UEFA Women's Champions League

This article is about the UEFA Women's Champions League. For the men's UEFA Champions League, see UEFA Champions League.
UEFA Women's Champions League
Founded 2001
Region Europe (UEFA)
Number of teams 59
Current champions France Olympique Lyonnais (3rd title)
Most successful club(s) Germany Frankfurt (4 titles)
Website Official website
2016–17 season

The UEFA Women's Champions League is an international women's association football club competition for teams that play in UEFA nations. The competition was first played in 2001–02 under the name UEFA Women's Cup, and renamed the UEFA Women's Champions League for the 2009–10 edition. The most significant change was including national runners-up from the top eight ranked nations and playing the final as a one-off final in the same city as UEFA Champions League final, as opposed to the two-legged ties in previous years.

1. FFC Frankfurt is the most successful club in the competitions history, winning the title four times.

Finals

The UEFA Women's Cup was an association football competition for European clubs. The competition was started in the 2001–02 season in response to the increased interest in women's football. It is sometimes called the Women's European Cup, given its status as the only UEFA club competition for women. Teams qualify by virtue of winning their top national competition, be it a league or cup, if there is no national league.

UEFA Women's Cup Finals

Season Winner Aggr. Runners-up Leg results
2001–02 Germany 1. FFC Frankfurt 2–0 Sweden Umeå IK 2–0, one-legged tie played at Waldstadion, Frankfurt, Germany
2002–03 Sweden Umeå IK 7–1 Denmark Fortuna Hjørring 4–1, Gammliavallen, Umeå, Sweden
3–0, Hjørring Stadium, Hjørring, Denmark
2003–04 Sweden Umeå IK 8–0 Germany 1. FFC Frankfurt 3–0, Råsunda Stadium, Solna, Sweden
5–0, Frankfurter Volksbank Stadion, Frankfurt, Germany
2004–05 Germany 1. FFC Turbine Potsdam 5–1 Sweden Djurgården/Älvsjö 2–0, Stockholms Olympiastadion, Stockholm, Sweden
3–1, Karl-Liebknecht-Stadion, Potsdam, Germany
2005–06 Germany 1. FFC Frankfurt 7–2 Germany 1. FFC Turbine Potsdam 4–0, Karl-Liebknecht-Stadion, Potsdam, Germany
3–2, Frankfurter Volksbank Stadion, Frankfurt, Germany
2006–07 England Arsenal L.F.C. 1–0 Sweden Umeå IK 1–0, Gammliavallen, Umeå, Sweden
0–0, Meadow Park, Borehamwood, England
2007–08 Germany 1. FFC Frankfurt 4–3 Sweden Umeå IK 1–1, Gammliavallen, Umeå, Sweden
3–2, Commerzbank-Arena, Frankfurt, Germany
2008–09 Germany FCR 2001 Duisburg 7–1 Russia Zvezda 2005 Perm 6–0, Central Stadium, Kazan, Russia
1–1, MSV Arena, Duisburg, Germany

UEFA Women's Champions League Finals

Season Winner Final result Runners-up Venue
2009–10 Germany 1. FFC Turbine Potsdam 0–0 a.e.t. (7–6 pen.) France Olympique Lyon Coliseum Alfonso Pérez, Getafe
2010–11 France Olympique Lyon 2–0 Germany 1. FFC Turbine Potsdam Craven Cottage, London
2011–12 France Olympique Lyon 2–0 Germany 1. FFC Frankfurt Olympiastadion, Munich
2012–13 Germany VfL Wolfsburg 1–0 France Olympique Lyon Stamford Bridge, London
2013–14 Germany VfL Wolfsburg 4–3 Sweden Tyresö FF Estádio do Restelo, Lisbon
2014–15 Germany 1. FFC Frankfurt 2–1 France Paris SG Friedrich-Ludwig-Jahn-Sportpark, Berlin
2015–16 France Olympique Lyon 1–1 a.e.t. (4–3 pen.) Germany VfL Wolfsburg Mapei Stadium, Reggio Emilia
2016–17 – Cardiff City Stadium, Cardiff

Format

UEFA Women's Cup

Former UEFA Women's Cup logo

A preliminary round was played to reduce teams to 32, in the first season only two teams played a two-legged match, the following seasons were played as four team mini-tournaments which had the winner advance to the group stage. Teams were then divided into eight groups of four. The groups were played again as mini-tournaments at a single location over the course of five days. The group winners then advanced to the quarter-finals. The knock-out rounds were played as two-legged. That included the final which was only played as a single leg in 2002.

