Barça under Pere Romeu starts the Champions League with ambition

The UEFA Women’s Champions League 2026-27 kicks off this Tuesday and FC Barcelona, the reigning champion under the management of Pere Romeu, is aiming for its fifth crown; tomorrow they will debut against Paris FC at 21:00 on Disney+, after having contested seven of the last eight recent finals and accumulating four titles.

Recent history of Barça

Barcelona has contested seven of the last eight UEFA Women’s Champions League finals in recent years. The club has amassed four championship titles, the most recent achieved in Oslo with a 4-0 victory over OL Lyoness of Michele Kang. Pere Romeu’s Barça wants to win the fifth Champions.

The blaugrana team will debut tomorrow against Paris FC at 21:00 on Disney+. This match marks the start of the 2026-27 season of the UEFA Women’s Champions League, which kicks off this Tuesday. According to journalist Ángel Pérez, Barcelona arrives as the reigning champion and clear dominant of the recent European landscape.

Rivalry and reinforcements

Barcelona has bolstered its squad with Van Asten (from Ajax), Kerolin (from Manchester City), Martina (from Everton) and McCamey (from Dallas). However, they lost Ona Batlle, Salma Paralluelo, Mapi León and Alexia Putellas in the last transfer window. Batlle and Paralluelo will be direct rivals of Barcelona this year, while Alexia and Mapi, signed until 2029 by London City of Michele Kang, could face each other next season if they qualify.

OL Lyoness, coached by Jonatan Giráldez, is shaping up as the main contender for the title alongside Barça. The club has added Salma Paralluelo, as well as featuring players such as Grohs (from Bayern), Rytting Kaneryd (from Chelsea) and Weir (from Real Madrid). These signings aim to sustain the ambition of replicating the success of the victory in Oslo.

Arsenal, champion two seasons ago after beating Barça in Lisbon, has signed former blaugrana Ona Batlle, Stanway (from Bayern), Cerci (from Hoffenheim), Misa (from Real Madrid) and Baum (from Leipzig) this summer. The club aims to cement its position among the Champions favorites. Moreover, the team has reinforcements that could complicate Barça’s title defence.

Chelsea, which lost the final to Barcelona in Gothenburg 2021 by 4-0, has made a strong investment to return to the final after six seasons. The English club finished third in the league last season and was knocked out in the European quarter‑finals. Among its new signings are McCabe (from Arsenal), Malard (from Manchester United), Dragoni (from Barcelona), Reiten (from Gotham) and Matsukubo (from North Carolina).

Player Claudia Pina said: “The last thing this team has to do is put pressure on itself.” Her comment underscores the blaugrana squad’s confidence ahead of the early fixtures.