Another one bites the dust…
Manchester United are the latest club to fall victim to the UEFA Women’s Champions League (UWCL) qualification system after losing to Paris Saint-Germain 4-2 on aggregate on Wednesday.
They are not the only ones: last year’s semi-finalists Arsenal and Wolfsburg, plus Juventus, have also failed to reach the competition’s group stages.
These teams have been outclassed but their absence is a blow for the overall tournament.
The current format, and its associated media and sponsorship rights, have reached the halfway point and will run until the end of the 2024-25 season. There will be no change before then, but discussions regarding what the future format looks like are underway.
“Before taking any decisions on how to best evolve the format of the competition in the future, UEFA consults with all its stakeholders,” read a UEFA statement to The Athletic. “Any new competition format proposal would have to be approved by the UEFA Women’s Football Committee before being submitted for approval to the UEFA Executive Committee.”
So should the UCWL change and, if so, how?
Millie Turner’s disappointment is clear as Manchester United are eliminated (Charlotte Tattersall – MUFC/Manchester United via Getty Images)
