Chon Buri grab extra Asian C-League spot

The Asian Football Confederation’s executive committee on Tuesday allocated slots to for the 2014 edition of the continent’s premier club competition. Thailand were awarded one more than last season, retaining one direct entry and a play-off spot and gaining another place in the qualification stage for what was previously known as the Asian Club Championship.

The AFC allocated the slots based on its ranking of member countries. Worawi Makudi, who retained his post as the Thai FA president in last month’s poll but has yet to officially assume his role, said Thailand were ranked fifth behind Japan, South Korea, China and Australia in the Asia’s “East” zone.

Worawi said Thailand increased its number of ranking points mainly due to measures it had taken against match-fixing, its growing number of soccer spectators and the huge progress made by each club in terms of management.

There was initially some confusion over who would join Buriram United – who qualified by dint of their clean sweep of the Thai Premier League title and two domestic cup trophies – and league runners-up Muanthong, as Thailand’s third representative in Asia. 

The Asian soccer body set the following criteria for the clubs to earn entries: 1. Domestic League champion, 2. Domestic Knock-Out Cup champion, 3. Domestic League runner-up, 4. Domestic League 3rd-placed club, and 5. Domestic League 4th-placed club.

But speculation that Bangkok Glass could grab the spot thanks to their status as FA Cup runners-up to Buriram prompted BG to issue a statement Chon Buri were the rightful AFC qualifiers. As a result, Worawi yesterday confirmed Chon Buri as the third Thai club to represent the country next year.