So most teams are set for the next edition already. See https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2017–18_UEFA_Women's_Champions_League#Teams for a good table. Paris will be the third French team, if they defeat Lyon in the 2017 final. If Lyon win Paris will not enter this year. I calculated the coefficients (clubs points from 2012/13 to 2016/17 plus 33% of assication points in same timespan) for the teams that start in R32. Remember the top 16 are seeded in the round of 32 draw (and then the top 8 in the R16 draw). Neulengbach, one Danish and Czech team migth have to enter qualifying but lets assume those will move on from there. Seeded: wolfsburg (129.38) lyon (110.4) ....[paris (84.4)] rosengard (83.295) barcelona (68.52) hjorring (54.375) bayern (48.38) brondby (47.375) rossiyanka (37.715) manchester city (36.49) glasgow (34.58) neulengbach (34.24) zvezda (33.715) brescia (33.54) slavia (31.89) sparta (31.89) linköpings (30.295) seeded if Lyon are title-holders Unseeded: chelsea (29.49) montpelier (26.4) lilleström (26.075) st. pölten (21.24) athletico (20.52) fiorentina (12.54) hibernian lfc (11.58) Top ranked in the qualifying round seems to be BIIK with 24.930. What do you think? With Chelsea, Lilleström, Montpelier and Athletico unseeded there could be some strong matches.
So here is an update: Lyon won the last season's final and Neulengbach lost their last league match and got overtaken by Sturm Graz. Therefore Chelsea is seeded now: Seeded: Lyon (112.4, Title holder) Wolfsburg (129.38) Rosengard (83.295) Barcelona (68.52) Hjorring (54.375) Bayern (48.38) Brondby (47.375) Rossiyanka (37.715) Manchester City (36.49) Glasgow (34.58) Zvezda (33.715) Brescia (33.54) Slavia (31.89) Sparta (31.89, could be in qualifying) Linköpings (30.295) Chelsea (29.49) Unseeded: Montpelier (26.4) Lilleström (26.075) St. Pölten (21.24) Athletico (20.52) Fiorentina (12.54) Sturm Graz (12.24, could be in qualifying) Hibernian LFC (11.58, could be in qualifying) +advancing teams from qualifying round I guess the teams that take part will leak out in one or two weeks. The qualifying round draw is on 23 June.
Chelsea being seeded would be very lucky for them, when I started checking earlier in the season, there were potentially a lot of teams ahead of them.
http://www.uefa.com/womenschampionsleague/news/newsid=2477864.html UEFA has posted a news item. There is a record of 61 teams. Georgia is entering for the first time in eight years. Zürich replaced Swiss double winners Neunkirch, who withdrew their team from play before going broke i guess. From ten qualifying groups eleven teams will advance. Host clubs are: Apollon, Olimpia Cluj, SFK 2000 Sarajevo, MTK Hungária, Osijek, Parnu, Olmpija Ljubljana, Breznica Pljevlja, Linfield and Martve
[QUOTE="pauley, post: 35557920, member: 256167" Zürich replaced Swiss double winners Neunkirch, who withdrew their team from play before going broke i guess. [/QUOTE] Oh, it's really a shame that the fresh title and Swiss cup winner Neunkirch decided to quit for financial reasons...at the end a club that had been able to break the Zurich monopoly... By the way, in the team played some italian girls, one of which was the top scorer Valentina Bergamaschi, I wonder if she'll come back in Italy next season....
The knock on effect of Zurich making the tournament is if they make it to the round of 32, Chelsea will be again unseeded and might draw Wolsburg again...
Yes, she's the same: currently in the U23NT, but has been called by Cabrini in the upcoming camp to choose the final roster for the Euro, so she has a chance to get in.
