a Manchester derby at the Etihad, while
Stamford Bridge hosts Chelsea against
newly promoted Tottenham Hotspur, who
have signed winger Gemma Davison.
Reigning Women’s Super League
champions Arsenal have signed three
players from Bayern Munich – Jill Roord,
Manuela Zinsberger and Leonie Maier- and brought Jen Beattie back from
Manchester City. However, Dutch
defender Dominique Bloodworth has
swapped one title holder for another
and joined Wolfsburg.
AUG 16 Germany (champions: Wolfsburg)
AUG 23 Holland (champions: Twente)
AUG 24 France (champions: Lyon)
SEPT 7 England (champions: Arsenal)
SEPT 8 Spain (champions: Atletico Madrid)
SEPT 14 Italy (champions: Juventus)
SEPT 15 Portugal (champions: Braga)League start dates
WINNER ELLIS QUITS
Jill Ellis has decided to bow out at the
top, stepping away from coaching the
USA team after leading them to a
second successive World Cup triumph.
Many had expected the 53-year-old
to stay on for the 2020 Tokyo Olympic
Games in order to rectify the team’s
2016 failure, but Ellis says she will quit
what she called the “rollercoaster”in
October, at the conclusion of the
Americans’ five-match Victory Tour.
Ellis will stay with US Soccer for
a year as an “ambassador”.SUNDHAGE TAKES OVER
AS COACH OF BRAZIL
In a major coup that appears to
signal belated serious support for the
women’s game, Brazil appointed Pia
Sundhage as coach.
The 59-year-old, who won 2008
and 2012 Olympic gold with the USA,
and silver with her native Sweden in
2016, will target Tokyo 2020 before
embarking on overhauling an ageing
side. Her two-year deal has an option
to extend to the 2023 World Cup.FRAPPART MAKES HISTORY
Stephanie Frappart, the French referee
who officiated in the Women’s World
Cup Final, became the first female to
control a major European men’s match
when she took charge of the UEFA
Super Cup between Liverpool and
Chelsea in Turkey.
Compatriot Manuela Nicolosi and
Ireland’s Michelle O’Neill ran the lines.BELL RINGS OFF
Colin Bell – the only English manager
to have won the men’s or women’s
Champions League when steering
Frankfurt to the 2015 Women’s UCL- left Ireland to become assistant
head coach at men’s Championship
club Huddersfield Town.
SAMPSON RETURNS
Mark Sampson, who led England to
the semi-finals of World Cup 2015
and Euro 2017 before being deposed,
is back in football, as first-team coach
at men’s League Two side Stevenage.
The Welshman was sacked following
allegations of inappropriate behaviour
in a previous coaching role, although
the FA later settled an unfair-dismissal
case out of court.US ROW RUMBLES ON
The NWSL attracted large crowds in
the wake of the US World Cup triumph
and an extended sponsorship deal with
Nike, but their pay dispute with US
Soccer continues.
An open letter by new US Soccer
president Carlos Cordeiro quoting
selective financial statistics inflamed
rather than calmed matters.Title hopes...
Dominique
Bloodworth
Back...Mark
SampsonGoing...Jill EllisSuper Cup role...
Stephanie Frappart