For the 2004–05 season the group stage was played in four groups with the top two teams advancing to the quarter-finals. That resulted in more qualifying groups.

Champions League

On 11 December 2008, UEFA announced that the competition would be reformatted and renamed to the UEFA Women's Champions League.[1] As in the men's game, the new tournament aims to include runners-up of the top women's football leagues in Europe,[2] and the final is to be played in a single match.

On 31 March 2008 UEFA confirmed that the eight top countries according to the UEFA league coefficient between 2003–04 and 2007–08 would be awarded two places in the new Women's Champions League.[2] These leagues were:

While seven of the above associations have held a top eight spot until today several associations have entered the top eight. Due to coefficient changes ahead of 2010–11, Iceland gained a place in the top eight, at the expense of Norway. In 2012–13, Norway regained its top-eight place at Iceland's expense. Then, for 2013–14, Austria replaced Norway in the top eight. The Czech Republic replaced Austria in the top eight for 2014–15.[3] In the current edition the Czech Republic itself is replaced by Spain.[4]

Also in 2012–13, the berth for England's champion passed from the Women's Premier League to the country's new top level, the WSL. The following year, after the merger of the Belgium and Netherlands top divisions into a single binational league. The berths for those countries passed to the top team from each country in the new league.

The title holder has the right to enter if they do not qualify through their domestic competition, and will start in the round of 32.

The competition is open to the champions of all 54 UEFA associations. However, not all associations have or have had a women's league. For instance Andorra, Liechtenstein, San Marino and Gibraltar have never participated.

Due to the varying participation, the number of teams playing the qualifying round and teams entering in the round of 32 change from year to year.

Below is shown the amount of teams starting in each round, given between 51 and 57 participants. The principles are inferred from the access list:[5] Numbers are based on three principles:

Teams Round of 32 Qualifying Groups Adv. Runners-up
54 22 32 8 2
55 23 32 8 1
56 24 32 8 0
57 21 36 9 2
58 22 36 9 1
59 23 36 9 0
60 20 40 10 2
61 21 40 10 1

Prize money

Prize-money was awarded for a first time in 2010 when both finalists received money. In 2011 the payments were extended to losing semi- and quarter-finalists.[6] The current prize-money structure is

In the Champions League teams also receive 20,000 Euro for playing each round or the qualifying. There have been several complaints about the sum, which doesn't cover costs for some longer trips which include flights.[7]

Records and statistics

Performances

Performance by nation

Nation Winners Runners-up Semifinalists Winner Runners-up Semifinalists
 Germany 9 5 7
 France 3 3 6
 Sweden 2 5 4
 England 1 0 6
 Denmark 0 1 3
 Russia 0 1 0
 Norway 0 0 2
 Finland 0 0 1
 Italy 0 0 1

Since the format change in 2009, no team from a nation outside the top four have made the semifinals save for a single appearance by Brøndby in 2015.

Performance by team

Club Winners Runners-up Years won Years runners-up
Germany Frankfurt4 2 2002, 2006, 2008, 2015 2004, 2012
France Lyon3 2 2011, 2012, 2016 2010, 2013
Sweden Umeå2 3 2003, 2004 2002, 2007, 2008
Germany Turbine Potsdam2 2 2005, 2010 2006, 2011
Germany Wolfsburg2 1 2013, 2014 2016
England Arsenal1 0 2007
Germany Duisburg1 0 2009
Denmark Fortuna Hjørring0 1 2003
Sweden Djurgården/Älvsjö0 1 2005
Russia Zvezda Perm0 1 2009
Sweden Tyresö0 1 2014
France PSG0 1 2015

Additionally several German players have won the Champions League more than two times. Viola Odebrecht and Conny Pohlers both won it four times, Josephine Henning, Alexandra Popp and Nadine Keßler have won it three times. Pohlers is the only one to win it with three different clubs (Potsdam 2005, Frankfurt 2008 and Wolfsburg 2013, 2014).

