Arsenal manager Jonas Eidevall has hit out at the Women’s Super League (WSL) for the “amateurish” scheduling issues that forced the postponement of Chelsea and Manchester United.
The two clubs had been due to meet at Kingsmeadow on Sunday in a marquee clash, but the encounter was called off at short notice due to concerns over player welfare.
The decision, announced a week before the game, came after the London club were scheduled to play their first Champions League group stage fixture against Real Madrid on Tuesday night.
Arsenal and Manchester City joined Sonia Bompastor’s side in reaching the group stages, and are due to play in Europe on Wednesday night. Like Chelsea, they were scheduled to play their weekend WSL fixture on Sunday, resulting in a tight turnaround.
Eidevall believes that these issues were entirely foreseeable, and reflect badly on a competition in its first year under new management.
“It’s not a good situation,” Eidevall said ahead of Arsenal’s home meeting with Everton. “There are 16 teams involved in the Champions League, how many teams are playing on Sunday October 6? We are, that is one. If it was only us, it would be an Arsenal problem – but it’s also Man City.
“The only two teams that are playing are English teams. The only other team scheduled to play was Chelsea. Out of the 16 teams [in Champions League], 13 were scheduled to play on Friday and Saturday but the three English teams on Sunday.
“[It’s the] first time that three [English] teams have reached the group stage. It should be celebrated, but it’s now a problem. It’s very important for the whole league that we are successful in Europe. Now obviously it’s worse for us because of the amateurish behaviour of no plan and taking away the game like Chelsea.”
Scheduling issues are becoming an ever more prevalent theme within women’s football as competitions are introduced or expand.
Chelsea and the new company which now runs the WSL – the Women’s Professional Leagues Limited (WPLL) – had attempted to persuade Uefa to reconsider their scheduling, but failed to do so.
Eidevall also feels that the impact upon a swelling fanbase is too quickly forgotten.
“It’s damaging for the fans, postponed games for supporters,” he added. “This time it doesn’t concern Arsenal, but fans are the backbone to what we are trying to build.
“That is simply unacceptable to have people’s money and time being treated that way. It is simply not good enough. Do the league want English clubs to be successful at European level?
“The actions show differently. It shows it is not their priority. That is negative for English women’s football.”