The AFC Champions League arena is also a stage for showcasing urban culture.

Written by Han Bing. After the playoff match of the AFC Champions League between Chengdu Rongcheng and Bangkok United, the milestone achievement of Chengdu Rongcheng and Sichuan football entering the AFC Champions League for the first time is commendable, but what caught more attention was the huge "Sanxingdui mask" banner displayed by the Rongcheng fans. Through television broadcasts, this hand-painted Tifo banner, covering an area of 3,700 square meters and weighing 1 ton, along with two other Tifo images representing the team emblem and historical journey, showcased Chengdu's traditional culture and the football culture of Rongcheng Club to the world.

For Chinese football, the Tifo "cultural output" from this AFC Champions League playoff match holds significant importance. Previously, fans of Beijing Guoan and Shanghai Shenhua had already demonstrated their ability to create Tifos, proving that Chinese fans can showcase the "soft power" of Chinese fan culture through the AFC, the largest platform for Asian football, with greater cultural confidence, just like fans from developed football nations such as Europe, America, Japan, and South Korea. The Tifo culture, described as "using cloth as paper and soul as ink," is a crucial part of fan culture and has gradually spread from traditional strongholds of European and American football to developing regions in Asia and Africa in recent years.

Previously, the J1 League powerhouse Urawa Red Diamonds was known for its rich and large Tifo culture, dubbed "the best home ground in Asia." In the 18-team matches in March and June, the Indonesian team showcased massive Tifos at the Gelora Bung Karno Stadium, which has a capacity of 77,000, making a remarkable cultural output: the Tifo against Bahrain depicted the golden Garuda bird symbolizing Indonesian traditional culture, covering two tiers of the stands; the Tifo against the national team showcased the mythological hero Gatot Kaca, holding a shield adorned with Garuda in his left hand and brandishing a sword with his right, symbolizing Indonesia's great strength.

Thanks to the Tifo banner created by Rongcheng fans, the new season of the AFC Champions League has introduced a brand-new "arena" for the three Chinese teams participating, competing with fans from Japan, South Korea, and Southeast Asia in terms of Tifo content and size. This not only expresses the confidence of Chinese fans on the Asian stage but also represents a unique cultural output in the realm of football. Prior to this, the most impressive Tifo works had mostly come from developed football nations in Europe and America. In recent years, fans from Japan and Southeast Asian countries have rapidly narrowed the gap with Europe and America, reflecting one of the disparities in football levels for Chinese football.

Chinese football is undergoing a comprehensive transformation, and the AFC Champions League has reached a critical moment where it must strive for more participation spots. However, beyond the teams' performances, the display of fan culture and the output of urban culture signify that the Chinese football industry has finally addressed the shortcoming of Tifo culture.

The AFC Asian Football Confederation's official website included a 90-second aerial view of the Tifo in the match highlights, and the FIFA Museum proposed to collect some fragments of the canvas—showing that the Tifo displayed by Rongcheng fans has successfully transcended China and reached the international stage. This culturally symbolic output not only promotes football itself but also boosts the cultural and tourism industry. For the cities where the participating teams are located, it is no longer just about the outcome of football matches, but a "competition and integration" of football culture and economy. Clearly, this is also a battle that requires a pursuit of victory.