The Asian Football Confederation (AFC) announced, in a decisive official statement, its decision to postpone all home and away matches of the Round of 16 of the AFC Champions League, as well as the AFC Champions League 2 matches for the West Zone, due to the current circumstances in the region, which necessitated organizational intervention to ensure the safety of all participants.

Details of the decision and postponed matches

This decision came after a series of consultations, as the continental federation had previously announced the postponement of only the first leg matches. However, the inability to reach an agreement on holding the round of 16 competitions in a centralized format in one of the selected cities prompted the federation to make a comprehensive decision to postpone the second leg as well indefinitely.

This decision includes a number of highly anticipated matches for Arab and Asian fans, particularly those of Saudi clubs competing strongly in this edition. Al-Ahli Saudi Al -Duhail of Qatar , while Al-Hilal preparing to meet Al-Sadd , and Al-Ittihad was set to play Al - Wahda in the Round of 16 of the AFC Champions League. In the AFC Champions League 2, the postponement also affected Al-Nassr's against Al-Wasl .

Context of the event and the importance of the 2025-2026 season championships

This edition of the Asian Championships (2025-2026) is of exceptional importance, as it comes within the framework of the new structure for continental competitions adopted by the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) to raise the level of competitiveness and market value of the tournament. The postponement of these knockout rounds is a significant event for the sporting calendar in the West Zone, requiring careful rescheduling to avoid clashes with domestic competitions that enter their crucial stages at this time of year.

This decision reflects the logistical and security challenges that may be faced in organizing major continental tournaments, as the Asian Football Confederation always places safety standards as a top priority that outweighs any commercial or technical considerations.

Asian Football Confederation statement and the position of the East region

In its statement issued on Tuesday, the federation explained that following the initial decision on March 1 to postpone the first leg, the postponement of the second leg matches scheduled for March 9-11, 2026, has also been confirmed until further notice. This includes:

• AFC Champions League 2025-2026: Round of 16 Second Leg Matches (West Zone).
• AFC Champions League 2025-2026 and AFC Challenge Cup: Quarter-final second leg matches for West clubs.

In contrast, the federation confirmed that all matches for clubs in the East region will continue according to their pre-established schedule without any changes, reflecting the organizational separation between the two regions to ensure the continuation of competition wherever possible.

The federation concluded its statement by emphasizing that “the safety and security of all parties involved, including players, teams, officials, partners and fans, remains the top priority,” noting that new dates and necessary updates will be announced in due course, leaving clubs and fans awaiting the new schedule.

In a move that strengthens the stability of the Brazilian national team's coaching staff, Davide Ancelotti has rejoined his father, the veteran coach Carlo Ancelotti, officially becoming part of the Brazilian national team's coaching team. This return comes at a crucial time, as the Seleção intensifies its preparations for the 2026 World Cup finals, according to sources within the Brazilian Football Confederation who spoke to AFP.

Davide, 36, will be his father's right-hand man at the upcoming training camp in the United States at the end of this month. This camp includes two high-profile friendlies: Brazil will face France in Boston on the 26th, followed by another tough match against Croatia in Orlando, providing a true test of the team's readiness before the global event.

Davide's return to the coaching staff comes after a separate coaching stint as manager of Brazilian club Botafogo. He left his assistant role with the national team last summer to take on the challenge of managing the national team, finishing his tenure in mid-December with a sixth-place finish in the Brazilian league, securing qualification for the Copa Libertadores preliminary rounds and adding a new dimension to his coaching experience, moving beyond his father's shadow.

Historically, the Ancelotti duo is considered one of the most successful coaching partnerships in modern European football. Davide worked alongside his father at major clubs including Napoli, Bayern Munich, and during Real Madrid's golden era, which saw them win numerous continental titles. This strong chemistry and understanding between father and son is expected to play a crucial role in managing the star-studded Brazilian national team's dressing room.

This World Cup is of paramount importance to Brazil, who are striving to break their long drought since 2002. The Seleção are aiming for their sixth title, further cementing their record. The draw placed Brazil in Group C, alongside Morocco, Haiti, and Scotland – a group that demands caution and intense focus to ensure a smooth passage to the knockout stages and the realization of the dream eagerly awaited by Brazilian fans.

In a stunning upset that rocked the Santiago Bernabéu, Real Madrid continued their run of poor form, suffering their second consecutive defeat in La Liga, this time at the hands of their city rivals Getafe by a single goal in the 26th round of matches. This loss casts a dark shadow over the Royal Club's chances of regaining the top spot in the league and gives their arch-rivals Barcelona a significant advantage in the title race.

Getafe owes its historic victory to Martín Adrián Costa, who capitalized on a defensive lapse and scored the only goal of the match with a stunning volley in the 39th minute of the first half. Despite Real Madrid's desperate attempts in the second half to salvage the situation and equalize, the visitors' solid defensive organization prevented them from conceding, allowing Getafe to snatch three valuable points from the home of one of the world's football giants.

This loss carries worrying numerical and technical implications for Real Madrid fans, as their points tally remains at 60, keeping them in second place, but they failed to capitalize on the opportunity to close the gap with league leaders Barcelona, ​​who have 64 points. This setback means the gap could widen if the Catalan club continues its winning streak, placing immense pressure on the coaching staff and players in the remaining matches of the season.

This defeat marks Real Madrid's fourth loss in La Liga this season, and their second consecutive defeat following their surprising 1-2 loss to Osasuna in the previous round. This decline in performance and results raises numerous questions about the team's mental and physical readiness at this crucial stage of the season, especially since La Liga leaves little room for error, particularly in home matches played in front of their fans.

On the other hand, this victory represents a huge morale boost for Getafe, who raised their points tally to 32 and climbed to eleventh place in the standings, moving further away from the relegation zone and confirming their ability to compete with the top teams. This result demonstrates the fiercely competitive nature of La Liga, where no match is a foregone conclusion, and mid-table teams can make all the difference and change the course of the championship.