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
.
| AFC Champions League 2009 Winners |
|---|
 |
| Pohang Steelers Pohang Steelers Pohang Steelers are a South Korean professional football club based in Pohang, Gyeongsangbuk-do. They were originally called POSCO, after the Pohang Iron and Steel Company that owned it... Third Title |
Top scorers
As of 28 October 2009. Bold typeface indicates players and clubs still competing| Rank | Player | Club | Total | ||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  Leandro |
Gamba Osaka Gamba Osaka is a Japanese professional association football club, currently playing in the J. League Division 1. The team's name comes from the Italian word "gamba" meaning "leg" and the Japanese , meaning "to do your best" or "to stand firm". Located in Suita, Osaka, the team's home stadium is Osaka Expo '70... |
1 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 10 | ||||||
| 2 |  Prince TagoePrince Tagoe Prince Tagoe is a Ghanaian international footballer, who plays as a striker for Süper Lig club Bursaspor in Turkey.-Early career:... |
Al-Ettifaq |
2 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 8 | ||||||||
| 3 | Denilson |
Pohang Steelers Pohang Steelers Pohang Steelers are a South Korean professional football club based in Pohang, Gyeongsangbuk-do. They were originally called POSCO, after the Pohang Iron and Steel Company that owned it... |
3 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 7 | ||||||||
| 4 | Nasser Al-Shamrani Nasser Al-Shamrani Nasser Al-Shamrani is a Saudi Arabian football player for the Al-Shabab football club based in Riyadh. Nasser, a forward, moved to Al-Shabab during the beginning of the 2007-2008 season from Al-Wehda. He signed a contract with Al-Shabab for 13 million riyals for 5 seasons... |
Al-Shabab |
1 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 6 | ||||||||
| 5 | Mohammed Noor Mohammed Noor Mohammed Noor Al-Hawsawi is a footballer from Saudi Arabia. He plays for the club side Al-Ittihad and has been called the Saudi Patrick Vieira. He is also considered as one of the best players in Asia.... |
Al-Ittihad |
1 | 3 | 1 | 5 | |||||||||
| Yoshizumi Ogawa |
Nagoya Grampus Nagoya Grampus are a Japanese association football club that play in the J. League. Based in Nagoya, Aichi Prefecture and originally founded as the company team of the Toyota Motor Corp... |
1 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 5 | |||||||||
 Hicham Aboucherouane |
Al-Ittihad |
1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 5 | ||||||||
 Dejan DamjanovićDejan Damjanovic Dejan Damjanović is an international Montenegrin football forward, who plays for FC Seoul in the South Korean K-League.- Early life :Damjanović was born in the town of Mostar, SFR Yugoslavia on 27 July 1981.... |
FC Seoul FC Seoul FC Seoul is a South Korean professional football club based in Seoul, South Korea, that plays in the K-League. It is currently owned by GS Sports, a subsidiary of GS Group.... |
3 | 1 | 1 | 5 | ||||||||||
| Renatinho |
Kawasaki Frontale Kawasaki Frontale is a J. League Division 1 association football club. The team is located in Kawasaki, Kanagawa Prefecture, south of Tokyo. Their home stadium is Todoroki Athletics Stadium, in Nakahara Ward, in the central area of Kawasaki.-History:... |
1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 5 | ||||||||
| Zaynitdin Tadjiyev Zaynitdin Tadjiyev Zaynitdin Tadjiyev is an Uzbek footballer who currently plays for Lokomotiv Tashkent.He was spotted playing in the Uzbekistan 1-Division team Lokomotiv BFK Tashkent in FC Shurtan Guzar's pre-season friendly game, where he scored the first goal of the game, and Shakhboz Erkinov scored the other... |
Pakhtakor FC Pakhtakor Tashkent FC Pakhtakor Tashkent is an Uzbek professional football club, based in the capital Tashkent. Pakhtakor means cotton-grower in English.Playing in the Uzbek League since 1992, the club has been the undisputed powerhouse in Uzbekistan since the fall of the Soviet Union, winning eight Uzbek League... |
1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 5 | ||||||||
| Araújo Clemerson de Araújo Soares Clemerson de Araújo Soares, best known as Araújo is a Brazilian footballer. Currently playing for Fluminense in Brazil after recently moving from Al-Gharafa .... |
Al-Gharafa |
1 | 1 | 3 | 5 | ||||||||||