Barcelona is set to take on Chelsea once again in the Champions League semifinals, and coach Jonatan Giráldez has his sights set on ending Chelsea’s run.
It’s a rematch of last year’s semifinal, only this time both coaches are coaching in their final leg of UWCL matches with their respective teams. Giráldez will depart Barcelona for the NWSL’s Washington Spirit upon the conclusion of the season, while Chelsea’s Emma Hayes is set to take over the USWNT.
While Giráldez has won the Champions League before with Barcleona, it’s the one trophy that has eluded Hayes in her time at Chelsea.
“Emma’s legacy is in what she has done at Chelsea and the growth [at the club] over more than 10 years,” Giráldez said. “She has done a magnificent job at the club. The next [manager] will have bar set very high because she has done amazing things.
“She will hope to go out with a Champions League [trophy], but we are here to try and make sure that doesn’t happen and to bring it home, which is our objective.”
In her time with Chelsea, Hayes has won six Women’s Super League titles and five FA Cups. Chelsea has made the UWCL final just once – in 2021, when the team lost to Barcelona. Barcelona then ended Chelsea’s hopes again last year, winning 2-1 on…
