Arsenal head coach Jonas Eidevall has called the UEFA Champions League qualification phase “a relic of the past” amid concerns about fixture scheduling in Europe and the Women’s Super League.
Eidevall’s side beat Rosenborg 1-0 on Saturday to reach the second round of qualifiers for this season’s Champions League group stages. The win was Arsenal’s second in a mini-tournament that included a 6-0 triumph over Rangers three days prior.
The turnaround for round two of qualifiers changes to a week, with fixtures played on September 18-19 and September 25-26. Arsenal, however, have their Women’s Super League opener against Manchester City sandwiched between them on September 22.
On making it into the draw for the second round of qualifiers, which takes place on Monday, September 9, he said: “That was massively important. We knew straight away that this was a really big test, playing two competitive games, the turnaround time is so short.
“Now we’re through it, I can say 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 (UEFA) don’t even extend it to be played on Sundays. That’s why they cram it in on Saturdays, to save another hotel night.”
Both matchdays of the mini-tournament, which took place at Arsenal’s home ground, included games played earlier in the day at Meadow Park. Atletico Madrid faced Rosenborg and Rangers at midday on the days of Arsenal’s two victories against either side.
This format has been in place since the 2021-22 season, and has seen both Arsenal and Manchester City knocked out early on. This will change from next season onwards when the competition will move to an 18-team league phase in which teams will face six different teams home and away.
Eidevall is critical of the Champions League schedule (Photo: Alex Burstow/Arsenal FC via Getty Images)
Those opponents will be determined by the latest club-coefficient rankings. The top four teams from this league phase will then automatically qualify for the quarter-finals.
These were Arsenal’s first competitive games of this season, which altered how the club brought back players who were involved in international tournaments.
“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,” Eidevall added.
“That’s why we had to bring in Olympic players early, that’s why we went to Washington: to get a fast start to the season and be prepped to play in these games here. The reality is, I think 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.”
Eidevall spoke about utilising the fitness of players who played in the Olympics during pre-season, to be ready for Champions League qualifiers.
The players in question were Caitlin Foord, Steph Catley and Kyra Cooney-Cross of Australia, Laia Codina and Mariona Caldentey of Spain and USWNT gold-medallist Emily Fox. All of whom, bar the injured Catley, started against Rangers and Rosenborg.
On whether this is a concern for the season as a whole, Eidevall added: “That’s just science. 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.”
“Of course, I do (raise it) when it’s the relevant discussions. I’m on the UEFA football board, so of course I raise concerns about the mini-tournament here in the relevant discussions to try to drive change.
“But you always need to get on with things — it’s not an excuse, it’s just scientific, how people recover from football games, before your muscles have fully recovered from the football games and you haven’t fully recovered after 72 hours. After 96, you have.”
UEFA and the WSL have been approached for comment.
The Athletic also explored the issue of summer scheduling with NWSL teams, of which both Arsenal and Chelsea played this summer, earlier this week.
(Top photo: Richard Pelham/Getty Images)
