October 20 – UEFA has conducted the draw for the last 16 of the inaugural Women’s Europa Cup, its second women’s club competition.
The draw sees the women’s teams of some of Europe’s giant clubs emulating their male counterparts in the international arena. There are clubs from 13 different nations in the last 16.
Draw picks for the two-leg knockouts see Holland’s Ajax meet Sweden’s Hammarby, PSV Eindhoven drawn against Germany’s Entracht Frankfurt and Italy’s Inter Milan against Sweden’s Hacken. Czechia’s Sparta Prague will face Switzerland’s Young Boys (name change needed).
The round of 16 will be played over on November 11/12 and 19/20 match dates with the quarter-finals being played next February 11/12 and 18/19, and the semi-finals on March 24/24 and April 1-2 match dates. The two-leg final will be played April 25/26 and May 2/3.
Announced just over a year ago, the competition saw 43 teams in its first edition with 13 teams entering the Women’s Europa Cup directly, with 30 others transferring from Women’s Champions League qualifying.
When launched UEFA said the competition “marked a significant milestone in the evolution of European women’s football…. Giving more teams the chance to test themselves against continental opposition, providing further incentive for investment at domestic level.”
This season UEFA has also revamped its Women’s Champions League, featuring an 18-team single-league as the first phase. The knockout phase will start in February.
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