Vllaznia and Apolonia have learned their opponents for the upcoming UEFA Women’s Champions League campaign following the draw held at UEFA headquarters in Nyon, Switzerland.
Albanian champions Vllaznia will compete in Mini-Tournament 6 of the second qualifying round. The Shkodra-based side has been drawn against the winner of Mini-Tournament 5 from the first round, which features Estonia’s Flora, Slovakia’s Spartak Myjava, and Malta’s Mġarr United.
The other semi-final in Mini-Tournament 6 will see Cyprus champions Apollon Ladies face the winner of Mini-Tournament 4, where Poland’s Czarni Sosnowiec, Ireland’s Athlone Town, Georgia’s WFC Nike, and North Macedonia’s Skopje 2014 will battle for a place in the next stage.
Meanwhile, Apolonia faces a difficult challenge in Mini-Tournament 2. The Albanian side has been paired with Swedish powerhouse Hammarby in the semi-finals, one of the most respected and successful women’s football clubs in Europe.
The mini-tournament semi-finals are scheduled to take place on August 5, while the finals will be played on August 8. Only the winners of each mini-tournament will secure qualification to the next phase of the UEFA Women’s Champions League.
For Albanian women’s football, the participation of both Vllaznia and Apolonia in Europe’s most prestigious club competition represents another important milestone. In recent years, Albanian clubs have continued to make progress on the international stage, and this season offers a new opportunity to showcase the growth, ambition, and increasing competitiveness of women’s football in the country.
With challenging opponents ahead, both clubs will be aiming to make their mark in Europe and continue raising the profile of Albanian women’s football beyond the national borders.