Analyzing CSL Weakness in AFC

I’m evaluating the reasons behind the CSL's weakness in the AFC. It stems from factors like financial contraction, salary caps, transfer policies, a foreign player quota, and U21 rules. The league calendar misalignment and fixture congestion also play a role, particularly impacting youth development and coaching. A key change occurred in the rules; as of 2023-24, teams can register 5 foreign players plus 1 from an AFC member association, altering previous restrictions.Clarifying Foreign Player Rules

In 2023, the AFC Competitions Committee decided that starting in the 2023-24 season, teams could have 5 foreign players on the field without the need for an AFC player slot. But then, there was a restructure for the 2024-25 season introducing the ACL Elite and ACL2 where the foreign player quota changed to 6+2 for registration. It seems like CSL's rules lag behind; they still maintain a stricter 3+1 system, which places them at a disadvantage compared to AFL flexibility.Addressing AFC and CSL Calendar Misalignment

There's a significant misalignment between AFC and CSL scheduling. The AFC has shifted to an autumn-spring calendar, while CSL still follows a spring-autumn format, creating overlaps with transfer windows and impacting travel and budgets. Possible actions could include aligning calendars, relaxing foreign player rules for ACL matches, and adjusting registration windows. I'd like to ask the user if they want a summary of an article, an opinion, or data on ACL results to tailor my response!