Clubs learn Women's Cup fate

Quintet through
Holders Arsenal are one of five top seeds given a bye to the second qualifying round, meaning they, 2007 runners-up Umeå IK, the Swedish champions' fellow two-time winners 1. FFC Frankfurt plus last season's beaten semi-finalists Brøndby IF and Kolbotn IL will not come into the tournament until October. The other eleven places in that stage will be filled by the ten teams that win their first qualifying round groups from 9 to 13 August plus the best runners-up.

First stage
Among the record entry of 45 clubs are Everton, making their European debut as English runners-up behind Arsenal, and they will be in first qualifying round Group A1 to play against Lithuanian hosts Gintra Universitetas, Switzerland's FFC Zuchwil 05 and Glentoran Belfast United of Northern Ireland. A pair of former quarter-finalists are represented in the opening round; AC Sparta Praha up against mini-tournament hosts Maccabi Holon FC of Israel, Romania's CFF Clujana and AEK Kokkinochovion of Cyprus, while Valur Reykjavík meet Dutch champions ADO Den Haag, Finland's FC Honka and home side Klaksvíkar Ítróttarfelag of the Faroe Islands. Two nations are represented for the first time; Georgia's Dinamo Tbilisi have the tough task of topping Russian title-holders WFC Rossiyanka on their home territory while Maltese champions Birkirkara FC take on Spain's Athletic Club BFKEB and Italy's ASD CF Bardolino Verona in a group hosted by Slovenia's ŽNK KRKA Novo Mesto.

Knockout phase
The top two teams from each second qualifying round group progresses to the two-legged quarter-finals in November, with the route to the subsequent rounds in spring pre-ordained. If the groups go with seeding, Frankfurt would be rematched with the team that ended their grip on the trophy at the last-eight stage in 2006/07, Kolbotn. Meanwhile, if both Arsenal and Umeå win their groups, they would be on course for the same semi-final.