Qualifying round draw (matches 22–28 August) Group 1 Gintra Universitetas (LTU) Konak Belediyespor (TUR) Partizán Bardejov (SVK) Martve (GEO)* Group 2 Olimpia Cluj (ROU)* Hibernian (SCO) WFC-2 Kharkiv (UKR) Swansea City (WAL) Group 3 Standard Liège (BEL) Ajax (NED) Pärnu (EST)* Rīgas Futbola skola (LVA) Group 4 Medyk Konin (POL) PK-35 Vantaa (FIN) Shelbourne (IRL) Linfield (NIR)* Group 5 Apollon (CYP)* Sturm Graz (AUT) NSA Sofia (BUL) Noroc Nimoreni (MDA) Group 6 Zürich (SUI) Minsk (BLR) Olimpija Ljubljana (SVN)* Birkirkara (MLT) Group 7 Stjarnan (ISL) Osijek (CRO)* KÍ Klaksvík (FRO) SC Istatov (MKD) Group 8 BIIK-Kazygurt (KAZ) MTK Hungária (HUN)* Sporting CP (POR) Hajvalia (KOS) Group 9 ŽFK Spartak (SRB) Avaldsnes (NOR) Kiryat Gat (ISR) Breznica (MNE)* Group 10 SFK 2000 Sarajevo (BIH)* PAOK (GRE) KS Vllaznia (ALB) Bettembourg (LUX) *hosts • The ten group winners and the runners-up with the best record against the teams first and third in their section proceed to join the 21 teams given byes to the 1 September draw for the round of 32, with the two-legged knockout phase commencing in October
Matchday 1. We had some high wins. What stood out for me, was Shelboune earning a 0:0 draw with a red card agaist Konin (Konin missed penalty in 84 minute). Also Zürich who had some trouble and only shot the 2:1 against Ljubljana in the 84th minute. Only other team from pot 1 who didn't win were SFK 2000 who lost against Vllaznia. 22.08. 20:30 PK-35 Vantaa W (Fin) Linfield W (Nir) 1 : 0 22.08. 20:15 Osijek W (Cro) Istatov W (Mac) 7 : 0 22.08. 20:00 Sturm Graz W (Aut) Noroc W (Mda) 4 : 0 22.08. 19:00 St. Liege W (Bel) Parnu W (Est) 2 : 0 22.08. 17:30 Avaldsnes W (Nor) Breznica W (Mne) 2 : 1 22.08. 17:15 Minsk FK W (Blr) Birkirkara W (Mlt) 8 : 0 22.08. 17:00 Gintra W (Ltu) Bardejov W (Svk) 4 : 0 22.08. 17:00 MTK Hungaria W (Hun) Hajvalia W (Kos) 2 : 0 22.08. 17:00 Ol. Cluj W (Rou) Zhilstroy-2 2 W (Ukr) 1 : 0 22.08. 17:00 Sarajevo W (Bih) Vllaznia W (Alb) 0 : 1 22.08. 17:00 Shymkent W (Kaz) Sporting W (Por) 2 : 1 22.08. 17:00 Subotica W (Srb) Kiryat Gat W (Isr) 7 : 1 22.08. 16:45 Apollon W (Cyp) NSA Sofia W (Bul) 4 : 0 22.08. 16:00 Stjarnan W (Ice) Klaksvik W (Fai) 9 : 0 22.08. 15:00 Konak Bld. W (Tur) Martve Kutaisi W (Geo) 5 : 0 22.08. 15:00 Medyk Konin W (Pol) Shelbourne W (Irl) 0 : 0 22.08. 13:00 Zurich W (Sui) O. Ljubljana W (Slo) 2 : 1 22.08. 11:00 Ajax W (Ned) Rigas W (Lat) 6 : 0 22.08. 11:00 PAOK W (Gre) Bettembourg W (Lux) 8 : 0 22.08. 10:00 Hibernian W (Sco) Swansea W (Wal) 5 : 0 Today is matchday two. Vllaznia plays PAOK: with both at three points the winnig team could already qualify to the round of 32.
