The trophies will be presented on the field to the winning captains by the UEFA President after the UEFA Europa League final at Stockholm’s Friends Arena on 24 May, the UEFA Women’s Champions League final at the Cardiff City Stadium on 1 June and the UEFA Champions League decider at the National Stadium of Wales on 3 June. Purpose-built stages have been produced for these venues, and assembling them will take less than five minutes.

The return to on-pitch presentations will give all fans in the stadiums a better view of the trophy lifts, while the television audience will also get clearer pictures. Moving the presentation onto the field of play also has a symbolic meaning according to UEFA President Aleksander Čeferin.

“The pitch is the players’ stage and it is only fitting that their achievements are celebrated there,” said Mr Čeferin. “It also makes sense that the officials should come down from the stands to the players – to their arena – and pay tribute to them in presenting the trophy and medals on the playing surface.

“Players will also be able to celebrate with their team-mates on the pitch in full view of the fans without the interruption of having to climb up to the stands. Furthermore, all supporters will get a perfect view of the trophy lift wherever they are seated in the stadium.”

Trophy presentations on the pitch will now be standard practice across all UEFA club and national-team competitions.

Report courtesy of UEFA

Bibiana Steinhaus has been selected to referee the 2017 UEFA Women’s Champions League final between Olympique Lyonnais and Paris Saint-Germain, to be played at Cardiff City Stadium in Cardiff, Wales on Thursday 1 June at 20:45CET (19:45 local).

Steinhaus, who is from Germany, has been an international referee since 2005. During her career, the 38 year-old referee has officiated the final of 2011 FIFA Women’s World Cup in Germany, as well as the final of Women’s Olympic Football Tournament 2012 in London. Last year, she took charge of the UEFA Women’s Champions League semi-final second leg between Olympique Lyonnais and Paris Saint-Germain in Lyon.

In Cardiff, she will be assisted by compatriots Katrin Rafalski and Christina Biehl. The fourth official, Riem Hussein, is also from Germany. A Belgian reserve official – Ella De Vries – completes the line-up of the refereeing team.

Report courtesy of UEFA

“We want to ensure that football fans of all ages are given the chance to watch the biggest women’s club match in Europe this season,” said UEFA’s competitions director Giorgio Marchetti.

“I hope this encounter will inspire the young players attending to try and achieve new heights in their footballing careers,” he added.

UEFA Women’s Champions League final ambassador and current Wales women’s manager Jayne Ludlow knows all about playing in the UEFA Women’s Champions League final, and she is looking forward to seeing some of Europe’s top players take to the pitch at Cardiff City Stadium.

“Having played in the competition with Arsenal, and having had the honour of lifting the trophy in 2007, it will be great to welcome the world’s best female footballers to Wales,” she said.

Staging major football finals has been one of the Football Association of Wales’ (FAW) main goals. Jonathan Ford, the chief executive of the FAW, believes that hosting both the 2017 UEFA Champions League final and 2017 UEFA Women’s Champions League final will have “a positive and long-lasting effect on Welsh football”.

“The aims of the FAW are to create an event that will engage all Welsh people – regardless of whether they like football – to instil a sense of national pride and inspire children with the core values of sportsmanship, dedication, fair play and respect.”

To mark 100 days until the final gets underway, 100 members of Cor Glanaethwy, a North Wales choir that came third in a UK-wide talent contest, performed a flash mob on unsuspecting visitors to Cardiff’s Central Library.

“I was lucky enough to be in Cardiff Central Library today to watch Cor Glanaethwy, and see the surprised and delighted reactions of the general public as this beautiful rendition of ‘The Prayer’ slowly grew in volume and spread throughout the different open levels of the library. It made the hairs on the back of my neck stand up!” said Ludlow.

The UEFA Women’s Champions League final will take place on the evening of the first day of the UEFA Champions Festival, which will run from 1 June to 4 June. Those visiting the event at Roald Dahl Plass in Cardiff Bay will be entertained by a busy programme of music, football, celebrities and big-screen entertainment.

