Eidevall scorns ‘relic’ Women’s Champions League format as Arsenal march on

Jonas Eidevall said he was glad that no English team will have to go through the Champions League mini-tournament qualifying format again, calling it a “relic of the past” and criticising the 72-hour turnaround between the fixtures, with the format of next year’s competition changing.

Eidevall’s Arsenal beat Rangers 6-0 on Wednesday night in a mini-tournament semi-final, and then Rosenborg 1-0 in the final, to progress to round two of Champions League qualifying.

Last season Eidevall’s side crashed out in the first round, losing to Paris FC on penalties. That exit, after the injury-hit squad had battled to earn a place in qualifying, has haunted the team since. In every interview around the start of this campaign, the determination to right that wrong has been clear.

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“It was massively important, we knew straight away that this here was a really big test, playing two competitive games, the turnaround time is so short,” said Eidevall. “Now we’re through it, I can say it: it’s lucky an English team will not have to play in these mini-tournaments again.

“For all the excitement that there is, it is a relic from the past. This is just done from a budget perspective, and that’s why they don’t even extend it to be played on Sundays. That’s why they cram it in on Saturdays, to save another hotel night. But all research around the world shows there’s a massive difference between 72 hours and 96 hours recovery after a game. That part I just can’t get my head around.”

Asked whether, despite the format change, which will see the Champions League operate similarly to the new format for the men’s competition, it would still be an ongoing problem given WSL and Champions League scheduling can often lead to 72-hour gaps between games once the tournament proper starts, Eidevall said: “That’s just science. The WSL has zero concerns about it, Uefa has zero concerns about it. Science, it’s a fact it impacts injury risk, but it’s the same in the men’s game: it’s just that science is one thing and broadcasting money is another thing.”

Eidevall felt empowered to speak up after his side had navigated the tricky tie, an utterly dominant display only lacking on the scoreboard, Frida Maanum’s first-half goal enough to earn victory over Rosenborg.

Fluid, dynamic and incisive, Arsenal played some truly beautiful football for 90 minutes, never dipping below 80% possession and accruing 29 shots to five. The home team forced the Norwegian side into the lowest of blocks, every player bar the forward Rebecka Holum attempting to soak up the constant pressure.

Unchanged from the win against Rangers, it took Arsenal a little longer to find the breakthrough. Yet it came in the 19th minute, Wednesday’s hat-trick hero Caitlin Foord turning provider, whipping in a cross-cum-shot that was saved by the goalkeeper Rugile Rulyte. Mathilde Harviken scuffed her clearance, however, and Maanum fired in from close range.

There would be no more goals despite the dominance, but given the circumstances Eidevall was happy.

“The reality is, Paris went through, but apart from that, if you see the top leagues in Europe, if we say that is the German, Spanish, French and English leagues, both the German team and Spanish team are out. So, it shows again what a tricky stage this is, given second or third in a top division go out at this stage. We’re really happy to be on the correct side of it this time.”