Wrexham Dream of Barcelona and Real Madrid Ahead of Historic Champions League Adventure

The Red Dragons will make history when they play their first Champions League match next week,

Wrexham Women will play the first Champions League match in the club's history. | X: @WrexhamAFCWomen

“Imagine welcoming Barcelona, Real Madrid, or Arsenal to the Racecourse for a Champions League match.”

It might sound like a far-fetched dream, but those are the ambitions that suddenly feel within reach at Wrexham.

While much of the spotlight has focused on the men’s first team in recent years, the rise of Wrexham Women has been just as significant to the club’s remarkable story.

Last season, the team captured its first-ever Adran Premier title, ending Cardiff City’s three-year reign as Welsh champions and securing a place in the UEFA Women’s Champions League. It was an achievement that Rob Mac and Ryan Reynolds described as the “story of the season” during a campaign in which the men’s team also recorded the highest league finish in the club’s 162-year history.

Thirty-one years after Wrexham’s last European adventure in the old European Cup Winners’ Cup, continental soccer returns to the Racecourse Ground next week when the club hosts FC Pyunik in the opening qualifying round. Wrexham’s previous eight appearances in European competition all came as a result of winning the Welsh Cup. This time, the women have earned their place by becoming league champions.

The Feeling of Playing in Europe

“Like everything we do, we want to make history,” Director of Women’s Football Mark Swales tells Sports Illustrated. “To bring European football back to the stadium is incredibly special. That was important to all of us—to the ownership group, (CEO) Michael (Williamson) and the senior leadership team.

“We wanted the matches at the Racecourse not only because of the competitive advantage of playing at home, but because it reconnects the club with an important part of its history. Bringing European football back to Wrexham means a great deal.”

Wrexham Women will face Armenian champion FC Pyunik in the semifinal of the first qualifying round next Wednesday. The winner will then play either Northern Ireland’s Glentoran or Latvian side Riga in the Group 3 final.

Should Wrexham advance, they would move into Group 7 of the second qualifying round, where Danish champion HB Køge awaits in the semifinal. A victory there would set up a final against either Lithuania’s Gintra or Scotland’s Hearts. Win that, and only a two-legged playoff would stand between Wrexham and the Champions League league phase.

To prepare for the demands of the qualifying tournament, Wrexham spent last week in the Republic of Ireland, playing matches on Wednesday and Saturday to mirror the quick turnaround they will face in Europe.

No Welsh side has won a match in the Women's Champions League since 2019. | Wrexham AFC.

Swales believes the European campaign belongs to the entire club.

“Whether you usually follow the men’s team, the women’s team or simply Wrexham Football Club as a whole, this is an opportunity for everyone,” he says. “We’re representing Wrexham in European competition. It’s a chance to show three other clubs what this football club, this town and these supporters are all about.

“To play at home allows us to fill the Racecourse, create a fantastic atmosphere and give our players the best possible chance of progressing. We were very pleased with the draw because we genuinely believe it gives us an opportunity to achieve something no Welsh women’s club has done before: win a match in European competition.

“Beyond what it means for Wrexham, it’s important for Welsh football as a whole. Every positive result improves the league’s coefficient, which benefits the entire domestic game. Success in Europe isn’t just about one club—it helps raise the profile of the league and creates greater financial opportunities for everyone involved.

“Our ambition for the season hasn’t changed. We want to be the best team in Wales. If we can achieve something special in Europe this year, then the next question becomes, ‘What do we need to do to build on it next season?’”

Wrexham are the only club in the Adran Premier with players on full-time contracts. The club also became the first in Welsh women’s soccer history to pay a transfer fee when it signed Maria Francis-Jones from The New Saints. Earlier this year, Wrexham made more history by becoming the first women’s team in the Welsh leagues—and one of only seven clubs worldwide—to own its own stadium outright after completing the purchase of The Rock.

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No Time to Rest on Laurels

Wrexham Women will play in European competition for the first time. | Kristian Skeie - UEFA

The Red Dragons have continued to strengthen ahead of their maiden European campaign, adding Mikayla Cook, Lucy Farrell and Natasha Thomas this summer. Those signings should make the reigning Welsh champions even stronger as they prepare for the biggest challenge in the club’s history.

“It’s always harder defending something than chasing it,” Swales says. “We’ll continue raising our own standards, but naturally that encourages everybody else to raise theirs as well.

“Every team wants to be the one that beats the champions. We’ve already seen that during this transfer window. The New Saints have recruited extremely well and made some excellent signings. They’re probably the team that immediately stands out as having strengthened significantly.

“Historically, we also know the quality Cardiff and Swansea possess. They’re strengthening their squads as well, and they’ll always be competitive.

“What I learned during my first season in this league is that every team raises its level when it plays Wrexham. Whether it’s an extra 10 or 20 percent, you can feel it. Every opponent wants to be able to say it was the team that beat Wrexham, and that’s something we’ll have to embrace.