ROAD TO CARDIFF

Quarter-final draw (22/23 & 29/30 March)
1 Fortuna Hjørring (DEN) v Manchester City (ENG)
2 Rosengård (SWE) v Barcelona (ESP)
3 Wolfsburg (GER) v Lyon (FRA, holders)
4 Bayern München (GER) v Paris Saint-Germain (FRA)

Semi-final draw (22/23 & 29/30 April)
1 Rosengård/Barcelona v Bayern/Paris
2 Fortuna/Man. City v Wolfsburg/Lyon

Final: 1 June, Cardiff City Stadium
Winner semi-final 2 v winner semi-final 1

Lead photo shows Cardiff City Stadium photo courtesy of Jon Candy

Report courtesy of UEFA

Quarter Finals 1st leg 22/23 March 2017

1. Fortuna Hjørring v Manchester City Women’s FC
2. FC Rosengård v FC Barcelona
3. VfL Wolfsburg Olympique v Lyonnais FC
4. FC Bayern München v Paris Saint-Germain

Quarter Finals 2nd leg 29/30 March 2017

1. Manchester City Women’s FC  v Fortuna Hjørring
2. FC Barcelona v FC Rosengård
3. Olympique Lyonnais v VfL Wolfsburg
4. Paris Saint-Germain v FC Bayern München

Semi-finals 1st leg 22/23 April 2017

FC Rosengård or FC Barcelona v FC Bayern München or Paris Saint-Germain

Fortuna Hjørring or Manchester City Women’s FC  v VfL Wolfsburg or Olympique Lyonnais

 2nd leg 29/30 April 2017

FC Bayern München or Paris Saint-Germain v FC Rosengård or FC Barcelona

VfL Wolfsburg or Olympique Lyonnais v Fortuna Hjørring or Manchester City Women’s FC

Final at Cardiff City Stadium Thursday 1 June 2017

Winner of semi-final 2 v Winner of semi-final 1

Info courtesy of UEFA

A sloppy back pass allowed Eni Aluko in to open the scoring and shortly afterwards they should have gone two up when Karen Carney hit the woodwork. As it was Wolfsburg equalised to give them a 4-1 win and put them through to the last sixteen.

Coming back from a 3-0 deficit was always going to be a tough ask, but last night Chelsea showed that they are able to compete at the highest level and the experience will be invaluable.

Manchester City women had no such problems they took a 2-0 advantage into their fixture against Zvezda 2005 and scored four more to make it a 6-0 win in Russia.

City’s goals were scored by Jennifer Beattie (2), Lucy Bronze and Isobel Christiansen.

Manchester City women have won the WSL1 this season and the Continental Tyres Cup – can they add the Champions League, they certainly have the confidence and what a boost for women’s football in the UK if they can.

Last November Chelsea Ladies were knocked out of last 16 of the Champions League by the same opposition, so they must have greeted the draw against their nemesis with some dismay in this round of 32.

To up the ante the Ladies, who normally play their games at the 3,000 capacity Wheatsheaf Park in Staines were given the opportunity to play their first ever match at Stamford Bridge – so no pressure then.

Unfortunately Wolfsburg relished the opportunity to play at the Bridge and from the get go were dominant. This experienced German side has won the Champions League twice since 2013 and their experience and class showed.

By half time the score was 0-2 and could have been more as Zsanett Jakabfi finished her chances with clinical precision. At the beginning of the second half Jakabfi added her third and all but ended Chelsea’s hopes of progression this year.  The score could have been higher but for some great saves by goalkeeper Hedvig Lindahl.

Hard to understand why Chelsea, who are second in the WSL1 would be lacking in confidence, but perhaps their memories of last season hampered their play. They certainly have nothing to lose in the second leg which will be hosted by Wolfsburg on 12 October.

There is plenty of class in the Chelsea team and they do have the ability on the day to hurt Wolfsburg, [never can understand why Fran Kirby is kept on the bench, seems to me a player who can always make something happen, but then Emma Hayes is an experienced coach and no doubt knows her players better than me]. Hopefully Hayes will get the best out of her team next Wednesday in the second leg.

Chelsea: Lindahl, Blundell (Davison 45), Bright, Flaherty, Fahey, Carney, Aluko, C Rafferty, England (Spence 78), Borges (Ji 28), Chapman.

Subs not used: Spencer, Kirby, Bailey, L Rafferty.

Wolfsburg: Schult, Jakabfi (Mittag 72), Fischer(c), Gunnarsdottir, Peter, Blasse, Popp, Dickenmann, Hansen (Wullaert 62), Kerschowski, Goessling (Simic 90).

Subs not used: Frohms, Maritz, Bernauer, Bussaglia.

