IFFHS NEWS - UEFA WOMEN'S CHAMPION LEAGUE NEW FORMAT



Picture : Nadine Kessler, IFFHS Legend Player and UEFA Women's Football Chief


UEFA WOMEN’S CHAMPIONS LEAGUE

A new UEFA Women’s Champions League format is introduced for the FIRST TIME in HISTORY for 2021/22, including a 16-team group stage. The change was agreed by the UEFA Executive Committee in Nyon as the first direct outcome of the UEFA women’s football strategy TIME FOR ACTION directed by Legend player Nadine Kessler (IFFHS LEGEND PLAYER and THE IFFHS WORLD’S BEST PLAYMAKER 2014. The goal is to double the reach and value of the UEFA Women’s Champions League. 

The change means a 20% increase in the number of matches, or a 39% increase excluding the first round which is played in the form of mini-tournaments, and gives the tournament more competitive games and increased visibility and quality. The new format was developed by UEFA in close collaboration with the clubs and the European Club Association and will set a new benchmark for an international women’s club football competition.


FC Barcelona, winner of the last edition 2020/21

UEFA Explanations

  • The centrepiece is a new 16-team group stage, which will involve four groups of four playing each other home and away between October and December. The top two from each group progress to the knockout phase from March, with the quarter-finals and semi-finals played over two legs, and a one-off final (in Turin in 2022).
  • Four teams will qualify directly for the group stage with the other 12 spots decided by two routes: champions path (7 qualifiers) and league path (5 qualifiers).
  • Both paths will have the same format. Round 1 will be played as four-team knockout mini-tournaments with the final winners progressing. Round 2 will be played as two-legged knockout ties. If there were more than 50 associations entering, the champions path would have a two-legged preliminary round. There will not be one in 2021/22.
  • The title holders and the champions of the three highest-ranked associations (in 2021/22 France, Germany and Spain) will enter in the group stage
  • As for this season Barcelona are both title holders and champions of Spain, the champions of the fourth-ranked association (England) also enter in the group stage.
  • The champions of the remaining associations will go into the champions path. The champions of of associations ranked 4 to 6 (for 2021/22 England, Sweden, Czech Republic) will enter in Round 2, with the rest entering in Round 1.
  • As for 2021/22 the champions of England will now enter in the group stage, the champions of the seventh-ranked association (Denmark) will also enter in Round 2.
  • The runners-up of the six highest-ranked associations (for 2021/22 France, Germany, Spain, England, Sweden, Czech Republic) will enter in Round 2 of the league path
  • The third-placed teams of those six associations, and the runners-up of the next ten highest-ranked associations (for 2021/22 Denmark, Netherlands, Italy, Kazakhstan, Norway, Iceland, Switzerland, Scotland, Russia, Belarus) will enter in Round 1 of the league path.
  • Lyon's five-year reign as champions was ended last season; they have a record seven titles overall.
  • Wolfsburg have won this competition twice and Arsenal claimed the title in 2006/07.
  • Køge and Real Madrid will make their European debuts in this round while Bordeaux and Hoffenheim came through round 1 on their first UEFA competition entries..
  • Manchester City and Rosengård (as Malmö) have previously reached the semi-finals, while Breidablik, Glasgow City, Häcken (as Göteborg), Sparta and Slavia have all made the last eight in the past.
  • Have never reached the last 16 on any previous entry under old formats: Apollon, Benfica, Juventus, Kharkiv, Servette, Vålerenga, Vllazni



Olympique Lyonnais, consecutive winner of the editions 2016 to 2020


Season calendar


Round 2
First leg: 31 August/1 September
Second leg: 8/9 September

 

·       Champions path

·       Sparta Praha (CZE) vs Køge (DEN)

·       Osijek (CRO) vs Breidablik (ISL)

·       Vllaznia (ALB) vs Juventus (ITA)

·       Twente (NED) vs SL Benfica (POR)

·       Apollon LFC (CYP) vs WFC Kharkiv (UKR) 

·       Servette FC Chênois (SUI) vs Glasgow City (SCO) 

·       Vålerenga (NOR) vs Häcken (SWE)

 

·       League path

·       Levante (ESP) vs Lyon (FRA)

·       Arsenal (ENG) vs Slavia Praha (CZE) 

·       Real Madrid (ESP) vs Manchester City (ENG)

·       Wolfsburg (GER) vs Bordeaux (FRA) 

·       Rosengård (SWE) vs Hoffenheim (GER)

 

The 16-team group stage will be composed by : FC Barcelona, Chelsea FC, FC Bayern München, Paris SG + the 7 winners of the Champions Path + the 5 winners of the League Path.


Group stage
Matchday 1: 5/6 October
Matchday 2: 13/14 October
Matchday 3: 9/10 November
Matchday 4: 17/18 November
Matchday 5: 8/9 December
Matchday 6: 15/16 December

Quarter-finals
First leg: 22/23 March
Second leg: 30/31 March

Semi-finals
First leg: 23/24 April
Second leg: 30 April/1 May

Final (Juventus Stadium, Turin)
Date to confirm