In one of the most stunning signings in recent K-League history, Dejan Damjanovic - one of Korean football's all-time top scorers - left FC Seoul, his club of eight seasons, to join fierce rivals Suwon Samsung Bluewings.

Ahead of Tuesday's AFC Champions League Play-off with FLC Thanh Hoa, the Montenegrin spoke to the-AFC.com about the reasons behind his controversial switch and gave his thoughts on this year's AFC Champions League.

Q: Hi Dejan, how are you and the team doing ahead of the match against FLC Thanh Hoa?

I think we are OK. We just got back from Jeju last night and we are finalising our preparations for Tuesday night. We know how important this game is and we need to be very careful because it’s our first game of the season. Nevertheless, I’m confident we'll put on a good performance.

Suwon Samsung Bluewings vs FLC Thanh Hoa

7:30pm, January 30

Suwon World Cup Stadium, Suwon

SUWON BLUEWINGS

After finishing a disappointing seventh in 2016, Suwon Samsung Bluewings rebounded superbly in 2017, finishing third and restoring some pride for the two-time continental champions.

While they may have lost their star man and top scorer from last season, Johnathan, who has moved to Chinese side Tianjin TEDA, they have made arguably the biggest signing in K League history by capturing FC Seoul superstar Dejan Damjanovic, the K League’s second highest goal scorer behind Lee Dong-gook.

Coached by club legend Seo Jung-won, who won back-to-back Asian Club Championships with Suwon in 2001 and 2002, they are no strangers to continental competition, playing in the AFC Champions League in seven of the last nine years. They performed well in the group stage last year, losing just one of their six matches, but in a tough group finished third behind Kawasaki Frontale and Guangzhou Evergrande.

The Brazilian striker, 30, enjoyed considering success at the 2016 tournament, netting 13 times in just 11 games for FC Seoul as the capital city club reached the semi-final, only to lose to eventual winners Jeonbuk.

Adriano's time in China has been a mixed experience with 10 goals in 24 games a reasonable haul, but like his first spell in China, at Dalian Shide in 2011 and 2012, the stint has ended with a move to the K League.

For this season's edition of the AFC Champions League, Jeonbuk have been drawn in Group E alongside Kitchee from Hong Kong and two as yet unknown play-off winners.

In one of the great Asian club football upsets of recent times, Ceres Negros - who only started as a club in 2012 - became the first team from the Philipines to reach the final stage of AFC Champions League qualifying after defeating Australia's Brisbane Roar 3-2 at Queensland Sport and Athletics Centre.

the-AFC.com caught up with two-goal hero Bienvenido Marañón to get his reaction on a special night for football in the Southeast Asian nation.

Q: Hello Bienvenido, firstly congratulations on the incredible result against Brisbane Roar: Ceres Negros are the first Filipino side into the AFC Champions League Play-offs! How are you feeling today, and has it sunk in what the team achieved yet?

I feel very happy, personally and for the team, because it's a reflection of the work this club has put in over these last few years. It's a team that keeps growing and has now put Ceres Negros in the forefront of ASEAN football.

It hasn't really sunk in yet what we have achieved. I couldn't even sleep last night after this historic occasion for us and Filipino football.