Three weeks today, on Friday 30 June, Cardiff City will find out their opponents for round one of the 2023/24 UEFA Women’s Champions League in the draw in Nyon, Switzerland.
Following their Genero Adran Premier title-winning campaign, in which they remained unbeaten throughout the league season, the Bluebirds will compete in Europe’s most elite club competition for the first time in a decade.
Round one of the UEFA Women’s Champions League follows the format of a mini-tournament where clubs are drawn into groups of three or four based on seeding, which is decided by UEFA club coefficient. Cardiff City will be unseeded.
Clubs compete in a semi-final and then either the final or third-place play-off, with only the winner of the final progressing to a two-legged tie in round two. All games are played in the home country of one of the clubs in the group.
This year, the semi-finals will be played on Wednesday 6 September, before the finals and third-place play-offs on Saturday 9 September.
Speaking at last month’s FAW National League Awards, Bluebirds boss Iain Darbyshire said: “Growing up, you watch the Champions League and it is so exciting. I really can’t wait to go out for the draw and see where we go.
“We are going to give it everything we have got. We have got a really good pre-season schedule planned which should prepare us as best as we can for the Champions League and then it’s just about the draw!”