Europe's most prestigious competition returns this Tuesday. 19 players who came through the Sud Ladies Cup will compete in the Champions League this season.
The 2023/24 Women's Champions League kicks off this Tuesday! As every year, sixteen teams divided into four groups of four will battle it out for Europe's top cup. Can Barcelona retain their title? Which clubs can topple the Catalans? Among the favourites and outsiders are 19 players who have played in the Sud Ladies Cup.
With six representatives, Olympique Lyonnais is the club with the most former SLC players. Féérine Belhadj, Alice Sombath, Kysha Sylla, Selma Bacha, Louna Belhout-Achi and Vicki Becho are among them. The Rhone-based club will be able to call on a host of assets in a group that is anything but easy, as the Lyon players will be up against Wolfsburg, Galatasaray and Roma.
Oriane Jean-François and Sandy Baltimore, who joined Chelsea in the summer transfer window, will be making their Champions League debut with their new club. The two young Frenchwomen, who played in the Sud Ladies Cup, have not inherited an easy group, where they will face Celtic, Real Madrid and Twente.
No fewer than seven former SLC participants can be found at Real Madrid and Twente. At Los Merengues, there are three, all French, including Maëlle Lakrar, who arrived in the Spanish capital this summer from Montpellier. For Twente, there are four, all Dutch and all present when the Dutch national team took part in 2022.
The 19 players who came through the Sud Ladies Cup and will be competing in the 2024/2025 Champions League
Bayern Munich : Klara Bühl
Chelsea : Oriane Jean-François, Sandy Baltimore
Hammarby : Suzu Amano
Lyon : Féérine Belhadj, Alice Sombath, Kysha Sylla, Selma Bacha, Louna Belhout-Achi, Vicki Becho
Real Madrid : Mylène Chavas, Maëlle Lakrar, Naomie Feller
Twente : Kim Everaerts, Liz Rijsbergenn, Nikée Van Dijk, Charlotte Hulst
Wolfsburg : Sarai Linder, Janina Minge