Matchday 2 results: 25.08. 20:30 Shelbourne W (Irl) PK-35 Vantaa W (Fin) 0 : 0 25.08. 20:15 Klaksvik W (Fai) Osijek W (Cro) 0 : 4 25.08. 20:00 Apollon W (Cyp) Noroc W (Mda) 6 : 0 25.08. 17:30 Subotica W (Srb) Breznica W (Mne) 6 : 0 25.08. 17:15 O. Ljubljana W (Slo) Minsk FK W (Blr) 0 : 5 25.08. 17:00 Bardejov W (Svk) Konak Bld. W (Tur) 1 : 5 25.08. 17:00 Ol. Cluj W (Rou) Swansea W (Wal) 3 : 0 25.08. 17:00 Parnu W (Est) Ajax W (Ned) 1 : 2 25.08. 17:00 Shymkent W (Kaz) Hajvalia W (Kos) 1 : 0 25.08. 17:00 Sporting W (Por) MTK Hungaria W (Hun) 2 : 0 25.08. 17:00 Vllaznia W (Alb) PAOK W (Gre) 0 : 1 25.08. 16:45 NSA Sofia W (Bul) Sturm Graz W (Aut) 1 : 3 25.08. 16:00 Stjarnan W (Ice) Istatov W (Mac) 11 : 0 25.08. 15:00 Gintra W (Ltu) Martve Kutaisi W (Geo) 6 : 0 25.08. 15:00 Medyk Konin W (Pol) Linfield W (Nir) 4 : 1 25.08. 13:00 Zurich W (Sui) Birkirkara W (Mlt) 5 : 0 25.08. 11:00 Kiryat Gat W (Isr) Avaldsnes W (Nor) 2 : 6 25.08. 11:00 Sarajevo W (Bih) Bettembourg W (Lux) 3 : 0 25.08. 11:00 St. Liege W (Bel) Rigas W (Lat) 8 : 0 25.08. 10:00 Zhilstroy-2 2 W (Ukr) Hibernian W (Sco) 1 : 1 Today final match day. Hope there are some close results.
Round of 32 draw (4/5 & 11/12 October) Stjarnan (ISL) v Rossiyanka (RUS) Fiorentina (ITA) v Fortuna Hjørring (DEN) Apollon (CYP) v Linköping (SWE) Montpellier (FRA) v Zvezda-2005 (RUS) BIIK-Kazygurt (KAZ) v Glasgow City (SCO) Gintra Universitetas (LTU) v FC Zürich (SUI) Atlético Madrid (ESP) v Wolfsburg (GER) LSK Kvinner (NOR) v Brøndby (DEN) Ajax (NED) v Brescia (ITA) St. Pölten (AUT) v Manchester City (ENG) Chelsea (ENG) v Bayern München (GER) Minsk (BLR) v Slavia Praha (CZE) Medyk Konin (POL) v Lyon (FRA, holders) PAOK (GRE) v Sparta Praha (CZE) Olimpia Cluj (ROU) v Rosengård (SWE) Avaldsnes (NOR) v Barcelona (ESP) Seeded teams play away first.
Also, the other opponent of an Italian team (Fiorentina) doesn't seem much easy either. I seem to remember Fortuna Hjørring advancing quite decently in past years' Champions' Leagues. For an odd combination, the Italian clubs got opponents from the two finalist nations of Euro 2017!
BIIK-Glasgow should be an interesting matchup! Also, damn both German teams got some impressive opponents. Lyon should waltz through MK but Montpellier-Zvezda could be interesting too.
Here is the Ajax squad http://www.uefa.com/womenschampionsleague/season=2018/clubs/club=2604835/squad/index.html
Welcome back here, @SiberianThunderT! And I agree there are some impressive match-ups in this round of 32 already. Chelsea-Bayern München, in particular, shouldn't have happened at this stage!!!
There are a good number of Euro 2017 Netherlands NT members in Ajax (I count at least 5 or 6) but they were mostly subs in the tournament: if I remember well the only real starters were Stephanie Van der Gragt and Desiree Van Lunteren, two DFs of defensive MFs. And defense wasn't exactly Holland's best feature at Euro 2017!
About the matches involving the italian teams, Fiorentina - Fortuna Hjorring should be streamed on the official club channel: it.violachannel.tv (don't know if geoblocked or not) About Ajax - Brescia, the facebook page of the club showed a youtube link for a possible stream, but looks like it's not watchable in Italy, so looking forward for an alternative link.