And a further 10,000 Rapid Antigen tests were conducted to ensure that the spectators could attend the exciting final with confidence. All the tests carried out returned negative results.
The AFC Champions League (East) also enjoyed another milestone when the first women Medical Officers - Dr. Zohreh Haratian and Dr. Bahar Hassanmiraei, from the Islamic Republic of Iran, Dr. Janis Ann Figueroa Espino-De Vera, from the Philippines and Dr. Liesel Geertsema of New Zealand – were appointed in an AFC men’s club competition as part of the nine-strong AFC Medical team.
With Qatar staging the FIFA Club World Cup in February and the FIFA Arab Cup later in 2021, the AFC Champions League provided the perfect rehearsal and Nasser Al Khater, Chief Executive Officer, FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022™ LLC said: “By staging the AFC Champions League West and East Zone matches up to the Final itself, Qatar has set the benchmark in hosting tournaments of this magnitude, across multiple venues, and within strict bubble-to-bubble measures,” said Nasser Al Khater, Chief Executive Officer, FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022™ LLC.
“The efforts and diligence of multiple stakeholders across several months, coupled with the implementation of seamless health and safety protocols, enabled the safe resumption of football with thousands of supporters in the stadium in spite of the challenges posed by COVID-19. We are hopeful we have created a blueprint for the wider football family around future global events against the current COVID-19 backdrop,” Al Khater added.