Emma Hayes Chelsea Women WSL title 2022-23Getty

Shots fired! Chelsea boss Emma Hayes says it's 'ignorant and arrogant' for WSL clubs to expect easier Champions League qualification after comments from Man Utd boss Marc Skinner

  • Skinner asks for easier qualification
  • Hayes calls comments 'ignorant'
  • Chelsea earned direct qualification

WHAT HAPPENED? After having been knocked out of the UWCL by Paris Saint-Germain in the qualifying stages, Skinner made comments about Women's Super League teams deserving better and easier qualification to the group stages. Hayes, however, wasn't having any of it and claimed that the comments were very "ignorant" towards the quality of other leagues in the world.

WHAT THEY SAID: "I think that’s ignorant and arrogant all at once for us to say that," said Hayes [via Sky Sports]. "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."

THE BIGGER PICTURE: Hayes' Chelsea were one of only four teams that did not have to play in the qualifying including Barcelona, Lyon and Bayern Munich. The current format pits teams that finished second and third in the top four leagues with the champions in the other leagues.

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IN A PHOTO:

Emma Hayes 2023Getty

WHAT NEXT? Hayes' Blues will take on Brighton on Sunday, October 22 as they look to win their third game of the season.

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