Arsenal head coach Jonas Eidevall has called the UEFA Champions League qualification phase “a relic of the past” amid concerns about fixture scheduling in Europe and the Women’s Super League.
Eidevall’s side beat Rosenborg 1-0 on Saturday to reach the second round of qualifiers for this season’s Champions League group stages. The win was Arsenal’s second in a mini-tournament that included a 6-0 triumph over Rangers three days prior.
The turnaround for round two of qualifiers changes to a week, with fixtures played on September 18-19 and September 25-26. Arsenal, however, have their Women’s Super League opener against Manchester City sandwiched between them on September 22.
On making it into the draw for the second round of qualifiers, which takes place on Monday, September 9, he said: “That was massively important. We knew straight away that this was a really big test, playing two competitive games, the turnaround time is so short.
“Now we’re through it, I can say it’s lucky an English team will not have to play in these mini-tournaments again. For all the excitement that there is, it is a relic from the past. This is just done from a budget perspective, and that’s why they (UEFA) don’t even extend it to be played on Sundays. That’s why they cram it in…
