Meet the Women's Champions League contenders
mercoledì 19 agosto 2015
Intro articolo
UEFA.com introduces the 32 contenders in the knockout phase, from holders Frankfurt to three debutant clubs with names familiar to football fans.
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Corpo articolo
The UEFA Women's Champions League round of 32 draw has been made as the big guns enter at the knockout stage. UEFA.com has a ready guide to the contenders, of who 24 enter at this stage and eight came through the qualifying round.
The draw
BIIK-Kazygurt (KAZ) v FC Barcelona (ESP)
Medyk Konin (GRE) v Olympique Lyonnais (FRA)
Olimpia Cluj (ROU) v Paris Saint-Germain (FRA)
Slavia Praha (CZE) v Brøndby (DEN)
Standard Liège (BEL) v FFC Frankfurt (GER)
PAOK (GRE) v KIF Örebro (SWE)
FC Twente (NED) v Bayern München (GER)
Atlético Madrid (ESP) v Zorkiy (RUS)
St. Pölten-Spratzern (AUT) v Verona (ITA)
Stjarnan (ISL) v Zvezda-2005 (RUS)
LSK Kvinner (NOR) v FC Zürich (SUI)
Chelsea (ENG) v Glasgow City (SCO)
PK-35 Vantaa (FIN) v Rosengård (SWE)
ZFK Minsk (BLR) v Fortuna Hjørring (DEN)
Spartak Subotica (SRB) v Wolfsburg (GER)
Brescia (ITA) v Liverpool (ENG)
Teams listed in ranking order
Seeded:
FFC Frankfurt (GER, holders)
• Won a record fourth title last season, two more than any other club.
Olympique Lyonnais (FRA)
• Reached every final from 2010 to 2013, winning twice, but have lost in the last 16 two years running.
Wolfsburg (GER)
• A semi-final loss to Paris Saint-Germain in last season's semi-finals ended their unbeaten European run and two-year reign as champions.
Rosengård (SWE)
• Marta's team are top of the Swedish league as they seek a fourth title in five years.
Paris Saint-Germain (FRA)
• Beat Lyon and Wolfsburg on their way to a first final last season.
Brøndby (DEN)
• Reached their third semi-final in 2014/15, eight years after their second.
Fortuna Hjørring (DEN)
• The 2003 runners-up are still Denmark's only finalists
Glasgow City (SCO)
• After reaching last season's quarter-finals have a bye to the knockout phase for the first time.
Zvezda-2005 (RUS)
• Became the only Russian club to reach the final in 2009.
Barcelona (ESP)
• The quarter-finalists two years ago have now turned professional.
FC Zürich (SUI)
• Swiss champions for the last six years.
Bayern München (GER)
• The German champions won the Valais Cup at the weekend, beating Paris and Lyon.
Zorkiy Krasnogorsk (RUS)
• Beat Stjarnan to reach the round of 16 in 2012/13.
Liverpool (ENG)
• The two-time English champions were unseeded last season and lost to Linköping.
ASD Verona (ITA)
• Reached the 2007/08 semi-finals, losing to Frankfurt
KIF Örebro (SWE)
• The only one of the three debutants to be seeded thanks to Apollon Limassol's qualifying round exit at the hands of Stjarnan.
Unseeded:
Standard Liège (BEL)
• Won the final edition of the joint BeNe League last season after two second places behind FC Twente.
Chelsea (ENG)
• The debutants lead the English league with four games to go and won the FA Women's Cup this month at Wembley.
Olimpia Cluj* (ROU)
• In their five seasons of existence have won the Romanian double every year.
Spartak Subotica* (SRB)
• Their squad includes Milena Nikolić, competition top scorer with 11 goals in 2013/14, who added nine last season but drew a blank in the qualifying round this time.
St. Pölten-Spratzern (AUT)
• Ended Neulengbach's 12-year reign as Austrian champions last season.
FC Twente* (NED)
• Scored 19 unanswered goals in the qualifying round but have drawn Lyon and Paris in the last two seasons.
Brescia (ITA)
• Made their debut last season but had the misfortune to draw Lyon in the round of 32.
PK-35 Vantaa* (FIN)
• Top scorers in the qualifying round with 20 goals.
Slavia Praha (CZE)
• Won the first three Czechoslovakian women's titles between 1970 and 1972 and in the last two seasons have eclipsed the previously dominant Sparta.
Atlético Madrid (ESP)
• Making their debut thanks to Spain earning a second berth this season.
PAOK* (GRE)
• Have twice reached the round of 32, losing to Arsenal in 2009/10 and Neulengbach a year later.
BIIK-Kazygurt (KAZ)
• Held Frankfurt 2-2 in the first leg of their round of 32 tie last season, the only game the eventual champions did not win in the competition.
Stjarnan* (ISL)
• In the round of 32 for the third year running, having also drawn Russian sides Zorkiy and Zvezda in their previous appearances.
LSK Kvinner (NOR)
• Among their team are Norway FIFA Women's World Cup players Martia Skammelsrud Lund, Isabell Herlovsen, Anja Sønstevold, Ingrid Moe Wold, Marit Sandvei, Lene Mykjåland and Emile Haavi.
Medyk Konin* (POL)
• Won all three qualifying round games for the second year running.
ZFK Minsk* (BLR)
• The only third seeds to win their qualifying round group and the sole team to progress with a match to spare.
*Won qualifying round group
Tournament calendar
Round of 32 draw: 20 August
Round of 32: 7/8 & 14/15 October
Round of 16 draw: 19 October
Round of 16: 11/12 November & 18/19 November
Quarter-final & semi-final draw: 27 November
Quarter-finals: 23/24 & 30/31 March
Semi-finals: 23/24 & 30 April/1 May
Final (Reggio Emilia): 26 May