Text: Erkki Miinala
Photos: Jessica Toigo
A Historic Women’s Champions League Tournament Took Place th 7– 9th November in Germany’s Capital, Berlin.
This was the sixth time the Women’s Champions League was organised, and the first time it was held as a fully independent tournament — in previous years the competition was part of the Champions League Final Stage. The tournament also became historic in the sense that for the first time it featured 10 club teams from seven different countries.
Please find all the results and stats of the tournament here
The teams were divided into two groups of five. After the group stage, the Top 2 teams from each group advanced to the semifinals and medal matches. The teams placing 3rd–5th continued to play placement matches.
GROUP A – BATTLE OF Powerhouses and Debutants Became Extremely Competitive
Group A featured the Swedish side FIFH Malmö, who had reached the Champions League final in each of the previous four seasons and won the title in 2022. Adding Northern European strength to the group was another very successful club from Finland, Old Power, a four-time medallist including gold in 2023. The third medal-winning club in Group A was RGC Hansa, while reigning French champions GC Golden Flash and the traditional Dutch club USV Hercules both made their Women’s Champions League debuts.
FIFH Malmö showed their ability to stay calm under pressure, as they were truly tested in every group-stage match. Led by the all-time top scorer in the Women’s Champions League, Anja Christensen, the team managed to turn matches in their favour and top the group with four wins, including a 5–4 victory over GC Golden Flash and a 4–3 win against Old Power.
RGC Hansa played two excellent matches on the opening day, first defeating GC Golden Flash 4–1 and later winning a crucial match 3–2 against Old Power. Their semifinal spot was secured after they battled back from a multiple-goal deficit to draw 5–5 with USV Hercules. They also started well against FIFH Malmö, but their game collapsed in the second half, resulting in a seven-goal loss.
Old Power started the tournament in a chaotic fashion against debutants USV Hercules. The score was 4–4 at halftime, but in the early second half Hercules completely lost control, allowing Old Power to run away with a clear 14–8 win. However, two bitter one-goal defeats against RGC Hansa and FIFH Malmö pushed this team — which had reached the semifinals and medal games at every previous Women’s Champions League — into the placement rounds. They ended the group stage with a strong 5–1 win over GC Golden Flash.
GC Golden Flash struggled with scoring, netting only 10 goals in four matches. Combined with defensive issues, they finished 4th in the group. Their only win came against fellow debutants Hercules, 5–4. Hercules did not leave empty-handed either, earning a point in a 5–5 draw with RGC Hansa. They were close to more points as they played excellent first halves even against strong favourites, but could not always sustain the level to the final whistle. One of the biggest surprises of the group stage was Femke Van den Born — formerly of CSAVH Lyon — scoring a remarkable 20 goals in four matches.
GROUP B – Two Teams Above the Rest
Group B included several familiar teams from earlier seasons: defending champions and tournament hosts Füchse Berlin, the French club CSAVH Lyon, and Greek side Kleio Thessaloniki. The newcomers were the league’s first Turkish club — talent-packed Kahramanmaraş, featuring many major championship medallists — and the traditional Finnish club Näpäjä, established 26 years ago.
Kahramanmaraş showed formidable strength in the group stage, winning all four matches with a dominant 35–9 (+26) goal difference. Only Füchse Berlin managed to truly challenge them, but even the hosts fell 7–5. Double Paralympic and world champion Fatma Gül Güler fired home an impressive 18 goals.
Füchse Berlin’s star player, Amanda Dennis — returning from maternity leave — was in even stronger scoring form, tallying 20 goals in four matches. The hosts were convincing in their first three matches and gave an admirable effort even against the powerhouse Kahramanmaraş.
Näpäjä finished third in the group. Their defense struggled against the top sides, but their offense — led by Sweden’s Rebekah Krebs and Finnish star Raisa Kuusela — was strong enough to secure victories over CSAVH Lyon and Kleio Thessaloniki. Kleio, who finished last a year ago, secured a 3–0 victory over CSAVH Lyon, which pushed the French side — 4th in 2022 and 2023 — into the 9th-place match.