Goals: Jakabfi (12, 38, 53)

Attendance: 3,783

Full Round of 32 draw 

Sturm Graz (AUT) v FC Zürich (SUI)

Breidablik (ISL) v Rosengård (SWE)

LSK Kvinner (NOR) v Paris Saint-Germain (FRA)

Avaldsnes (NOR) v Lyon (FRA)

Eskilstuna United (SWE) v Glasgow City (SCO)

SFK 2000 Sarajevo (BIH) v Rossiyanka (RUS)

Chelsea (ENG) v Wolfsburg (GER)

FC Twente (NED) v Sparta Praha (CZE)

Apollon (CYP) v Slavia Praha (CZE)

Athletic Club (ESP) v Fortuna Hjørring (DEN)

Minsk (BLR) v Barcelona (ESP)

Medyk Konin (POL) v Brescia (ITA)

Manchester City (ENG) v Zvezda-2005 (RUS)

BIIK-Kazygurt (KAZ) v Verona (ITA)

Hibernian (SCO) v Bayern München (GER)

St. Pölten (AUT) v Brøndby (DEN)

Road to Cardiff
Round of 32: 5/6 & 12/13 October
Round of 16 draw: 17 October
Round of 16: 9/10 November & 16/17 November
Quarter-final & Semi-final draw: 25 November
Quarter-finals: 22/23 & 29/30 March
Semi-finals: 22/23 & 29/30 April
Final (Cardiff City Stadium): 1 June

Chelsea Ladies went down 2-1 to Wolfsburg in their Champions League home tie and dented their chances of reaching the quarter-finals, but if we know anything about Emma Hayes Chelsea side they are great fighters.

It was always going to be difficult for Chelsea, after the euphoria of winning the WSL1 a lay off of four weeks without a competitive match, to be up against Wolfsburg who are in mid season.

Chelsea started slowly and after just 3 minutes conceded an own goal when they failed to clear a free-kick and Nilla Fischer’s poked shot was deflected in by England left-back Claire Rafferty. Wolfsburg have won the competition twice in the last three years and they proved a handful for Chelsea, pressing them high up the pitch and nullifying their usual passing game, but the lead was still just 1-0 as they went in at half time.

Chelsea started the second half brightly and just eight minutes in their pressure caused Babett Peter  to head into her own net and level the score.

The  Blues were playing a lot more fluently although the contest was more feisty than usual and resulted in five yellow cards: Flaherty, Bright, Ji for Chelsea and Popp and Bachmann for Wolfsburg.

Just before the hour mark Wolfsburg made the substitution that would make the difference, Caroline Graham Hansen came on for Alexandra Popp and it was her low finish, just twelve minutes from time, that gave the visitors victory. It was a cruel blow for Chelsea as they were made to rue their missed chances.

Chelsea now go into the second leg knowing they must now score at least twice, they definitely have the fire power to do that and now they will know exactly what they are up against.

Chelsea: Lindahl, Bright (Coombs 80), Flaherty, Fahey, Davison, Aluko, Ji, C Rafferty, Kirby, Borges, Chapman (c).

Subs not used: Hourihan, Coombs, Brett, Ayane, Spence, L Rafferty, Farrow.

Wolfsburg: Frohms, Fischer, Peter, Blasse, Popp (Graham Hansen 58), Maritz, Bernauer, Bachmann, Dickenmann (Jakabfi 81), Goessling, Bussaglia (Pajor).

Subs not used: Burmeister, Jakabfi, Wullaert, Bunte, Wedemeyer.

Referee: Katalin Kulscar (HUN)

Attendance: 1,610

The second leg takes place next Wednesday 18 November, in Wolfsburg 3pm kick-off (UK time). 

Photos from Gino D’Andrea (@_Gino_D)

In the meantime eight of Chelsea’s team: Hannah Blundell, Gilly Flaherty, Claire Rafferty, Laura Coombs , Drew Spence,  Eniola Aluko, Gemma Davison and Fran Kirby, will be on England duty in  China where they will take on Australia’s Matildas and China in  the CFA International Women’s Football Tournament.  Chelsea coach Emma Hayes will be hoping they all return injury free from what is sure to be a wonderful experience.

Tickets for the match against Wolfsburg are now available here.

Photo courtesy of @_Gino_D

The Round of 16 matches will take place on 11/12 November and 18/19 November

FC Twente (NED) v FC Barcelona (ESP)
Brescia (ITA) v Fortuna Hjørring (DEN)
Atlético Madrid (ESP) v Olympique Lyonnais (FRA)
Slavia Praha (CZE) v Zvezda-2005 (RUS)
Chelsea (ENG) v Wolfsburg (GER)
KIF Örebro (SWE) v Paris Saint-Germain (FRA)
Verona (ITA) v Rosengård (SWE)
LSK Kvinner (NOR) v FFC Frankfurt (GER, holders)

Tournament calendar
Round of 16: 11/12 November & 18/19 November
Quarter-final & Semi-final draw: 27 November
Quarter-finals: 23/24 & 30/31 March
Semi-finals: 23/24 & 30 April/1 May
Final (Reggio Emilia): 26 May