Fixture congestion concerns Arsenal boss Eidevall

Jonas Eidevall is unhappy with the level of care shown by UEFA and the Women’s Super League when it comes to the fixture schedule.

Arsenal beat Rosenborg 1-0 on Saturday to seal their place in the second round of qualifying for the Women’s Champions League.

They will face either Juventus, BK Hacken, Paris FC, Fiorentina or Sporting CP in a two-legged tie.

Those matches will take place on either 18-19 September and 25-26 September, which means Arsenal will play five matches in the space of two-and-a-half weeks when factoring in the start of the WSL campaign.

From next season, English clubs will avoid the mini-league qualifying format as UEFA introduces a new structure, and Eidevall, whose team also played on Wednesday, believes the current guise is damaging to player welfare.

The finish from @FMaanum

Highlights are now available to watch, Gooners

— Arsenal Women (@ArsenalWFC) September 7, 2024

“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, it is a relic from the past,” said Eidevall.

“This is just done from a budget perspective. That’s why they cram it in on Saturdays, to save another hotel night [by playing on a Sunday].

“All research around the world shows there’s a massive difference between 72 hours and 96 hours recovery after a game. That part, I just can’t get my head around.

“That’s just science. WSL has zero concerns about it, UEFA has zero concerns about it. It impacts injury risk. It’s the same in the men’s game.

“It’s just that science is one thing and broadcasting money is another thing.

“You always need to get on with things. It’s not an excuse, it’s just scientific.”

Arsenal kick-off their WSL season against Manchester City on September 22.