Back in 2001/02, the semi-finalists in the first ever UEFA Women's Cup were Frankfurt, HJK Helsinki, Toulouse and Swedish side Umea.
Fast forward 17 years to this season, and the presence in the last four of the Champions League of Bayern Munich, Barcelona, Chelsea and Lyon is testament to the growing influence of Europe's biggest clubs on the women's game.
In those early days in the last decade, Arsenal were the pioneers among the giants of the men's game when it came to launching a successful women's team. They were European champions in 2007, in an ecosystem dominated by clubs dedicated entirely to women's football.
However, since the competition was re-launched as the Champions League in 2009, matching the prestigious equivalent in the men's game, all of the top English clubs got on board with the idea of having a women's team.
Meanwhile, it is Lyon who are now the giants on the women's scene, with five Champions League crowns this decade -- including the last three -- and a total of seven appearances in the final in the last nine seasons.
- Progress -
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- 'The right move' -
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"What is for sure is that you can see how it is on the rise, and that is great for women."
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