Top scorers by tournament

The top-scorer award is given to the player who scores the most goals in the entire competition, thus it includes the qualifying rounds. Iceland's Margrét Lára Vidarsdóttir has won the award three times. She together with Pohlers and Šašić holds the record for most goals in a season as well.[8][9]

Season Topscorer (Club) Goals
2015–16 Ada Hegerberg (Olympique Lyonnais) 13
2014–15 Célia Šašić (Frankfurt) 14
2013–14 Milena Nikolić (ŽFK Spartak) 11
2012–13 Laura Rus (Apollon Limassol) 11
2011–12 Camille Abily (Olympique Lyonnais)
Eugénie Le Sommer (Olympique Lyonnais) 		9
2010–11 Inka Grings (FCR 2001 Duisburg) 13
2009–10 Vanessa Bürki (FC Bayern München) 11
2008–09 Margrét Lára Viðarsdóttir (Valur Reykjavík) 14
2007–08 Vira Dyatel (Zhilstroy-1 Karkhiv)
Patrizia Panico (ASD CF Bardolino Verona)
Margrét Lára Viðarsdóttir (Valur Reykjavík) 		9
2006–07 Julie Fleeting (Arsenal LFC) 9
2005–06 Margrét Lára Viðarsdóttir (Valur Reykjavík) 11
2004–05 Conny Pohlers (1. FFC Turbine Potsdam) 14
2003–04 Maria Gstöttner (SV Neulengbach) 11
2002–03 Hanna Ljungberg (Umeå IK) 10
2001–02 Gabriela Enache (FC Codru Anenii Noi) 12

All-time top scorers

Topscorer (Clubs) Goals
Germany Anja Mittag (1. FFC Turbine Potsdam, FC Rosengård and Paris Saint-Germain Féminines) 49
Germany Conny Pohlers (1. FFC Turbine Potsdam, 1. FFC Frankfurt and VfL Wolfsburg) 48
Brazil Marta (Umeå IK, Tyresö FF and FC Rosengård) 46
Sweden Lotta Schelin (Olympique Lyon) 41
Austria Nina Burger (SV Neulengbach) 40
Sweden Hanna Ljungberg (Umeå IK) 39
Germany Inka Grings (FCR 2001 Duisburg and FC Zürich Frauen) 38
As of 2015–16 season

Source: [10]

See also

References

  1. ↑ "Women's Champions League launches in 2009". 2008-12-11. Retrieved 2009-05-08.
  2. 1 2 "Women's Champions League details confirmed" (PDF). Retrieved 2009-05-08.
  3. ↑ "UEFA Women's Champions League association coefficient rankings: places for the 2013/14 season" (PDF). uefa.com. UEFA. Retrieved 7 August 2015.
  4. ↑ "Access List for the UEFA Women's Champions League 2015/16" (PDF). uefa.com. UEFA. Retrieved 7 August 2015.
  5. ↑ "Access list fpr the 2014/15 season" (PDF). UEFA. Retrieved 5 June 2014.
  6. ↑ "UEFA Women's Champions League factsheet" (PDF). UEFA. Retrieved 21 January 2013.
  7. ↑ "British teams competing in Women's Champions League receive 'farcical' funding from Uefa". telegraph.co.uk. 6 October 2013. Retrieved 9 October 2013.
  8. ↑ "Rus tops scorers' table". UEFA. 23 May 2013. Retrieved 26 May 2013.
  9. ↑ "Frankfurt's Šašić equals goals record". uefa.com. 14 May 2015. Retrieved 15 May 2015.
  10. ↑ Mittag breaks Pohlers goal record
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