News
News
She Kicks, issue 58, January 2020 pp.4–6
The first news pages of 2020 are dominated by structural change. UEFA confirms a 16-team Champions League group stage from 2021/22, with three entries for the top six associations; FIFPRO appoints Amanda Vandervort as its first chief women’s football officer; and the FA reports more than 2.63 million women aged 16 and over now playing in England, the World Cup having added over 850,000 committed participants. Megan Rapinoe takes the Ballon d’Or with Lucy Bronze runner-up, and Alex Scott enters the National Football Museum Hall of Fame. Australia’s centralised contracts bring the Matildas level with the men. Closer to home, Glasgow City reach the Champions League quarter-finals after Lee Alexander saves three penalties against Brondby, Hearts win promotion to the SWPL, and Oxford United record a 32-0 cup win.