Marc Skinner says "strange" Champions League schedule could harm WSL crowds
Marc Skinner has criticised the scheduling of the UEFA Women's Champions League semi-final after Arsenal reached the last four.
The Man Utd manager will see his team's fixture with Arsenal, originally set for April 22, moved due to the Gunners' continued participation in Europe's premier club competition. It means a new date will have to be found for the title showdown between the two teams.
Arsenal beat Bayern Munich 2-0 on Wednesday night to book their spot in the semi-finals and Chelsea could join them should they beat Lyon in tonight [Thursday]'s quarter-final second leg. And Skinner was particularly critical of the potential impact on supporters.
"I'm sure there's space for it to be put somewhere else," Skinner said. "I'm hopeful our fans will still come as they travel ridiculous amounts and are ever-present.
"The reality is we have to do all we can to get fans through the door as we know how important they are to us. We have the whole season to adapt and evolve. Now we're adapting our league schedule when it does affect the fans.
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"If we want our league to be an exciting run-in and we want consistency, then I do find it strange. I'm sure Arsenal will do as well. They do have a mid-week game away so it should be looked at."
Manchester United Marc Skinner has led his team to the top of the WSL table with only two months to play (Getty Images)Whilst the UEFA men's Champions League is entirely a midweek competition until the final, the women's version is only played on midweek nights until the quarter-final stage. United's WSL return fixture with Arsenal could be pivotal to the outcome of the title race.
Skinner's side currently top the table on 38 points, with Arsenal fourth but only three points behind on 35. Speaking ahead of United's game against relegation-threatened Brighton on Saturday, Skinner confirmed that his contract had been extended through to the end of next season.
"I have an option in my contract that has been taken up, so it’s already set for next year," he added. "We are looking at having conversations of a potential new contract but we’ve got too much to focus on right now.
"We’re here to help the players and the club achieve and I’m really happy with the progression we’ve made. You can see our full style and I think we’re still only at 50 per cent of where I want us to be in the next few years."
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