China, South Korea in rivalry in AFC Champions League quarterfinals

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The Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Champions League quarterfinals will see rivalries between Chinese and South Korean teams, according to the draw made on Thursday.

Shanghai SIPG, headed by Swedish coach Sven-Goran Eriksson, will play Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors FC in the quarterfinals, while Shandong Luneng will meet their group stage rival FC Seoul again.

Between the two rounds of Champions League quarterfinals played on Aug. 23-24 and Sept. 13-14 respectively, South Korea's national football team will host China in the first game of the last round of 2018 World Cup Asian qualifier.

Shandong failed to secure a victory against FC Seoul in the two matches during the group stage, but its fans have reasons to be optimistic as the club just announced Felix Magath from Genmany to be its new coach.

Dong Jian, deputy manager of the club, said Magath would improve the team on both tactical and spiritual levels.

The 62-year-old had won German Bundesliga champions twice with Bayern Munich in the 2004-2005 and 2005-2006 seasons as well as another with Wolfsburg in 2008-2009. He would take over from former Brazilian national team coach Mano Menezes.

China, South Korea and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) each contribute two teams to the last eight of this year' s Champions League, but none will play a domestic rival in the quarterfinals.

In the West Asia zone, Al Ain will play FC Lokomotiv Tashkent from Uzbekistan, while another UAE team Al Nasr will play El Jaish of Qatar.

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