Europa Cup breaks new ground for women’s football in Europe | OneFootball

It may be news to some, but there is a new competition kicking off in Europe this week. With qualifying complete, the business end of the Women’s Europa Cup gets under way on Wednesday. It will mark another milestone in women’s football, a side of the sport that is constantly evolving and developing.

Starting with the round of 16, teams will embark on a journey of two-legged knockout ties that lead to the inaugural final. The winner will also be decided across two legs, due to take place in May and June next year.

The Europa Cup is the younger sibling of the Women’s Champions League, a tournament that has enjoyed marked success and growth in recent years. However, while the brand of Uefa’s flagship domestic competition is strong, and its popularity and prestige ever-increasing, the number of available places remains relatively limited, despite an expanded format. While 65 teams took part across three rounds of qualifying this season, only 18 progressed to the league phase of the Champions League, meaning most sides’ European adventure is over before it has truly begun.

The need to increase European opportunities for clubs was a crucial driver in Uefa’s decision in December 2023 to launch a second club competition. “Today, we look forward to another fundamental milestone for the professionalisation of European club football,” said Nadine Kessler, Uefa’s managing director of women’s football, at the time. “The new format for the Women’s Champions League will reinforce the competition’s position at the pinnacle of club football and, combined with the introduction of the new second competition, will further incentivise growth domestically and help us to build a strong and open European football pyramid that everyone can be proud of.”

The disparities in leagues across Europe are significant and in danger of deepening further given the differences in levels of investment. This is why direct entrants into Europa Cup qualifying have come from lower down the Uefa club coefficient – 13 teams are from associations ranked 8th to 24th, essentially giving more clubs from more countries the opportunity to play. They were joined by 31 teams who dropped out of various stages of Champions League qualification, offering them a second chance at keeping their hopes of a European trophy alive.

There is, therefore, a range of experience in the teams involved now we have reached the round of 16. While the likes of Inter, PSV Eindhoven and Young Boys are relatively new to European football, Eintracht Frankfurt, Hammarby and BK Häcken have amassed a healthy amount of Champions League appearances in recent years. The latter’s match against Inter will be of particular interest, as will PSV’s meeting with Frankfurt. Meanwhile Ajax, who reached the Champions League quarter-finals two seasons ago, will take on Hammarby in what promises to be a mouth-watering encounter.

As part of its revamped financial distribution model for the next five years, Uefa has earmarked €5.6m for the initial two editions of the Europa Cup. This will increase to €6.2m for the remaining three years. Teams earn incremental sums en route to the final, with the winners collecting €80,000 and an automatic spot in the third qualifying round for the following season’s Champions League. By comparison, the Champions League winners pick up €500,000.

Without a centralised broadcast and commercial deal, the participating clubs own the rights to their matches and are responsible for organising the distribution of them to fans. If previous Champions League qualifying rounds are anything to go by, this will result in haphazard viewing availability and revenue-raising opportunities. Another clear early issue is that the competition is being played at the same time as the Champions League. This clash of timing means the Europa Cup will start in the shadow of a more prolific event, both in terms of media and brand interest.

Only time will tell if the Europa Cup proves to be a success. A platform has undeniably been created, however, for many more clubs to compete and excel in continental competition.

Get in touch

If you have any questions or comments about any of our newsletters please email moving.goalposts@theguardian.com.

Header image: [Photograph: Mathias Bergeld/Bildbyrǎn/Shutterstock]