The 2022/2023 Women's Champions League season kicks off with the draw scheduled for tomorrow, June 24 (start time - 14.00 Kyiv time). Kharkiv's "Zhitlobud-2" will learn its semifinal opponent and potential final round rivals in the first round (which takes place on one of the mini-tournament participants' field) according to its ranking status, which qualifies it as a seeded team.

Tournament Format

Group Stage 

Sixteen teams will be divided into four groups, where they will play each other once at home and once away from October to December. The winners of the top two spots in each group will advance to the quarterfinals. This stage will begin in March 2023. Quarterfinals and semifinals will consist of two matches each, while the final will be a single match held in Eindhoven.

Qualification

Four teams will receive direct entry into the group stage, while the winners of twelve remaining qualifying spots will be determined through qualification rounds within the Champions Path (7 places) and the League Path (5 places).

Qualification in both paths will proceed similarly. In the first round, teams will compete in mini-tournaments, with the winners advancing further.

In the second round, teams will be paired off and play each other once at home and once away.

Number of Teams

The list of participants is based on the UEFA women's club ranking as of the end of the 2020/2021 season. Ukraine ranks 22nd in this ranking.

Top six associations (France, Germany, England, Spain, Sweden, Czech Republic) will enter three teams each.

The next ten associations (Denmark, Netherlands, Kazakhstan, Italy, Iceland, Norway, Scotland, Switzerland, Belarus, Austria) will send two teams each.

Other associations will be represented by one participant. Ukraine's representative in the Champions League is "Zhitlobud-2", which finished first in the autumn part of the Ukrainian championship. 

Start of the Tournament

The reigning champion, "Lyon," and champions from three associations (Germany, England, Spain) will immediately enter the group stage.

Champions from other associations will enter the Champions Path qualification. Champions of associations ranked fifth to seventh in the ranking (Sweden, Czech Republic, Denmark) will start with the second round, while others, including "Zhitlobud-2," will begin with the first round.

Vice-champions from the six strongest associations (France, Germany, England, Spain, Sweden, Czech Republic) will start in the second round of the League Path.

Third-place finishers from these six associations and second-place winners from the next ten associations (Denmark, Netherlands, Kazakhstan, Italy, Iceland, Norway, Scotland, Switzerland, Belarus, Austria) will enter the first round of the League Path.

Schedule for the 2022/2023 Women's Champions League

First Round (mini-tournaments)

Draw - June 24 (14.00).

Semifinals: August 18.

Final, third-place match: August 21.

Second Round

Draw - September 1 (14.00).

First matches: September 20/21.

Return matches: September 28/29.

Group Stage

Draw - October 3 (14.00).

Round 1: October 19/20.

Round 2: October 26/27.

Round 3: November 23/24.

Round 4: December 7/8.

Round 5: December 15/16.

Round 6: December 21/22.

Quarterfinals

Draw - January 20, 2023 (14.00).

First matches: March 21/22, 2023.

Return matches: March 29/30, 2023.

Semifinals

Draw - January 20, 2023 (14.00).

First matches: April 22/23, 2023.

Return matches: April 29/30, 2023.

Final (PSV Stadium, Eindhoven)

June 3/4, 2023.