Arsenal Women’s schedule for the 2019-20 Champions League has been confirmed by UEFA. The tournament, which paused before the quarter-finals could be played in March, will be concluded in Spain in a nine day period in late August in San Sebastián and Bilbao.
The Gunners will play a one-legged quarter-final tie against PSG Feminines on Saturday, 22nd August in the Anoeta Stadium in San Sebastien. If the Gunners win, they will face the winners of Bayern Munich and defending champions Lyon in the semi-final in the San Mames Stadium in Bilbao on Wednesday, 26th August. The final will be played on Sunday, 30th August in the Anoeta Stadium. All kickoff times are to be confirmed.
The schedule and venues for the #UWCL quarter-finals are set: kick-off times to follow?
21 August?@GlasgowCityFC v @VfLWob_Frauen (San Sebastián)@AtletiFemenino v @FCBfemeni (Bilbao)
22 August?@ArsenalWFC v @PSG_Feminines (San Sebastián)@OLfeminin v @FCBfrauen (Bibao) pic.twitter.com/BfYb6F6V5I
— #UWCL (@UWCL) June 26, 2020
None of the competing teams will be able to field their summer signings in the games. 5 substitutions will be permitted in the games but it’s difficult to see how some of the teams involved, Arsenal included, will be able to field five senior substitutes. At the moment, the WSL is slated to start on Sunday, 5th September. Having finished 3rd on points per game in last season’s WSL, Arsenal will have to win the tournament to qualify for next season’s competition.
Personally I would have preferred it to be scrapped like WSL and just let this season’s quarter finalists into next season’s competition. I guess it does give half the squad a warm up game (or hopefully three!) before the new WSL season starts. Crossed fingers the inelligible players coming in this summer will integrate to the WSL squad quickly and we can blitz that next season. As for the national team while Jill Ellis is the most qualified for the job but I think Emma Hayes should get it. She would do some good for the England set up… Read more »
San Mames, blogs.
Hmm… I have a horrible feeling this will just mean a whole pile of injuries and a compromised start to next season.
I see this as a perfect preparation for the season. One to three top level games against best oposition. I don’t see how this could be bad compared to our WSL competition. If travel remains restricted, this means that preseason friendlies are also difficult to hold. Besides I am quite sure that players will relish the challenge. They all have had time to rest and get rid of injuries. And these are the games all the top level players should want to play in.
I love the theory but the reality of playing (hopefully) 3 top class teams in 9 days with an outfield squad of 13 professionals is stretching the optimism just a tad?
More than enough 🙂 We can even make 3 substitutions, we haven’t had that luxury for years. But joking aside, our 13 players are all top level internationals, who have played tournament football before. Some of them have even won tournaments where you play every two days against top oposition. And besides every other team has same problems as us. Atleti had to recall Sari because otherwise they wouldn’t have had a goalkeeper.
Yeah and Wolfsburg are losing a lot of players, Lyon have injuries, Bayern are losing players. I also felt Barca might be the ones this year and I still think that- they are in good shape still, most of their team is not turning over.