“There can be absolutely no complacency. You can’t approach any fixture thinking it’s going to be straightforward because football has a remarkable way of punishing that mindset.”

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The Leader of the Pack

Jenny Sugarman guided Wrexham to their first Adran Premier title last season. | Wrexham AFC Women

The woman tasked with ensuring those standards never slip is head coach Jenny Sugarman. It has been almost a year since she replaced Steve Dale in another statement appointment as Wrexham continued to raise the profile of its women’s program. Sugarman previously served as Head of Academy at Leicester City Women, coached West Bromwich Albion Women, and was assistant manager at Aston Villa Women.

Swales believes she has often been overlooked during her career and says Wrexham is now reaping the rewards.

“We’re extremely fortunate to have her,” he says. “In some ways, I’m just grateful other clubs didn’t recognize what she was capable of earlier because Wrexham is now benefiting from everything she brings.

“For a long time, Jen was probably overlooked because she didn’t fit the traditional image some people still have of what a first-team manager should look like. Once you spend time around her, you quickly understand why she’s been so successful.

“She’s a people-first leader. Interestingly, she’s quite similar to Phil Parkinson in that respect. Everything she does is for the benefit of the players, the staff and the wider club. Supporters might see both of them in interviews or documentaries, but what people don’t always appreciate is the work they do behind the scenes.

“They both invest huge amounts of time understanding people, supporting individuals and helping everyone become the best version of themselves. On top of that, Jen’s work ethic is exceptional.

“Her tactical understanding of the game, alongside Becks (assistant manager Rebecca Sawiuk), is outstanding. Whether it’s how they want the team to play, how they build a squad or how they analyze strengths and weaknesses, they’re incredibly thorough.”

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Making Dreams Become a Reality

Wrexham’s title-winning season becomes even more impressive when you consider that Sugarman inherited just one player under contract when she arrived last summer. She evaluated the existing squad and effectively built a championship-winning team from scratch.

Those ambitions accelerated following Swales’ arrival in October, and by Christmas there was a growing belief that the club’s momentum could carry them to a first league title. That dream became reality in March when Wrexham came from behind to defeat defending champion Cardiff City 4–1 at the Racecourse Ground and clinch the Adran Premier crown.

“From day one, the owners have consistently said that the women’s team is just as important as the men’s team,” Swales says. “Having worked in football for many years, I know you can’t simply duplicate everything across both sides. The men’s and women’s games are at different stages of development and have different needs.

Wrexham Women captain Jodie Bartle lifts the league trophy. | Wrexham AFC Women

“Many clubs talk about their ambitions for women’s football. I haven’t been anywhere that demonstrates that commitment in quite the same way as Wrexham. You genuinely believe that Michael, the ownership group and everyone involved want the very best for every single person within the women’s program.”

Swales may not seek the spotlight, but he has played a central role in Wrexham’s rapid rise. While the responsibilities of a Director of Women’s Football vary from club to club, he says his role centers on four pillars: creating a high-performance culture, building a professional environment tailored to the women’s team, growing women’s and girls’ soccer and strengthening the club’s connection to the local community.

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The Long-Term Vision That Will Take Time

Looking ahead, the ambitions are straightforward—even if achieving them will be anything but.

“I’ll leave Jen to continue driving standards and performances on the pitch,” Swales added. “My focus is on building everything around the team. Although we’ve made huge progress, we’re still a relatively small department.

“One of our biggest priorities is strengthening the infrastructure that supports the players. The academy is another major focus. Over the next 18 months, I expect we’ll see significant growth. From the beginning, we’ve talked about creating a genuine pathway for young girls in North Wales. We want to produce more players like Lili and Ana Jones.

“We want every young player to believe there’s a genuine opportunity to earn a place in Wrexham’s first team if they’re good enough. That’s a major project, and it won’t happen overnight, but we’re fully committed to it. Alongside that, we’ll continue improving The Rock, investing in facilities, and creating an environment that supports elite performance.

• Tickets for the UEFA Women’s Champions League first qualifying round are now on sale.

“Long term, full-time professionalism remains the ambition. That won’t happen with one giant leap. It takes time. It’s not just about having full-time players. You also need full-time coaches, medical staff, analysts, sports scientists and all the infrastructure that supports an elite environment.

“But the ambition remains the same: we want to become the best team in Wales. We want to compete consistently in the Champions League. And who knows? Imagine welcoming Barcelona, Real Madrid, or Arsenal to the Racecourse for a Champions League match. That would be an incredible occasion—not just for the club, but for the town, our supporters and everyone who has been part of this journey.

“That’s what we’re building toward. It’s an ambitious vision, but if there’s one thing this football club has shown over the past few years, it’s that ambitious goals can become reality when everyone pulls together.”

If Wrexham can overcome FC Pyunik next week, those dreams of welcoming Europe’s elite to the Racecourse may not seem so far-fetched after all.

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