The format of the tournament has not been altered since 2004 with 29 teams from 14 countries participating in this year's competition.

Twenty-eight were divided into seven groups of four for the group stage with the group winners joining the defending champions in the quarter-finals.

But with the AFC looking to re-launch the tournament on professional lines in 2009, an AFC Pro-League Ad-Hoc Committee submitted recommendations to the executive committee on Tuesday that could see a number of changes taking effect next year.

Under the new criteria for club eligibility, only 11 countries - Japan, South Korea, Australia, China, Indonesia, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, United Arab Emirates, Iran and India - are likely to be guaranteed spots in the 2009 and 2010 tournaments.

Six countries which have teams in this year's competition - Syria, Qatar, Uzbekistan, Thailand, Vietnam and Iraq - have not fulfilled the requirements and are not guaranteed places next year.

Iraq will not be represented while the other five and Singapore are likely to be involved in a qualifying competition for the Champions League and also given a spot each in the continent's secondary club competition, the AFC Cup.

Only Japan fulfilled all of the criteria laid out for participation in next year's Asian Champions League with the other short-listed member associations given until October 1 to fulfil all of their commitments.

The final decision on the member associations eligible for the tournament will be made by the Pro-League Ad-Hoc Committee in a meeting on November 25, with final approval to be given by the executive committee the following day.

According to the recommendations, the draw for the tournament would take place on January 7 with 32 teams divided into eight groups of four with the winners and runners-up progressing to a round of 16.

"The recommendations of this committee are based on inspections and long, fruitful discussions and our goal is to create an attractive competition which will take Asian football to new heights," said committee chairman Saburo Kawabuchi.

AFC president Mohamed Bin Hammam praised the work of the committee: "I am very proud of the achievements of this committee and they are laying down the blueprint for the professionalisation of Asian football.

"Asian football needs a big reformation process to make it professional and successful, and I know radical changes might not please everybody. But we must have the courage of conviction."