Why Wuhan's Asian WCL triumph is much more than a moment of glitter
And it wasn't just Lisbon that played host to these virtues this past weekend as a new dawn for women's football arose in Asia. The final of the inaugural AFC Women's Champions League took place in China with host club, Wuhan Jiangda, edging out Melbourne City after a nerve-racking penalty shootout following a tight, and often physical, 120 minutes of playing time with the score tied at 1-1.
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The Wuhan manager, Chang Weiwei, could not have been prouder, lauding his side's efforts after the game: 'I have to thank the whole team for believing in the coaching staff and for emerging victories after a difficult journey,' the 47-year-old said.
In the opposing dugout Michael Matricciani was magnanimous in defeat: 'We love football for exactly these moments, sometimes it goes your way and sometimes it doesn't,' he said. 'I think we played extremely well for 120 minutes, especially towards the end.'
The decisive save from the Wuhan goalkeeper Chen Chen sparked joyous celebrations as the hosts, who enjoyed home advantage thanks to the AFC's decision to select their stadium as the venue for the semi-finals and final, took to the podium to lift the trophy against a backdrop of confetti and jubilant faces.
The triumph, however, is much more than just a moment of glamour and glitter because the occasion signals a new and promising era for the women's game in Asia.
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As continental champions Wuhan's participation in next year's Women's Champions Cup is now confirmed. They are also expected to be assigned one of three AFC berths for the inaugural Women's Club World Cup in 2028 that was announced by the global governing body this year. Until now, cross-confederation competitions have been in all too short supply with teams having little means of testing their strength against clubs of vastly different football cultures. Fifa's efforts to enhance global interconnectivity will surely go some way in bridging this gap.
The prize money offered by the Asian Football Confederation for the Asian Women's Champions League is equally significant. An eye-watering $1.3m (£960,000) was awarded to the winners, Wuhan, with each group-stage participant receiving $100,000. Incremental amounts are added to the team's total purse as they progress through the competition until elimination.
This is at a similar level to the $1.36m Arsenal received for winning the European Champions League, so the ambition Asia's governing body has for its shiny new women's club football competition is clear.
Putting this into further perspective, Japan's WE League awarded its champions, Tokyo Verdy Beleza, $140,000 this season. In the Champions League this amount would be surpassed once a team secures group-stage qualification to go into the quarter-finals with the eventual winners taking home nearly 10 times that of the champions of one of Asia's top leagues.
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However, it remains to be seen how these funds are used as it is discretional. The notion is that it is to aid the development and sustainability of women's football at local level, but there is seemingly no framework in place to ensure the trickle-down effect runs its course.
As a spectacle the event went some way in serving as a showcase tournament for women's club football in Asia. A record crowd of 18,715 attended the final with 4,977 out for the host club's semi against Ho Chi Minh City. The non-centralised quarter-finals also saw 3,243 fans turn out at the Kumagaya Athletic Stadium, just north of Tokyo, as Urawa Reds Ladies also fell victim to Wuhan's penalty kick prowess. Naturally the numbers are not as impressive at the start of the tournament but overall they do stack up respectably when compared with other continental competitions.
Meanwhile, the present reality of women's football on the Asian continent must be viewed with a balanced lens. The majority of domestic competitions fall into the category of what many would class as 'developing leagues' with issues such as player welfare and commercial viability paling in comparison to the top leagues of Europe and North America.
The latest Fifa women's football benchmarking report finds that benefits such as financial compensation and pregnancy support are little to nonexistent while commercial items such as match broadcasting and the offering of season tickets take an equally primitive form. All this is to say that this competition should be considered a first, but notably progressive, step on a long road towards greater things.
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But for now the AFC's efforts are to be commended. The commitment shown, both financial and otherwise, appear to be of a chicken-before-egg nature as it makes the necessary investments to enable a prosperous and sustainable future.
Gunners' glory in Lisbon
Arsenal beat Barcelona 1-0 in the European Champions League final, collecting their first European silverware since 2007. Here is the match report from Suzanne Wrack. Jonathan Liew wrote about how the unexpected triumph will redefine how Arsenal see themselves. The Arsenal head coach, Renée Slegers, talked of her pride at the team's performance, while Tom Garry gave only one player on the pitch a rating of nine out of 10 – but who was it?
The Arsenal celebration party included a Jess Glynne concert and a passionate speech by Josh Kroenke, among other things. It has been a rollercoaster season for Chloe Kelly; before Christmas she was struggling to get playing time at Manchester City, but now she's ended the season as a European champion. And here's how the Gunners continued the party back in north London.
Quote of the day
There's something extra special about Champions League football, we're here with Asia's best and we're looking forward to giving it our best. To have this tournament is not only important to showcase the best of women's football in Asia, but also to inspire the next generation of boys and girls to play the game' – Melbourne City's captain, Rebekah Stott, highlights the importance of Champions League football for the wider game.
Talking points
Earps quits international football: The England goalkeeper Mary Earps has announced her retirement from the international game with immediate effect. Earps broke the news on Tuesday morning. 'I've spent a long time making this decision and it's not one I've made lightly,' she said. 'For me, ultimately this is the right time for me to step aside and give the younger generation an opportunity to thrive. Winning the Euros in 2022 was the best day of my life, and I'm rooting for the girls to do it again this summer.'
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A first for Suárez: Japan's domestic leagues have proven to be notoriously difficult for overseas talent to establish themselves in but the Spanish forward Carlota Suárez has broken the mould by becoming the WE League's top scorer – the first foreigner to achieve that feat – this season with 13 goals for INAC Kobe, hinting at a shift in the country's football landscape.
Gotham success: In a weekend of continental club football firsts the NWSL side Gotham FC defeated UANL Tigres 1-0 in front of a 17,264 crowd in Monterrey, Mexico. Esther González's follow-up rebound after a botched penalty effort secured the 1-0 win for the American side.
Howat the hero: Kirsty Howat scored twice as Rangers beat Glasgow City 3-0 in the Scottish Cup final on Sunday. Mia McAulay was also on target as Glasgow finished the game with 10 players, Samantha van Diemen having been sent off late on. The win completed a cup double for Rangers this season.
Recommended viewing
This season's WE League MVP, Yuzuki Yamamoto, played an instrumental role in the 3-0 win against JEF United Chiba Ladies that sealed the title for Tokyo Verdy Beleza, scoring twice from outside the box. The wide attacker is renowned for her long-range efforts and the big leagues are sure to be watching with a keen eye.
Recommended listening
The latest Women's Football Weekly podcast will be out later on Tuesday. You'll be able to find it here or wherever you get your pods.
Still want more?
The Scotland captain, Rachel Corsie, has revealed she has battled through chronic pain to ensure she could end her career with the dream scenario of playing for her country. The 35-year-old will retire after the forthcoming Nations League matches against Austria and the Netherlands.
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The France coach, Laurent Bonadei, has taken the brave decision to drop the captain Wendie Renard, the vice-captain Eugénie Le Sommer and the experienced midfielder Kenza Dali for the upcoming Nations League games. It is hard seeing them return for the Euros now.
And the Guardian exclusively revealed that Disney+ is to enter the women's football market after winning the Champions League rights for the four next seasons.
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