Chelsea duo relishing 'more open' UWCL

Millie Bright and Sam Kerr hail 'freedom' of new format as Blues look to retain European crown

Chelsea duo Millie Bright and Sam Kerr are relishing the 'more open' nature of the new Women's Champions League format as the Blues look to retain their European crown.

The competition has been revamped this season, with the group stage replaced by a 16-team knockout round. This means that every game is a knockout tie, with no second chances.

Bright and Kerr believe that the new format will make the competition more exciting and unpredictable.

Bright said:

'I think it's going to be more open. There's going to be more teams in the knockout stages, so it's going to be more competitive. I think it's going to be really exciting for the fans.'

Kerr added:

'I think it's going to be a lot more exciting. It's going to be more like the men's Champions League, where every game is a knockout game. I think it's going to be really good for the development of the women's game.'

Chelsea are one of the favorites to win the competition this season. They have a strong squad, which includes several players who have won the Champions League before.

The Blues will be looking to make a strong start to their campaign when they face Paris Saint-Germain in their opening game on Thursday.

Kerr said:

'We're really excited to get started. We've been working hard in pre-season and we're ready to go. We know that PSG are a good team, but we're confident that we can beat them.'

Chelsea will be hoping to win the Champions League for the third time in four seasons. They won the competition in 2021 and 2022, and they were runners-up in 2020.

Bright said: 'We're going to take it one game at a time. We know that it's going to be tough, but we're confident that we can do it.'

Conclusion

Chelsea are one of the favorites to win the Women's Champions League this season. They have a strong squad, and they are relishing the 'more open' nature of the new format. The Blues will be looking to make a strong start to their campaign when they face Paris Saint-Germain in their opening game on Thursday.