UWCL: Daïna Bourma ready for ’emotional’ OL Lyonnes reunion as Servette return to Champions League | OneFootball

Servette are preparing for their first UEFA Women’s Champions League clash since the 2021/22 season, and for French defender Daïna Bourma, their opening fixture against OL Lyonnes couldn’t be more fitting.

Servette will return to the UWCL on Wednesday evening as they host record title-holders OL Lyonnes at the Stade de Genève.

For Daïna Bourma, the opening fixture is something she has long dreamed about. The Servette defender joined Lyon’s academy at around 10-years-old and spent the majority of her youth career at the French giants before eventually leaving at 17 in search of a route into senior football.

Now, after five seasons with the Swiss side, Bourma will come up against the club where her football journey began – and it’s an opportunity which the defender is relishing.

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“I’m very happy, and if I wanted one team in this group, it was Lyon,” she said. “I grew up and lived there, and my family is from there.

“So I think it’s an emotional moment for me when I found out that we were going to play against Lyon. For me, it’s the best team in Europe. And I’m very excited to see what we can do against those teams; I’m looking forward to it.”

Wednesday’s match-up will represent far more than a game of football. Instead, the 26-year-old believes the reunion represents how far her career has come since leaving the OL Lyonnes academy. But it also provides an opportunity to showcase the progress being made at Servette and to highlight the work still required to develop women’s football across Switzerland.

Where did Daïna Bourma play before joining Servette?

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Bourma’s pathway into senior football wasn’t straightforward. Having spent her formative years at Lyon, she realised towards the end of her academy career that a place in the first team was unlikely to materialise, so she started to look elsewhere for a professional opportunity.

She subsequently joined Montpellier Hérault for the final year of her Under-19 career, helping the side win the national championship against some of France’s biggest clubs, including Lyon and Paris Saint-Germain.

Despite her success, the offer of a professional contract didn’t arrive. Therefore, her attention shifted overseas.

Bourma then moved to Rangers, where she signed her first professional contract, before COVID-19 disrupted the early stages of her career. Unable to settle away from home, the defender wanted to return closer to home without completely returning to France – and that is where Servette enters the picture.

“The Servette project was honestly top, and they’d qualified for the Champions League”, she said. “I said to myself, it’s the perfect club for me and now it’s my sixth season.”

Have Servette competed in the UEFA Women’s Champions League before?

When Servette first qualified for the UWCL in 2021, Bourma carried a sense of disbelief.

“I think the first time we qualified, we were like, wow, amazing. It’s crazy that we’re here,” she said.

However, five years later, the club have once again qualified for the opportunity to compete on Europe’s biggest stage. To confirm their place in the league phase, which Bourma ‘prefers’ to the old format, the Swiss side had to overcome Sparta Praha in qualifying.

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“I feel like this year we deserve to be here. It means all the work during the five seasons since we qualified for the last time [has paid off].”

In 2021, Servette finished bottom in a group where they faced Wolfsburg, Chelsea, and Juventus. However, under the new format, Servette have six matches to secure their place in the knockouts.

“The approach we had in 2021 is not going to be the same as 2026,” explained Bourma. “As I said, we’re ready to compete, and we have six games; it’s a different qualification. We have other opponents also that we can get something from, and we’re really looking forward to it.”

After an opening match against OL Lyonnes, Servette will face HB Køge, OH Leuven, AS Roma and Barcelona before finishing their league phase at home against Paris FC.

Bourma admits she is ‘really excited’ about the chance to travel to Catalonia and face the reigning holders of the UWCL. However, she acknowledges it will be tough to get a result against the four-time champions, meaning her team may have to look elsewhere for points.

“If we’re honest today, we have maybe more of a chance to play or to get something against the other teams. The objective, as I said, is not to be 2021 with all defeats and zero goals.”

Servette are ‘here to compete’ against OL Lyonnes

OL Lyonnes enter the competition with a history that Servette cannot match. However, Bourma insists Servette are there to compete rather than admire their opponents.

“Well, Lyon is the favourite club,” she said. “We’re facing the two finalists of the Champions League last year. So, these are big matches, and this is the Champions League.

