Lithuanian champions, Šiauliai’s Gintra team, are set to represent the country for the 21st time in the prestigious UEFA Women’s Champions League. On Tuesday, the draw for the 2025/2026 UEFA Women’s Champions League qualifying rounds was held at UEFA headquarters in Switzerland, determining the fate of Europe’s elite women’s clubs.
While earlier today it was revealed that Estonian champions FC Flora and Latvian champions Riga FC Women will face off against each other in the first qualifying round, Lithuania’s most successful club, Gintra, enters the competition directly from the second qualifying round — a testament to their consistently strong performances in previous European campaigns.
This time, Lithuania’s champions were drawn into Group 5 of the second qualifying round. The group promises exciting matchups, with Gintra set to compete against Romania’s champions FCV Farul Constanța, Ukraine’s champions FC Vorskla Poltava, and the winner of Group 6 from the first qualifying round. Group 6 will be contested by the national champions of Kosovo, Georgia, and Northern Ireland, with the group winner to be confirmed on August 3.
In the semi-final of this mini-tournament, scheduled for August 27, Gintra will take on Romania’s FCV Farul. On the same day, Ukraine’s FC Vorskla will face the team advancing from Group 6. The final — which will decide who claims a spot in the UEFA Women’s Champions League group stage — will be played on August 30.
Adding to the excitement, UEFA confirmed that, for the third year in a row, Šiauliai will host the tournament’s second-round mini-tournament from August 27 to 30, giving local fans the chance to support Gintra on home soil.
Should Gintra fall short in the final, their European journey wouldn’t end there. Starting this season, eliminated teams from this stage will move into the newly introduced UEFA Women’s Europa League. The first round of that competition will be played on September 10–11 (first leg) and September 17–18 (second leg), offering a second chance for continental success.
Meanwhile, the draw also revealed that if Riga FC or FC Flora advance from their mini-group—which also includes Greece’s champions AEK Athens and Luxembourg’s champions Racing Luxembourg—they will be placed in a second-round mini-group alongside Albania’s champions Vllaznia, Belarus’ champions Dinamo Minsk, and Hungary’s champions Ferencváros Women, a team that features Estonian national team player Vlada Kubassova.
Source: https://www.sportas.lt/naujiena/522576/paaiskejo-gintros-varzove-moteru-cempionu-lygos-atrankoje
