UEFA Women’s Champions League: The story so far

On Tuesday evening, Manchester United wrote themselves into the history of the UEFA Women’s Champions League with a very first outing.

The Reds came from behind to draw 1-1 against Paris Saint-Germain in the first leg of our Round 2 qualifier, courtesy of a Melvine Malard header. 

We head to Paris for the second leg next Wednesday, 18 October, where the winners will advance to the group stages of the competition. 

If, like United, you have previously been unfamiliar with the UWCL, read on as we delve into the origins of the tournament and its two decades of impressive growth. 

 Article

Our Champions League tie is all to play for in the second leg, after an enthralling contest at Leigh Sports Village.

FIRST WINNERS

“Even for us international players who’d played in a European Championship, it was a highlight,” said FFC Frankfurt’s Steffi Jones, recalling the cherished day on which her hometown side won the inaugural Women’s Champions League final in May 2002.

The German defender scored the game’s opening goal against Swedish champions Umea at Frankfurt’s Waldstadion with a neat header.

“It made us very proud. It was a signal to everybody that with this title we could do more for women’s football – demand more, get more recognition. Accomplishments like that are not only important for the club, but it can have an effect on the whole of women’s football. You attract more spectators, you grab the media’s interest, and we were able to use that success to attract more attention. It was a milestone for women’s football.” 

And here we are, 21 years and five months later, with Manchester United and Paris Saint-Germain competing this month to take part in the group stage of the competition’s 23rd edition. It would be fair to say that a lot has happened along the way, as it has morphed from the UEFA Women’s Cup into the Women’s Champions League we know today. 

UEFA’S CHANGE OF FOCUS

With international competitions well established in the women’s game by the end of the 20th century, a new UEFA Women’s Cup provided an opportunity for the best clubs across the continent to go up against each other; the aim being to increase the general profile of women’s football and adding a higher level of elite competition that also underpinned growing quality at future international tournaments. In that first 2001/02 competition, 33 member associations entered a team – Arsenal represented England – and UEFA was pleased with the immediate uptake, considering the tight budgets for many of those involved, and the costs of embarking on a continental campaign. 

EXPANSIONS AND SEEDINGS

As more countries sought to be involved, the cup grew in participants year on year for the next three seasons, with tweaks to the format along the way. First, the qualifying round was expanded and the final became a two-legged affair before 2004/05 saw seeded sides fast-tracked to a second group stage, alongside the winners of the earlier groups. Bar the occasional hammering it did make for a more competitive structure.

Umea – no doubt spurred on by their 2002 defeat – soon dominated, winning both of the next two titles with a team featuring several players who helped Sweden reach the 2003 World Cup final. By the time of their 2003/04 triumph, the club had also brought an 18-year-old Brazilian by the name of Marta over to Europe. The prolific forward was unstoppable, netting three times over two legs as Umea tore FFC Frankfurt apart in the final to win 3-0 at home, then 5-0 in Frankfurt; that second leg especially being a cathartic 90 minutes for the Swedish side in the black shirts.

Within a few years, FIFA would crown Marta the best female player on the planet for five consecutive seasons, and six times overall. She returned to the final twice more with Umea and later played in a fourth final with Tyreso, another Swedish club. Marta lost on each occasion but firmly cemented her legacy as one of the competition’s all-time greats.

MORE GAMES, MORE MONEY

As each year passes, the appeal of the Women’s Champions League grows – as evidenced in the TV audiences as much as the ticket sales once the tournament reaches its knockout stage. The current group-stage format, where teams play each other home and away, is a relatively new addition, first introduced for 2021/22. It guarantees at least six games to all 16 clubs who qualify for the group stage, boosting the experience of this level for all those involved. 

Prize money was introduced in 2010, with 2022/23 seeing a shared €24 million (£21m) pot – Barcelona pocketing €940,000 (£820,000) of that for going all the way. The figures will only rise.

Although more fans (50,212) watched Lyon beat FFC Frankfurt in Munich in the 2012 final, the most recent showpiece, in which Barça came from 2-0 down to beat Wolfsburg 3-2, was the first time one had sold out. Just over 33,000 were at the PSV Stadion in Eindhoven. San Mames in Bilbao, where the capacity exceeds 53,000, will host the 2024 edition and there are high hopes for another sell-out, and with it a new final record, whoever is involved. 

Arsenal won’t be there, having suffered a shock exit in the qualifying stages to Paris FC, but if United can get past another group of talented Parisians, you can be certain that Marc Skinner’s side will give everything – as will Chelsea – to be in the Basque country come the final weekend of May.

ROLL OF HONOUR: UWCL WINNERS TO DATE2001/02: FFC Frankfurt 
2002/03: Umea
2003/04: Umea
2004/05: Turbine Postdam
2005/06: FFC Frankfurt 
2006/07: Arsenal 
2007/08: FFC Frankfurt
2008/09: Duisburg
2009/10: Turbine Potsdam
2010/11: Lyon
2011/12: Lyon
2012/13: Wolfsburg 
2013/14: Wolfsburg 
2014/15: FFC Frankfurt
2015/16: Lyon
2016/17: Lyon
2017/18: Lyon
2018/19: Lyon
2019/20: Lyon
2020/21: Barcelona
2021/22: Lyon
2022/23: Barcelona 

This is a shortened version of a piece which appeared in our matchday programme from the PSG first leg, with the full version available to read here.

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