THE NON-CHAMPIONS NON-LEAGUE
The Women’s Champions League kicks off its 15th edition in early September with the first round of qualifying, but a tournament between the best of the best in Europe began life back in 2001 as the UEFA Women’s Cup.
A 2009 rebrand came with a change of format – making the competition less about champions, or indeed leagues. Domestic runners-up entered for the first time, and there were also fewer group games. In the old format, the first two rounds had been group phases, but the second was scrapped, meaning that many domestic champions went straight into the last 32 knockouts and never played any group matches at all.
Everton were the first English runners-up to feature, cruising through a group played entirely in Croatia – the home country of one of their opponents, Osijek – before bowing out to Norwegian outfit Roa in the last 32. Champions Arsenal entered the fray at that point, crushing PAOK 18-0 on aggregate.
AVON LADIES
When WSL runners-up Manchester United make their tournament debut in this term’s second qualifying round in October, they’ll become the ninth different English club to play in the competition in either format.
The 2007 winners Arsenal, plus Chelsea, Manchester City, Everton and Liverpool have all featured. Fulham reached the quarter-finals following
