Manager frustrated by qualifiers 
Glasgow City manager, Peter Caulfield, expressed his frustration this week when news from UEFA confirmed the club would have to start 2010/11 Women’s Champions League campaign in the qualifying groups.
With a reduction in the number of Associations entering the competition, to 51 for the coming season, Glasgow City have been left to rue the cost as any other number would have seen the club seeded into the last 32 of the competition which would have been a first for a Scottish club.
The manager commented, ‘It almost seemed certain that with the fantastic performances of the team in this 
tournament over the last few seasons that we would be seeded into the later stages of the draw as we have managed to push Scotland’s ranking up considerably. The news that fewer associations have entered the Women’s Champions League for next season, however, has meant we have missed the opportunity to be seeded by 1 place.
‘A change to the way UEFA calculate club coefficients last season has also hampered us badly and seems grossly unfair as we received only a quarter of a point for failing to come through the qualifying group last year even though we won 2 matches, while the Georgian club, Norchi Dinamoeli, who finished bottom of the qualifying group, having lost heavily in all 3 matches, gained the same quarter point.
‘All clubs seeded into the round of 32 were also awarded with 3 coefficient points automatically. This meant TEN clubs who lost home and away in this round and exited the competition still received 3 ranking points!
‘As a club we have only lost to Bayern Munich in the qualifying groups over the last 2 seasons, while we have recorded 4 victories and 1 draw. For whatever reason, UEFA have decided that wins at this level, even against clubs from the biggest nations in the world, mean next to nothing if you do not qualify from the group.
‘In my view UEFA are fostering inequality in this competition and creating a situation where the clubs from the biggest nations in the world are being protected against the rise of clubs from smaller nations.
‘In recent seasons we have played many of the top seeded clubs in Europe and never been out-classed by any of them and in fact have achieved both wins and draws.
‘In November 2008 we lost 1-0 in the last sixteen of the competition to Zvezda-2005, from Russia, in a game we dominated, only to see them go all the way to the Champions League final, so we are not far off these top clubs.
‘All this said we are left with no choice but to prepare well for the forthcoming qualifying group, at the start of August, and go and win the group no matter who our opponents are.’
The draw for the qualifying groups takes place in Wednesday 23rd June, at 12.00, central European time, and can be followed live on UEFA’s website.
Pictures by Glasgow City Club Photographer Lorraine Hill. If you would like to reproduce these images please contact photos@glasgowcityladiesfc.co.uk
16.06.10
