Eidevall believes it will help Arsenal to prepare for the Champions League
Arsenal Women’s boss Jonas Eidevall has revealed plans for his team to face-off against the men’s under 16s team in a bid to help them to prepare for the Champions League.
The Gunners finished second in the Women’s Super League after they were beaten to the title by Chelsea on the final day of the season – with the Blues finishing one point clear of their London rivals.
Arsenal are preparing for the Champions League next season
Despite failing to lift the title, Arsenal secured their place in the women’s Champions League for next season and Eidevall believes that by playing against the men’s under-16 team, it will help them to cope with the physicality and tougher demands of European football.
“We have to have a good cooperation with our boys’ academy to involve them in practices and internal games, so we can play against something more physical and faster than we will ever play against in the Champions League, in order to set the benchmark,” Eidevall told The Athletic.
“That’s an astonishing opportunity that most football teams around the world would give everything in order to do; to see if we can make our training harder than the games.
“That means if we’re successful in training, then we will for sure be successful in games as well. We’ll have a little bit more time and it will be a little bit easier.”
The Swede then added that he will speak to former Gunners defender Per Mertesacker, who is currently in charge of the Arsenal boys’ teams, about the possibility of arranging fixtures against the women’s side.
He said: “That’s more something to speak to Per Mertesacker (Arsenal boys’ academy manager) with. Under-15 or 16 is usually a good age group where the physicality hasn’t grown so much on all the players.
“They are a little faster than our players but it’s not impossible to play against.”
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