On 27 and 30 August, Šiauliai Central Stadium will host European women's football as Group 5 of the second UEFA Women's Champions League qualifying round brings together four national champions: WFC Lanchkhuti of Georgia, Vorskla Poltava of Ukraine, Farul Constanța of Romania and Lithuania's multiple champions Gintra. Across two intense days, supporters will watch semi-finals, a third-place match and the final, deciding which team keeps its dream of reaching UEFA's elite competition alive. The teams finishing second and third will continue in the inaugural UEFA Women's Europa Cup.
Who are these four teams, each with its own history, traditions and culture, but sharing the ambition to reach the next UEFA round and prove themselves internationally? Let's take a closer look.
Gintra: a 22nd consecutive European campaign
Gintra are the undisputed standard-bearers of Lithuanian women's football and multiple national champions. The club has won Lithuania's top women's division 23 times, including 20 consecutive titles, as well as nine Baltic League trophies. The only Lithuanian club to compete internationally every year, Gintra begin their 22nd successive UEFA campaign this season, placing them among Europe's most experienced teams. The club will host a qualifying tournament in Šiauliai for the third year running.
Experienced British coach Steve Beeks took charge this season. While seeking to introduce a different footballing philosophy, he firmly believes the team can progress. He stresses that this will require unity, confidence, concentration and support from the stands, which could prove an important factor.
The club has attracted players from across the world for many years. Lithuanian players also play an important role, with many representing the senior and youth national teams. Gintra are currently fighting hard in the domestic Women's A League as they pursue their 24th national title.
Farul Constanța: a new women's football force from the Black Sea coast
Farul Constanța are one of Romania's best-known football clubs, with a history dating back to 1920. Based on the Black Sea coast, the club is known for its deep traditions and strong youth development programme. A 2021 merger with legendary Romanian footballer Gheorghe Hagi's academy created one of the country's strongest football structures. Farul combine top-level men's football with one of Europe's most successful youth systems, which has produced numerous Romanian internationals.
A women's team was established alongside the men's side in 2023 and competes in Romania's Superliga Feminină. Young but ambitious, it shares the professionalism and commitment to steady development that have taken Farul to the top of Romanian football. Still a new name internationally, the team's desire to become a major part of Romanian sport and establish itself in UEFA competitions adds further intrigue to the Šiauliai tournament.
Vorskla: Ukraine's new dominant force
Vorskla Poltava's women's team began a new chapter in 2022 and has already become a sensation in Ukrainian football. An emphatic debut victory over the then-powerful Shakhtar Donetsk demonstrated the substance behind its ambitions. In just a few seasons, Vorskla have won three consecutive league titles and three Ukrainian Women's Cups, establishing themselves among the country's strongest teams.
With a squad built mainly around Ukrainian players, Vorskla have also produced solid Champions League performances. Last season, they beat opponents from Latvia and Hungary to reach the second qualifying round, where Scottish champions Celtic ended their European run. The same Glasgow club defeated Gintra in last year's first qualifying round in Šiauliai.
Vorskla face Georgian champions WFC Lanchkhuti in the Šiauliai semi-final and hope to receive support from the local crowd.
WFC Lanchkhuti: the pride of Georgian football
Women's football in the small Black Sea town of Lanchkhuti began in 2008 with the opening of a girls' football school. It grew into WFC Lanchkhuti, one of Georgia's most decorated women's clubs. Since entering the national championship in 2016, the team has won four titles, finished second four times and taken bronze once.
In 2024, Lanchkhuti regained the national title and achieved the highest UEFA ranking in their history. In qualifying, they lost their semi-final to the Albanian champions before defeating Azerbaijan's Neftçi Baku in the third-place match.
Women's football is rapidly gaining popularity in Georgia: domestic standards are rising, clubs feature numerous overseas players and crowds are growing. Can outsiders Lanchkhuti spring a surprise in Šiauliai? We will soon find out.
Šiauliai will become an international women's football stage in the final week of summer. On 27 and 30 August, local supporters will have a rare chance to experience top-level women's football up close. Will the hosts celebrate victory, or will another team advance? The answer will be known on the penultimate day of August, when the final score appears on the stadium scoreboard.
On 27 August, Gintra face Romanian champions FCV Farul Constanța in the qualifying semi-final. The Ukrainian and Georgian champions meet in the other semi-final that day.
The final, deciding the only place in the third round of UEFA Women's Champions League qualifying, will take place on 30 August. Supporters can buy tournament tickets at www.ticketmarket.lt
