Conti-Cup Drama, Rapinoe Sends a Message, Euro 2025 Qualifiers and Real Madrid Kit Drop

It’s been a busy week in women’s football. The Champions League semi-final draw was made, City took top spot in the WSL, and the Conti Cup final was decided in extra time. All this was topped off with a dose of Hayes v Eidevall drama and strongly worded criticism of US player Korbin Albert from legend Megan Rapino. Let’s get into it…

• Goals of the week

• Conti Cup drama: Hayes vs Eidevall

• Champions League semi-final draw

• Rapinoe sends a strong message

• Willie Kirk gets sacked

• The road to Euro 2025 begins

ROUND-UP

Watch our favourite goals from the WSL this weekend:

Man City did some solid work for their goal difference, banging in 4 past Liverpool to win 4-1. Bunny Shaw has to get a mention for this strike from outside the box, and Taylor Hinds scored this pretty sweet late consolation goal.

Man United came from behind to beat Everton 4-1. They scored three goals in eight minutes, with Ella Toone scoring twice. Toone slotted this one in after a little link-up play with Naalsund. They move up to fourth place, six points behind Arsenal - it doesn’t look good for United’s Champions League hopes.

But that’s where the 4-1 scorelines ended. West Ham vs Brighton finished 0-0, and Aston Villa drew against Leicester 2-2. Jordan Nobbs and Rachel Daly combined to equalise for Villa after a dominant Leicester performance. 

Man City ended the weekend in top spot, going three points clear of Chelsea (who have a game in hand). At the other end of the table, it’s not looking great for Bristol City. They do have a game in hand, but they’re now seven points adrift from 11th-placed West Ham. Unless something dramatic happens, we’re not holding out too much hope of them staying up.

CHAMPIONS LEAGUE

On to the Semi-Final

This week has been so football-packed that last week's Champions League games feel like a distant memory. The midweek matches ended with no major upsets, all four semi-finalists easing past their quarter-final opponents with aggregate scores ranging from 4-1 to 6-2.

You can catch up on the best goals from the second leg of the quarter-finals here. Look out for some classic Bonmati. And then we have Delphine Cascarino, who features twice for Lyon, with a beautiful finish from distance. Korbin Albert’s goal for PSG might have been an attempt to make up for her off-the-pitch controversy this week, but we couldn’t possibly comment. Read more about that below.

Chelsea has arguably the hardest route to the final, as they take on Barcelona in the semi-finals, while Paris-Saint Germain will face Olympique Lyonnais. The first leg of the semi-finals is scheduled for 20 April. Matches will be shown on DAZN.

CONTINENTAL CUP FINAL

Arsenal defend their title for a 7th Conti Cup win

Where do we begin? This match was pure drama on and off the pitch. We had a record Conti Cup crowd of 21,462, an early Ramirez goal disallowed for handball, a run-in between Erin Cuthbert and Jonas Eidevall, all topped off by a late Arsenal winner in extra-time, and some fresh Emma Hayes drama after the final whistle. 

We must start by sending our best wishes to Frida Maanum, who collapsed on the pitch while it remained 0-0. Reports are that she’s doing well and is in stable condition.

Maanum’s departure galvanised the Arsenal team as they looked for an extra-time winner to avoid penalties. It came in the 116th minute with a Blackstenius strike.

Clash of the Titans: Hayes X Eidevall

What happened: The two managers have had numerous disagreements in the past. The latest clash came after the final whistle, as Eidevall went to shake Hayes’ hand, and she appeared to push him away. An earlier incident in the game where Erin Cuthbert and Eidevall had a verbal confrontation over a throw-in allegedly provoked Hayes’ reaction.

She said: "I think there's a way to behave on the side of the pitch and not for the first time. I've been in women's football a long time, and I don't think we should tolerate male aggression like we did today. Fronting up or squaring up to a player is something that's unacceptable. I've never been booked in 12 years of my career, but I think there's a way to behave on the touchline. He received a yellow card but perhaps should have been more."

He said: "My word on what was happening would be that before the game we had a discussion between the clubs about whether to use one ball or multi-ball system. In this situation, Arsenal said multi-ball, Chelsea said one ball. The decision was to play the final on a one-ball system. The ball goes out of play, the Chelsea player wants a new ball to take a quick throw-in and I said 'we play with only one ball and you guys were the ones who decided that'.

"Obviously it drives all kinds of emotions in there, nothing more, nothing less. I can't see that I did anything, had any form of contact with anyone - either a player or a coach. That was it. To be honest, I can't really take it seriously [being called an 'aggressor']."

What next? We'll have to wait and see if any retrospective action is taken against Hayes for her conduct. Either way, Chelsea's quadruple hopes are over.

KIT DROP

Y-3 x Real Madrid

Y-3 and Real Madrid have unveiled a collaborative Matchwear collection, blending fashion with football. Featuring a purple 4th kit designed with HEAT.RDY technology and inspired by a signature rose motif, the range includes goalkeeper kits, pre-match gear, and fanwear items, reflecting the club's heritage and Y-3's fashion-forward aesthetic. Alongside the collection, Adidas will release a special edition Predator boot and Goalkeeper gloves.

