‘I have too much respect for teams across Europe to talk negatively about them’, says Emma Hayes

EMMA HAYES believes it is arrogant to suggest Europe’s best teams are not reaching the Women’s Champions League group stages. 

However the Chelsea boss believes the qualifying route needs to be looked at in terms of a possible group phase expansion and Europa league. 

Hayes was sharing her thoughts amid recent debate concerning the qualifying process to enter the tournament’s group stage. 

Her comments’ follow remarks made by Manchester United boss Marc Skinner after his side were knocked out in round two of the qualifying phase by Paris Saint-Germain. 

On Wednesday after the game, the Red Devils chief said it was “crazy” his team had to face PSG in the qualifiers. 

He also talked of wanting to see “the best teams in the Champions League” group stage rather than a “spread of average” sides. 

However the Man United later apologised for” any offence taken” in response to his comment while calling for “a broader scale of teams” in the competition.

Skinner said: “It’s easy to twist words, but if there was any offence taken then I am sorry for that. 

“My comment was much more about the breadth and quality.

“I believe now that there is a need for more teams to be in this competition and then we will see who is average and who is not. 

“We might have been average in the group stage, we don’t know that? But we played a good team (in PSG).”

In terms of English clubs in this season’s contest only the current WSL title-holders (Chelsea) were guaranteed automatic entry to the group stage. 

Meanwhile United who finished second last season and Arsenal who finished third had to compete in qualifiers prior to this phase.  

Hayes said: “I don’t want to talk disrespectfully about any team in Europe, particularly knowing that we are a team that have lost to many teams in early rounds in our infancy as much as going out of a group stage two years ago. 

“I have way too much respect for the competition and teams across Europe to talk negatively about any of them.

“I think that’s ignorant and arrogant all at once. 

“Roma and Benfica are two teams who won their leagues.

“They deserve perhaps to go straight into a group competition. 

“But this isn’t about my opinion, this is what the format is and we have to play that.

“However, do we need to look at that? Absolutely we need to.

“Do we need to look at that in line with the growth of the women’s game to say, ‘well, actually, there’s a lot more investment across many leagues?

“And perhaps (whether) we should consider a format that’s similar to that of the men’s competition, where it’s group stages from the off but maybe larger?

“But also we have to look at the smaller nations – they deserve the opportunity and the right to be in it as much as any English team does.”

The Blues, who face Brighton at home in the WSL on Sunday, were among 16 teams involved in Friday’s group stage draw for the contest

They have been drawn in Group D alongside Real Madrid, BK Hacken and giant killers Paris FC who knocked out Arsenal and this year’s finalists Wolfsburg. 

Following the Gunners and United’s exits, Hayes side are the only English team left in this season’s tournament. 

The Blues gaffer added:  “We’ve been in the Champions League a long time to know that this is a really tough competition and we’ve got a lot to prepare for.

“Everybody is a good team so we respect all the opponents that we might face and we know Real Madrid is a top team.

“(BK) Hacken is a top team performing really well and Paris FC have deservedly progressed into the group stage. 

“It (the contest) needs simplifying, it needs expanding. It needs a Europa League conversation. It needs all of those things.”