The (AFC) Asian Club Tournament started in 1967. Indian clubs participated in most of the editions, except for a few years in early 1990s and early 2000s.
The Continental competition rebranded and took on AFC Champions League in 2002 as a result of the merger between the Asian Club Championship, the Asian Cup Winners’ Cup and the Asian Super Cup.
Now in AFC Champions League, clubs from Asia’s strongest national leagues receive automatic berths, with clubs from lower-ranked nations eligible to qualify via the qualifying playoffs, whereas in AFC Cup, which is now the secondary club tournament, the winners of the tournament automatically qualify for the AFC Champions League, entering the qualifying play-offs, if they have not qualified through their domestic performance.
During the initial stages State team participated from India as Santosh Trophy Winners use to qualify for the Continental tournament. However after the revised format was started by AFC as the Asian Club Championship in 1985, Federation Cup winners stated as Indian Club Champions and thus the club teams started participating in Continental club tournaments.
However format and qualification process has changed a lot. Now ISL League Stage Champions qualifies for AFC Champions Leagues Group Stage. I-League Champion qualifies for AFC Cup Group Stage. ISL Champion & League Stage Runners-up qualifies for AFC Cup Qualifying playoff.
Mysore State, Bengal, and FC Punjab Police were the first 3 teams to play the competition way back in 1969, 1970, and 1971 respectively.
East Bengal was the first club to enter the continental club tournament from India in 1985.
The Red & Gold Brigade has a rich history as the only club from India to qualify a record 15 times in AFC Tournaments.
They are also the first club to reach the semifinals of AFC Cup in 2012-13 season.
East Bengal has qualified in Asian Club Championship format twice – 1985-86 (Won the Central Asia Competition and finished in Group Stage of the main edition) and in 1989-99 (First Round).
In Asian Cup Winners Cup format East Bengal have qualified five times – 1991-92 reached quarterfinal, 1993-94 second round, 1994-95 first round, 1995-96 second round and in 1997-98 second round.
In AFC Cup the Red & Gold Brigades have qualified eight times – 2003-04 reached quarterfinal, 2004-05, 2007-08, 2009-10, 2010-11, 2011-12 group stage, 2012-13 reached semifinals and in 2014-15 group stage.
Other Indian Clubs to Qualify for AFC Tournaments:
Mohun Bagan AC – 1987, 1988-89, 1990-91, 1994-95, 1995, 1999-2000, 2002-03, 2016, 2007, 2009 (10)
Dempo SC – 2009, 2005, 2006, 2008, 2009, 2011 (6)
Bengaluru FC – 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2020, 2021 (6)
Churchill Brothers – 1997-98, 2002-03, 2010, 2013, 2014 (5)
Salgaocar FC – 1988-89, 1989-90, 1990-91, 2012 (4)
Mahindra United FC – 2004, 2006, 2007 (3)
ATK Mohun Bagan – 2021, 2022 (2)
Mohammedan SC – 1992-93 (1)
JCT – 1996-97 (1)
Pune FC – 2014 (1)
Aizawl FC – 2018 (1)
Chennaiyin FC – 2019 (1)
Minerva Punjab – 2019 (1)
Chennai City FC – 2020 (1)
FC Goa – 2021 (1)
Mumbai City FC – 2022 (1)
Gokulam Kerala FC – 2022 (1)