OFF THE PITCH

USWNT and PSG midfielder Korbin Albert under fire for anti-LGBT+ social posts

Context: Korbin Albert was called out this week for liking and sharing homophobic and anti-trans tweets on her social media accounts. Albert posted a sermon on TikTok which covered topics such as how being gay and ‘feeling transgender’ is wrong. She also liked an Instagram post which mocked Megan Rapinoe. It said, ‘God taking time off performing miracles to make sure Megan Rapinoe sprains her ankle in her final ever game’. 

What Rapinoe said: “For people who want to hide behind ‘my beliefs,’ I would just ask one question, are you making any type of space safer, more inclusive, more whole, any semblance of better, bringing the best out of anyone. Because if you aren’t, all you believe in is hate. And kids are literally killing themselves because of this hate. Wake TF up! “Yours truly, #15.

“For all my trans homies enduring this horrific treatment day in and day out, I see you and hear you and I am WITH YOU.”

Albert’s apology: “I’m really disappointed in myself and am deeply sorry for the hurt that I have caused to my teammates, other players, fans, friends and anyone who was offended,” she wrote. “I truly believe that everyone should feel safe and respected everywhere and on all playing fields. I know my actions have not lived up to that and for that I sincerely apologize. It’s an honor and a privilege to play this sport on the world stage and I promise to do better.”

The reaction: Current and retired players such as Sam Mewis, Lynn Williams, Becky Sauerbrunn, and Kristie Mewis reposted Rapinoe's message. Some fans have labelled Albert’s subsequent apology insincere and disappointing. Comments point out that it feels generic and does not clearly outline what she will do differently in future.

What next? Albert is fairly new to the USWNT, featuring in Rapinoe’s old #15 shirt during the Gold Cup. She’s been named as part of the squad for the upcoming SheBelieves Cup on 6 April. It's not clear whether her off-field conduct will compromise her future selection.

Willie Kirk dismissed after an internal investigation into an alleged coach-player relationship

Willie Kirk was fired by Leicester this week following their investigation into allegations of a relationship with a player. A new code of conduct was brought in at the start of the season as part of Leicester's commitment to professionalising the women’s game, it looks to establish a performance-led culture among staff and players. 

In a statement, the club said, “Following an extensive internal disciplinary process and respecting the club’s obligations to individual privacy, Willie was determined to have breached the team’s code of conduct to a degree that makes his position untenable.”

Assistant manager Jennifer Foster and first-team coach Stephen Kirby are taking charge while a new manager is appointed.

NEWS | HOME & AWAY

Portland Big Bucks: There’s been a lot of money flying around in the NWSL in the off-season. Sophia Smith was the latest to sign a new deal, extending her current Portland Thorns contract for another season to make her the highest-paid player in the league. 

April Football: It's a busy month for Women's football. The schedule includes the start of Euro 2025 qualifiers, the SheBlieves Cup, and CAF Olympic qualifying countries to be confirmed. There are also Olympic warm-up matches and U20s and U17 tournaments going on.

Rachel Kundananji became the first Zambian player to score in the NWSL after smashing home an equalising goal in the 93rd minute for Houston Dash. Houston went on to get their first win of the season with a last-minute goal from Solaun. If you missed our profile on Kundananji, you can read it here.

Growing the women's game: On Tuesday, the Football Association and NewCo will brief the UK government on strategies to expand women's football following Karen Carney's comprehensive review last year. The meeting, led by Culture Secretary Lucy Frazer, will assess progress on implementing Carney's 10 recommendations for enhancing the women's game, including professionalising leagues, increasing diversity, and investing in grassroots. The government has committed £30 million for new facilities, underlining its dedication to evolving women's football and sports equity.

WEEK AHEAD - WHAT WE'RE WATCHING

We're heading into the International break with the UEFA Women's European Qualifiers beginning on Friday, 5 April.

Fri 5 April 17:00 - Serbia vs Scotland19:00 - Northern Ireland vs Malta19:15 - Wales vs Croatia20:00 - England vs Sweden20:10 - France vs Rep. of Ireland

Tues 9 April14:00 - Kosovo vs Wales15:30 - Bosnia & Herzegovina vs Northern Ireland19:30 - Rep. of Ireland vs England19:35 - Scotland vs Slovakia

We’re a small start-up team that wants to grow women’s football. So please spread the word, forward this to someone who’d like it, and drop us an email. Tell us what you like, what sucks, or what we’re missing. 

Jo

P.S. Thanks to everyone who completed our short survey - it’s not too late; the link is in the email above.

Access all of our web content FREE

You can access member-only content and manage your account preferences directly on our site. You don't need a password—just 

pop your email in here

, and we'll send a login link to you. We'll be adding more member-only content in the coming months, and we'd love to hear your feedback.