FootyQueen Newsletter - June 3

England - WSL

Chelsea coach Sonia Bompastor won the WSL Manager of the Season award in her debut season with the club. The former Lyon coach won the domestic treble, securing the WSL title by winning 19 of the 22 games played. The Blues also beat Manchester City in the Subway Cup final and Manchester United at Wembley in the FA Cup final.

Advanced discussions have taken place between the Women’s Super League and the Professional Footballers’ Association to agree on a funding deal that would enable all players in the top two divisions to join the union for the first time. A deal would allow WSL2 players to receive access to healthcare and medical insurance, among other benefits.

—

Aston Villa forward Rachel Daly has signed a new two-year contract with the club. The former England international has spent the last three seasons with the Villans, scoring 59 goals in 84 appearances in all competitions. Daly retired from international football in 2024 and was part of the England squad that won the Euro 2022 tournament.

Spain - Liga F News

Real Madrid Femenino head coach Alberto Toril will not return for the 2025-26 season. During his time with the club, he guided the team to 112 victories from 158 games. He also helped Las Blancas to their first win over rivals Barcelona this season. The departure would suggest a new era for the club, who were only formed in 2020.

—

Spanish U-20 player Estela Carbonell will depart Levante for a new challenge in Serie A Femminile. An Under-19 European Championship winner will join Juventus for an undisclosed fee, becoming the first Spanish player to play for the Bianconere.

Germany - Frauen-Bundesliga

Livia Peng provides news from the women's Bundesliga. According to rumours, English serial champions Chelsea FC are interested in the Werder Bremen goalkeeper. Although she recently drew attention to herself with an unfortunate mistake in the Swiss goal against France, the 23-year-old is a genuine top goalkeeper. Will she be on the pitch for the Londoners next season? It would undoubtedly be a great career move for the Swiss international.

France - Première Ligue News

Paris Saint-Germain is in talks to sign former Real Madrid defender Olga Carmona. The Athletic reported the Spanish World Cup Winner had informed Real Madrid she would be leaving the club ahead of her contract expiring this summer. The club captain leaves as the all-time leading appearance maker for the club, with 186 appearances and 29 goals scored.

—

German international Jule Brand has signed for the 2024-25 Première Ligue champions OL Lyonnes from the Frauen-Bundesliga side VfL Wolfsburg. The talented winger signed a contract until 2028. The 2022 Golden Girl winner signs on a free transfer.

Paris FC have been busy, as they have signed two players in May. Midfielders Océane Celia Picard and Anaële Le Moguédec signed from Dijon and Stade de Reims, respectively. More good news for the third-best team in France, as key midfielder Daphne Corboz has signed a contract extension until 2027.

United States - NWSL

Players from the American National Women's Soccer League will play in 30 different national teams in the upcoming international season. A total of 108 players have been selected for their home country's squad.

Important international tournaments are scheduled for the summer: The UEFA Women's Euro in Switzerland for European players and the prestigious Copa América Femenina in Ecuador for South American players. However, NWSL players only have a week's international break now - there are still league games until the end of June.

—

Game week 10 of the NWSL was very high-scoring: 27 goals were scored in the six matches played! And some of them were historic. For example, Barbara Banda - last year's league MVP - scored the first hat-trick in Orlando Pride history. The Zambian striker has thus become the top scorer. Esther González also has seven goals, but Banda has more assists.

A league dominance is slowly crystallising: last week, Kansas City Current picked up a significant win against Orlando Pride. This week, they underlined their dominance with a 3-1 victory over the Chicago Red Stars. They are now at the top of the table with 24 points, followed by the San Diego Wave and Orlando Pride, who have four and five points, respectively.

UEFA Nations League - Italy must win against Wales

The Italian women's national team is preparing for the final match of the Nations League group stage - and that is extremely important. The Azzurre must win their match against Wales if they want to remain in League A of the Nations League.

Only a win at the Liberty Stadium would ensure that the team, coached by Andrea Soncin, achieve this goal. A draw could mean that they have to go through the play-outs - that would be a bitter blow so close to the European Championship.

Around the Other Leagues

Scottish legend Rachel Corsie has announced her retirement from football. Starting in her home country, the 35-year-old has played in the United States, Australia, and England. She spent the last three seasons with Aston Villa and also made over 150 appearances for Scotland, with her final game in the UEFA Nations League game against the Netherlands on June 3.

—

Angie and Chris Long, owners of NWSL Kansas City Current, have taken full ownership of the Danish women’s side, HB Køge, separating from the men’s team. The Longs are looking for the club to continue being a dominant force in the Elitedivisionen and to compete in the UCL while doubling the academy's funding.

Quote of the Week

New Girls in the Top Tier

London City Lionesses

The London City Lionesses will compete in the WSL next season, marking the first time they have played in the top division of the women's game. Formally Millwall, they split from Millwall F.C. and became an independent entity in 2019. After a few turbulent years, the club was bought by American businesswoman and soccer fan Michele Kang in December 2023. In the first full season as owner and with significant funding, the Lionesses secured promotion, thanks to a 2-2 draw on the final day of the season against Birmingham City.

With substantial financial backing, London City is likely to remain in the league next season and build to become one of the top teams in the WSL. Owner Kang recently stated that they had built the squad to be a middle-table team before arriving in the top tier, and they hope that this is what they will achieve.

FC Union Berlin

FC Union Berlin has reached a historic milestone with its women's team. After an impressive season in the 2nd women's Bundesliga, the team was directly promoted to the top division.

Now, the 'Iron Ladies' have also landed a transfer coup! Tanja Pawollek, a long-time Eintracht Frankfurt player, is moving to Berlin. The Polish international will undoubtedly play a crucial role in the top flight. The 26-year-old brings a wealth of experience and leadership qualities, which she has gathered as a long-serving captain of Frankfurt.

Other News

CBS secures TV rights UEFA Champions League

CBS Sports has officially acquired the broadcast rights for the UEFA Women's Champions League in the United States. They will broadcast the matches from the 2024/25 season until the 2029/30 season. This enables the broadcaster to maintain and expand its position as the primary platform for top-level football in the USA. All 75 UEFA Women's Champions League matches will be available to stream on the Paramount+ platform. Some selected matches will also be broadcast on the CBS Sports Network and the CBS Sports Golazo Network. Until now, the competition could be watched on DAZN and YouTube.

Congratulations Guro Reiten and her partner

Sweet news! Back in the spring, Guro Reiten won the league title with Chelsea FC for the fifth time. Since joining the team in 2019, she has taken on an important role. But now the 30-year-old Norwegian can also enjoy her private life: Her partner is pregnant! It's the couple's first child. She announced the sweet news on Instagram.