The World Cup has come to an end and we exchange international football for club football. All clubs are preparing themselves for the start of the competition and some of them will have to opportunity to play in the Champions League.
The 2023/24 Women's Champions League is the third season of the current format. This includes a home-and-away group stage and two qualification rounds. How does this format look like? And which teams will enter in which stage?
Champions League Procedure
4 teams have qualified directly to the group stage: the UEFA Women's Champions League winner of the previous season (FC Barcelona) and the champions of the three highest ranked associations (France, Germany and Spain). As FC Barcelona is already qualified, the fourth-ranked nation, England, receive an automatic place. This means that Lyon, Bayern and Chelsea all start in the group stage. The remaining 12 spots are decided by two routes: the champions path and league path.
The champions path and league path
The champions path consists of the champions of the associations. The league path consists of the runner-ups and the third-placed teams from the first six associations. The champions path offers 7 group stage places and the league path only 5. Both paths are divided in two rounds.
The six highest ranked associations have three entries. These countries are France, Germany, Spain, England, Sweden and Czechia. The champions enter the champions path in round 2. The runner-up and third will enter the league path, of which the runner-ups will enter in round 2 and the third-placed teams of those six associations in round 1.
The next ten highest-ranked associations have two entries. These countries include Italy, Denmark, Netherlands, Iceland, Kazakhstan, Belarus, Austria, Norway, Ukraine and Scotland. The champions will enter the champions path, the runner-ups the league path. They will all enter in round 1.
Round 1
Champions path
The champions of associations ranked 8th or below will play in 11 single-venue knockout mini-tournaments. The winners of the 11 finals will progress to round 2.
Group 1. Semi-finals
Ferencvárosl TC (HUN) vs F.C. Qiryat Gat (ISR)
AS FC Universitatea Olimpia Cluj (ROU) vs Spartak Myjava (SVK)
Group 2. Semi-finals
FC Vorskla (UKR) vs FC Flora Talinn (EST)
SFK 2000 Sarajevo (BIH) vs ZNK Osijek (CRO)
Group 3. Semi-finals
NS Mura (SVN) vs FC samegrelo (GEO)
Apollon Ladies FC (CYP) vs ZFK Ljuboten (MKD)
Group 4. Semi-finals
HB Koge (DEN) vs KuPS Kuopio (FIN)
ZFK Spartak Subotica (SRB) vs KÃ KlaksvÃk (FRO)
Group 5. Semi-finals
RSC Anderlecht (BEL) vs GKS Katowice (POL)
SK Brann (NOR) vs Lokomotiv Stara Zagora (BUL)
Group 6. Semi-finals
WFC BIIK-Shymkent (KAZ) vs SFK Riga (LVA)
SL Benfica (POR) vs Cliftonville Ladies (NIR)
Group 7. Semi-finals
Valur (ISL) vs Ankara Büyüksehir Belediyesi Fomget SK (TUR)
KFF Vllaznia (ALB) vs FC KFF EP-Hajvalia (KOS)
Group 8. Semi-finals
FC Gintra (LTU) vs Cardiff City FC (WAL)
Glasgow City FC (SCO) vs Shelbourne FC (IRL)
Group 9.
Semi-final - A.C. PAOK (GRE) vs RAcing FC Union Luxembourg (LUX)
Final - SKN St. Pölten Frauen (AUT) vs winner semi-final
Group 10.
Semi-final - FC Dinamo - BSUPC (BLR) vs CSF Agarista Anenii Noi (MDA)
Final - AFC Ajax (NED) vs winner semi-final
Group 11.
Semi-final - FK Breznica (MNE) vs Birkirkara FC (MLT)
Final - FC Zürich (SUI) vs winner semi-final
League path
16 teams enter the league path - the runner-ups from the associations ranked 7th to 16th and the third-placed teams from associations ranked 1st to 6th.
Group 1. Semi-finals
FC Twente (NED) vs SK Sturm Graz (AUT)
Levante UD (ESP) vs Stjarnan (ISL)
Group 2. Semi-finals
Juventus (ITA) vs WFC Okzhetpes (KAZ)
Eintracht Frankfurt (GER) vs 1.FC Slovácko (CZE)
Group 3. Semi-finals
Paris FC (FRA) vs FC Kryvbas (UKR)
Arsenal WFC (ENG) vs Linköping FC (SWE)
Group 4. Semi-finals
Brondby IF (DEN) vs Celtic FC (SCO)
FC Minsk (BLR) vs Valerenga Football (NOR)
Round 2
Champions path
The champions of the associations ranked 5 to 7 will enter in Round 2. This means Slavia Praha (CZE-7), Rosengard (SWE-6) and Roma (ITA-5) will all enter in round 2.
League path
The runners-up of the 6 associations with the highest ranking, including France, Spain, England, Germany, Czechia and Sweden, will all enter in round 2 of the league path.
The teams that enter the league path in round 2 are:
Wolfsburg (GER)
Paris Saint-Germain (FRA)
Real Madrid (ESP)
Sparta Praha (CZE)
Häcken (SWE)
Manchester United (ENG)
Champions League Schedule
Due to the Women's World Cup, the qualification rounds and the group stage will be played later than usual. The UEFA Women's Champions League match schedule is as follows:
Round 1
Semi-finals: 6 September
Final: 9 September
Round 2
Draw: 15 September
First leg: 10/11 October
Second leg: 18/19 October
Group stage
Draw: 20 October
Matchday 1: 14/15 November
Matchday 2: 22/23 November
Matchday 3: 13/14 December
Matchday 4: 20/21 December
Matchday 5: 24/25 January
Matchday 6: 30/31 January
Knock-out
Quarter-finals: March
Semi-finals: April
Final: May
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