Füchse Berlin Defend Their Title Behind Amanda Dennis’ Brilliance
In the first semifinal, Füchse Berlin faced FIFH Malmö. The experienced Nordic countries squad challenged the hosts, but Amanda Dennis’ three goals proved decisive as Berlin advanced with a 3–1 win.
In the second semifinal, RGC Hansa stayed close to the heavily-favoured Kahramanmaraş until early in the second half (1–2), but the Turkish team’s offensive power eventually broke through, sending them to the final with a 6–2 victory.
The bronze-medal match was a thrilling battle. FIFH Malmö took a quick 2–0 lead with two goals from Finland’s Iida Kauppila, but RGC Hansa fought back to the delight of their large supporter group. Christensen seemed to have sealed the win with a 3–2 goal, but Celeste Troost equalised in the final minute, forcing overtime. With no goals in the 6-minutes over time , an extra throw competition was needed. Malmö’s experience shone through, as Christensen, Kauppila, and Hazel Gezen all converted, while Hansa failed to score — giving Malmö their fifth consecutive medal in the Women’s Champions League. Christensen and Gezen are now the only players in league history to have medaled in all six seasons.
The final started perfectly for hosts Füchse Berlin with two brilliant goals from Amanda Dennis. Their rock-solid defense held strong, resulting in a 2–0 halftime lead. Kahramanmaraş struck early in the second half through Fatma Gül Güler, and the Turkish side increased their attacking risk. The decisive goal came from a penalty throw, Dennis again scoring past Reyhan Yilmaz. Kali Holder finished off a stellar performance by securing the 4–1 final result. Amanda Dennis — Berlin’s defensive cornerstone and offensive architect — was deservedly named the tournament’s MVP, while wings Kali Holder and Qendresa Maliqi were also outstanding, particularly in defense.
Plenty of Drama in the Placement Matches
The 9th–10th placement match was contested by USV Hercules and CSAVH Lyon. Lyon’s defense fell apart completely, and Hercules took full advantage in a 15–7 win. Femke Van den Born scored seven goals, making her the tournament’s top scorer with 27 — one ahead of Amanda Dennis’ 26 — despite playing one match fewer.
The first placement matches for positions 5–8 were dramatic thrillers. Old Power vs. Kleio Thessaloniki ended 1–1 after regulation and overtime. The first four pairs in the extra throw competition produced no goals, leading to sudden death. In the eighth pair, Kleio’s Andrianna Samoili scored with precision and then saved Siara Sicher’s shot, sending the Greeks to the 5th-place match.
GC Golden Flash were close to a win against Näpäjä, leading late into the match. But Kuusela pulled Näpäjä level 3–3 with two and a half minutes remaining — and then struck again with just four seconds left to complete the comeback.
Golden Flash then met Old Power for 7th place. The French side took a 2–0 lead through Lois Rondepierre, but Susanna Halme and Krista Leppänen levelled before halftime. The second half was a tight defensive battle, but in the final minute, Old Power veteran Leppänen shocked Golden Flash twice, delivering a sweet victory and 7th place.
Kleio Thessaloniki seemed drained after their dramatic first placement match, holding Näpäjä to just one goal in the first half. However, Näpäjä pulled away in the second half for a 4–0 win. Krebs and Kuusela both finished the tournament with 15 goals. Despite scoring only six goals in six matches — the lowest by far — Kleio’s 6th place is a small miracle.
Final Standings
Füchse Berlin
Kahramanmaraş
FIFH Malmö
RGC Hansa
Näpäjä
Kleio Thessaloniki
Old Power
GC Golden Flash
USV Hercules
CSAVH Lyon
Top 5 Scorers
Cupid in Flight
48” x 48” Giclee print on archival paper.
Photo of the Top Scorer Femke Van den Born
- Femke Van den Born / USV Hercules / 27
- Amanda Dennis / Füchse Berlin / 26
- Fatma Gül Güler / Kahramanmaras / 21
- Anja Christensen / FIFH Malmo / 19
- Krista Leppänen / Old Power / 17
Women’s Champions League Returns to Germany Next Year
Next year’s Women’s Champions League will take place 20th – 23rd August in Rostock, Germany. Team registration will open at the start of 2026. The Top 3 teams will qualify for the 2027 Clubs World Cup.