Asian Cup blues for European clubs

The 2011 AFC Asian Cup has been shifted from August to January due to the summer heat in Qatar, but with more and more Asian footballers playing in Europe these day those clubs who depend on their Asian players aren't very happy about the January slot. European clubs know that every alternate year they would miss the services of their African players for two to four weeks due to the African Cup of Nations, some even disappear thereafter and reappear weeks later.

Now this won't happen with Asian players, but they will be away for three to four weeks and that does upset the rhythm of that concerned player and sometimes even that of his club side. But the Asian Football Confederation took a wise decision to shift the tournament to a more climatic suitable period of the year.

Asians are playing across the European continent like Ji-Sung Park and Tim Cahill in the English Premier League, Shinji Kagawa and Makoto Hasebe in the German Bundesliga, Yuto Nagatomo in Italy's Serie A, Sung-Yong Ki and Du-Ri Cha in Scotland or Harry Kewell and Lucas Neill in Turkey. All of them and more will be missing club action to represent their countries.

Managers like Manchester United's Alex Ferguson, Everton's David Moyes or Owen Coyle of the Bolton Wanderers aren't happy about the situation, but with the Asian Cup being a FIFA recognised event, the clubs are bound to release their players.

Michael Zorc, Director of Sports at German Bundesliga leaders Borussia Dortmund, had said recently, "I don't see a big chance that he is allowed to stay with us. Shinji has a central role in our team, but Japan wants to field its best players because of the importance of the Asian Cup."