“We have to accept our competitors, and we’ve worked very hard for this match, so we will give our best. The goal is not just to set foot on the pitch; it’s to believe, and if you don’t believe, for me it’s useless to go there. We give our best for the jersey, for us, for our family watching us.”

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The defender is well aware of the physical and technical demands OL Lyonnes will present, having grown up with several of the players she will now be tasked with stopping.

“Selma [Bacha] and I did all our training together, and we’ve always been very good friends. We grew up together; our dads were friends. We couldn’t wait to sleep at each other’s houses, and I can’t wait to play against her on Wednesday. It’s going to be great fun,” she said.

Some teams would shy away from playing the so-called ‘Queens of Europe’ in their first UWCL game in five years. But no, not Servette.

“I think it’s great to start against the best opponents, and it shows how tough the competition is.

“I’m not saying that because I’m coming from Lyon, but I think they have the best players physically and technically. And they have a President that pushes for women’s football. It means they have support behind their team, and it’s a pleasure for us because we’re not at this level, but we can learn from this game.”

What did Daïna Bourma learn from her time at OL Lyonnes?

As mentioned above, this fixture is particularly important for Bourma, who will be facing the club where her footballing journey began.

During her time in Lyon’s academy, the French side taught her invaluable lessons which she still carries with her today. Among these lessons are the importance of enjoying the game and believing in yourself.

“Lyon taught me to believe, to enjoy also, because if you play football but you don’t enjoy it, then what’s the point?” she said.

During her time in France, she saw first-hand what sustained investment in women’s football could create and few examples demonstrate that better than Wendie Renard. The Lyon captain has spent her career at the forefront of the club’s success, becoming a role model for generations of players who followed.

“Growing up in Lyon, seeing Wendie Renard and in two days, facing her, it means that she had to fight. She didn’t have the same environment 20 years ago. I mean, the money in football, in women’s football, was not the same 20 years ago and seeing her pushing through all this year and helping all the younger girls have a better salary, better conditions.

“I’m trying to do the same, to be the reference for the little girl, especially in Switzerland,” she continued.

Bourma wants Servette to help grow women’s football in Switzerland

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A year after Switzerland hosted the most-attended Women’s European Championship in history, the tournament’s impact is still felt across the country.

But for Bourma, there’s still a large gap between the momentum created by the Euros and the reality of the domestic game. Servette have sought to bridge that gap, with the defender praising the club for continuing to invest in its women’s team.

“Servette tries to evolve every year. And above all, to promote women’s football,” she said. “We know that especially in Switzerland, there’s still a big gap compared to other championships, such as English, Spanish or even French.

“So, there is will from the club to grow the women’s side with the little means they have.”

That investment has helped Servette become Switzerland’s sole representative in the UWCL, with Bourma believing their progress shows what happens when clubs commit to their women’s teams.

“Switzerland isn’t the strongest league in the world, but to be the one team that represents Switzerland shows a lot,” she said. “If you really invest in your club and develop women’s football, you can achieve so many things.

“Women’s football isn’t comparable to the men’s. But for me, you put your investment in and after so many years, you will get your investment back. But you need to have someone who tries and believes in us.”

‘We can show them the path’

Bourma hopes the elevated stage of the UWCL will inspire other Swiss clubs to invest.

“We can show them the path,” she said. “If maybe one club represents Switzerland and shows other clubs that one Swiss team compete in the best competition in the world, maybe they will invest more.”

There is, however, a stark contrast between Servette’s European ambitions and the environment some players experience in the domestic league.

“I think there’s a long way of work, if I’m being honest,” Bourma admitted. “It’s sad that sometimes we’re playing on the big stage and then on the weekend, we play on a cow pitch.”

“I hope I’m doing the work now for the little girls that are coming after me; I hope that it has an impact.”

Where can I watch the UEFA Women’s Champions League?

Servette will get their Champions League campaign underway as they host OL Lyonnes on Wednesday 23rd September. Kick-off is at 17:45 (BST).

Viewers can watch every UWCL match live on Disney+ as part of existing customer subscriptions. For more information on UWCL viewing rights, follow the UEFA website for guidance.

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