Chelsea defender Lucy Bronze interview: "The Women's Champions League is the competition I hold closest to my heart"
Wednesday, April 1, 2026
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Chelsea's Lucy Bronze speaks to UEFA about bringing her experience of winning the Women's Champions League with OL Lyonnes and Barcelona to Chelsea, as the Blues chase their first European title.
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"I moved countries twice to win the Women's Champions League so, for me, it’s always meant so much to me to be part of the competition," Chelsea's Lucy Bronze tells UEFA, as she attempts to lift the trophy for a sixth time with a third different club.
The English right-back has already achieved significant success in Europe, winning the Women's Champions League in all three of her seasons with OL Lyonnes and twice with Barcelona before moving to Stamford Bridge in 2024.
Chelsea have never won Europe's elite women's club competition, and the Blues will need to overturn a two-goal first-leg deficit against Arsenal on Wednesday to progress to a fourth consecutive semi-final.
Bronze's side came from behind in similar circumstances against Manchester City at this stage of last season's competition, and the defender confidently stated at full time of last week's 3-1 defeat to the Gunners: "We know we can overturn this result."
Speaking to UEFA before the quarter-finals commenced, Bronze reflected on what winning this season's title would mean to Chelsea: "For the club’s journey, it would be huge.
"It's the one piece of silverware that's just evaded the club; making the final, being so close in the semi-finals and beating top teams in the Champions League but not actually quite making it over the line.
"I turn up every day and you see the list of trophies, whether it’s the league, the cups — what Chelsea have won in recent history is insane.
"The Champions League plays a huge part in the history of the men’s side as well, so it would be nice to finally get our hands on it."
Bronze's got her first taste of European football when she reached the quarter-finals with Everton back in 2010, and went on to become the first defender to be named UEFA Women's Player of the Year in 2018/19 and the only player to win consecutive Women's Champions League titles at more than one club.
"I’ve had quite a journey in the Champions League, playing for different teams. Even from my first Champions League game for Everton to all the teams I’ve played for, even abroad, it’s been amazing to be a small part of the history of the Women’s Champions League.
"I’m quite fortunate to be able to draw on so many experiences of winning it, but also playing in teams where having belief makes a difference.
"The team that you’re playing against will have world-class players, but doing what you do well means the other team is just as scared of you as perhaps some of the other players might be of them.
"Having that belief is something that resonates with all the teams who have been successful in the Champions League. It’s not always the team that performs the best throughout the season that comes out on top, whether that’s in the final or previous phases, it’s just about sticking together and believing that you can do it."
Last season, Chelsea won a domestic treble and completed their Women's Super League season unbeaten, but lost 8-2 on aggregate to Barcelona in the last four in Europe.
"Off the back of last season’s Champions League, we’ve learned a lot and matured a lot. The group as a whole is relatively young, but I think bringing in myself, Keira Walsh, Ellie Carpenter — players who have been successful in the Champions League not just once but numerous times — that adds to the experience."
Under the new league phase format introduced this season, Chelsea faced six different opponents rather than three teams twice each in a group, which Bronze felt benefitted Chelsea.
She cited Chelsea's 1-1 draw with Barcelona at Stamford Bridge and 2-1 win away to Wolfsburg, which secured a quarter-final spot for the Blues, as two of their toughest but most exciting games this campaign.
"It brought out the best in the team, whether that was the quality on the pitch or the competitiveness. I think in those two games, you saw a side of Chelsea that, faced with any opposition, we can come out and give a good game."
Bronze's hunger to achieve success in Europe took her to France and Spain, but now the two-time Women's EURO winner hopes to lift the trophy with a club from her home nation.
"It’s a competition that I watched from afar for many years and watched so many superstars lift the trophy; I think back to Wendie Renard, someone who I played with, but watching her lift the trophy so many times was just inspirational to me.
"I think it’s the competition I hold closest to my heart, I always have done, and every team that I go to, I find the Champions League is always the one thing that remains the same, no matter what team I've played for in Europe."
* This interview was conducted on 12 March
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