True believers Barcelona and Lyon changes ignite hope in challengers

Last season's semi-finalists allhave new managers but hopefuls such as Arsenal and City still face an uphill task

- Suzanne Wrack

The time is ripe to challenge the established order. Change is afoot among the top teams in the Women's Champions League, which gets under way tonight with the first round of qualifying. For any club with ambitions of toppling the stalwarts Lyon and Barcelona, who have won 11 titles (eight and three respectively), this could be the season to do it.

The task is still huge, the mountain maintains its nausea-inducing height but, with different guides leading those teams, their routes to the top may not be quite as straightforward.

Lyon and Barcelona have had managerial changes this summer, with Joe Montemurro taking over from Sonia Bompastor in France and Jonatan Giráldez leaving the Catalan capital after being recruited by Michele Kang for Washington Spirit and being replaced by his assistant Pere Romeu. Last season's other semi-finalists have also changed managers, with Bompastor replacing Emma Hayes at Chelsea and Fabrice Abriel taking over at Paris Saint-Germain after the departure of Jocelyn Prêcheur to the Kang-owned London City Lionesses.