The Asian Club Championship 1996-97 was the 16th edition of the annual international club football competition held in the AFC

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...

 region (Asia). It determined that year's club champion of association football

Football (soccer)

Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a sport played between two teams of eleven players with a spherical ball...

 in Asia

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...

.

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...

 of South Korea

South Korea

The Republic of Korea , , is a sovereign state in East Asia, located on the southern portion of the Korean Peninsula. It is neighbored by the People's Republic of China to the west, Japan to the east, North Korea to the north, and the East China Sea and Republic of China to the south...

 won the final and became Asian champions for the first time.

West Asia

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¹ West Riffa

Bahrain Riffa Club

Al-Riffa Sports Club is a Bahraini football club based in Riffa, playing in the top division of Bahraini football. The club was founded in 1953 by the Kingdom's Prime Minister, HH Sh. Khalifa bin Salman Al-Khalifa...

 withdrew.

² Al-Sharjah withdrew.

East Asia

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¹ The 2nd leg was cancelled due to political violence in Sri Lanka.

² GD Artilheiros withdrew.

West Asia

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East Asia

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West Asia

1

1

Team	|W	|L	|GA	|Pts
Persepolis FC Persepolis FC Persepolis Football Club is an Iranian football club based in Tehran. Persepolis F.C. is the football club of the multisport Persepolis Athletic and Cultural Club....	3	2	0	1	6	5
6
Al-Zawraa Al-Zawraa Al-Zawra'a Sport Club is an Iraqi football club based in Karkh, Baghdad. Al-Zawraa is considered to be one of the best Iraqi football clubs in history, as it has won 12 national titles...	3	1	1	1	3	2
4
Al-Nasr Al-Nasr Al Nassr FC is a Saudi Arabian football club based in Riyadh. Formed in 1955 the club plays its home games at King Fahd Stadium and Prince Faisal bin Fahd Stadium. Its home colours are yellow and blue.-History:...	3	1	1	1	4	4	0	4
Al-Rayyan	3	1	0	2	3	5	−2	3

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East Asia

10

6

9

Team	|W	|L	|GA	|Pts
Cheonan Ilhwa Chunma Seongnam Ilhwa Chunma Seongnam Ilhwa Chunma is a South Korean professional football club, based in Seongnam, South Korea, that plays in the K-League...	3	2	1	0	12	2
7
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	2	0	8	2
5
Yokohama Marinos	3	1	1	1	14	5
4
New Radiant New Radiant New Radiant Sports Club is a Maldivian football club based in Malé, Maldives. The club was founded in 19 Ausust, 1979 and is one of the most popular football team among the Maldivians. The club is the most successful football club in Maldives, in terms of trophies they have won and is the most...	3	0	0	3	0	25	−25	0

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Semifinals

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Third place match

Final

Champions

Asian Club Championship 1996-97   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... First Title