AFC Champions League title holders Al-Sadd were the surprise winners of Asia's premier club competition and will feature in their first FIFA Club World Cup. Al Sadd, who hail from the Qatari capital city of Doha, have a quarter-final meeting with African champions Espérance and, should they emerge victorious, will look forward to a semi-final encounter against FC Barcelona.

"I think I am not in the best condition to analyse it. At this moment, my feeling is stronger than my reason."
Those were the words of Jorge Fossati, the coach of newly-crowned Asian Champions Al Sadd, deep in the bowels of Jeonju World Cup Stadium on Saturday evening. The Uruguayan had just watched a fantastic final in which his team overcame favourites and host Jeonbuk Motors thanks to a penalty shootout.

This says it all:
'Qatari club... failed to qualify for the tournament and was only granted entry after a Vietnamese team was barred for failing to submit the correct documentation... Al Sadd lost both legs in the quarterfinals but still made it to the last four. After losing, 1-0, at home to Sepahan, the Asian confederation gave the losers a 3-0 win after discovering that the Iranian team had fielded an ineligible player.

A mass brawl erupted in the Asian Champions League semi-final between Al Sadd and Suwon Bluewings after Suwon put the ball out for attention to an injured player only for the official to wave play-on and Mamadou Niang to score Al Sadd's controversial second goal.

The group stages in the two major Asian club competitions have concluded on Wednesday and there was plenty of tension in the air. The remaining places in the Round of 16 stages of each competition were up for grabs and ensured some dramatic action on Matchday 6.

In the AFC Champions League there was virtually nothing left to play for in the east of the continent as all of the qualifiers from Groups E-H were known before kick-off.

Players come and go in the K-League, especially those from overseas. There is an incredibly high turnover of playing staff in South Korea, teams can virtually change their entire starting elevens from season to season.
Hiring players is not, of course, an exact science. Some succeed and some don't for a variety of reasons.