Having performed so well in the 2022/23 edition of the Women’s Champions League, AS Roma Women will now be getting ready to fight their way to the group stage once again.
They made history by reaching the group stage last season and that set up a remarkable two-legged tie against Barcelona Femeni in which they played in front of a record attendance of 39,454 for an Italian women’s football match and for the first time at the men’s home stadium, the Stadio Olimpico.
Whilst they could not beat the Spanish champions over two legs in the quarter-finals, they had done extremely well just to be there. Now, the journey is set to begin all over again. It will be a slightly shorter journey this time thanks to their first-ever Serie A Femminile title win last season. If Roma make it to the group stage, they will be the only representative as Juventus Women have already been eliminated.
What must AS Roma do to qualify via the Champions Path?
There are seven group stage places on offer in the Champions Path, though as many as 44 teams are competing for those.
In Round 1, 41 teams entered and were split into 11 single-venue mini-tournaments: eight of those having four teams and three with three teams, from each of which only one team advanced to Round 2.
The winners of the finals of those 11 mini-tournaments then advanced to Round 2, to which three teams (AS Roma, Slavia Praha and Rosengard) have direct entry.
In Round 2, there will be 14 teams competing in seven two-legged ties with the winners of each progressing to the Women’s Champions League group stage.
As Serie A Femminile champions, Roma will enter in Round 2, meaning they will have to navigate their way through one two-legged tie to qualify for the group stage of the Women’s Champions League.
In the draw that was made on Friday afternoon, Roma discovered that they will be playing a two-legged tie against Ukrainian side Vorskla. They are currently second in the Ukrainian Women’s Premier League after four games, but it is considered a favourable draw for the Giallorosse. The first leg will be in Italy on October 10 and the second leg will be on October 18. It is not yet clear where that will be played given the ongoing invasion of Ukraine by Russia.
2023/24 Women’s Champions League Calendar: When does the group stage begin?
The full 2023/24 Women’s Champions League fixtures calendar is as follows:
Qualification: Round 1 (Single-venue mini-tournaments)
- Semi-finals: September 6
- Finals/third-place playoffs: September 9
Qualification: Round 2 Draw
- September 15
Qualification: Round 2
- First leg: October 10/11
- Second leg: October 18/19
Group Stage Draw
- October 20
Group Stage
- Matchday 1: November 14/15
- Matchday 2: November 22/23
- Matchday 3: December 13/14
- Matchday 4: December 20/21
- Matchday 5: January 24/25
- Matchday 6: January 30/31
Quarter-final & semi-final draw
- February 6
Quarter-finals
- First leg: March 19/20
- Second leg: March 27/28
Semi-finals
- First leg: April 20/21
- Second leg: April 27/28
Final (San Mames, Bilbao)
- May 24/25/26 (TBC)
