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Arsenal’s women’s head coach Jonas Eidevall has said he aims to win the Champions League while at the club, and that the challenge was fundamental in his decision to join Swedish club Rosengard.
Arsenal return to the top of the table on Wednesday after missing six of the last seven seasons. They will face the Kazakh team of Okzhetpes in the semi-final of a mini play-off tournament organized in Moscow; the winners face PSV Eindhoven or Lokomotiv Moscow on Saturday for a place in the second round of qualifying, which fuels a revamped group stage.
Eidevall, who will oversee his first competitive game since taking office in June, believes Champions League football is an integral part of his ambitions and those of the club.
“It’s very important,” he says. “I think that’s what attracts people to the club in a way, to compete for the biggest trophy that exists at the highest level. This is one of the reasons I came to Arsenal: I want to see if we can win the Champions League with this club.
“I also think it’s a very exciting time for the Champions League, having a group stage for the first time. I think it will have a very positive impact on this tournament, so of course we would like to be historic and be a part of it for the very first time; get that international experience and compete with the best, which I’m pretty confident we can do.
Arsenal were quarter-finalists in 2019-20, their only appearance since 2013-14, and Eidevall were unwilling to set limits on what might be realistic expectations for this season’s performance. “I don’t care what is realistic or not, I care if there is a chance to do it,” he said.
“Nobody would say that we don’t stand a chance against an opponent in the Champions League. It won’t be easy, but we will have a chance against any team in the world and we will do our best to take that chance in no time. ‘any match.
Arsenal are expected to beat Okzhetpes, whose direct style Eidevall has identified, but they face selection issues. Jordan Nobbs remains out with the pre-season ankle injury against Chelsea, while Lia Wälti is also out and Leah Williamson has been forced to stay due to a family issue. Williamson is the only player of Arsenal’s nine Olympic representatives not to visit Russia.
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