Arsenal boss Jonas Eidevall slams Women's Champions League qualification tournament as a 'relic from the past' after Gunners edge past Rosenborg to reach next stage

Since 2021, qualification to the Women's Champions League for non-domestic league champion clubs from Spain, France, Germany and England has always been a hectic schedule with a total of 59 teams from 50 different associations having to go through a mini-tournament for 12 spots in the Women's Champions League group stage. Arsenal passed through Round One of the qualifiers with a win over Rosenberg, however, Eidevall is not a fan of the process.

The quality of games in this mini-tournament of qualifiers has always been very uneven and also a major mismatch for top clubs, who have to contend with a number of games to make it to the group stage of the precious tournament. Starting next season, the tournament will move to a more common process of election of clubs in the group stage similar to the old format of the men's Champions League.

Speaking to the media, Eidevall was asked about the psychological importance of the win to which he said: "Massively important, we knew this was a really big test, two competitive games that the turnaround time is so short, it’s such a short turnaround time.

"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 of recovery after a game.

"That part I just can’t get my head around. 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."

Arsenal still have not qualified for the Women's Champions League group stage as they will have to play another round of fixtures before knowing their fate in regard to the European competition.