European women’s champion Arsenal to use 60,000-seat stadium for all domestic league home games

LONDON (AP) — Women’s Champions League winner Arsenal pledged on Tuesday to use the club’s 60,000-seat main stadium for all home games in the domestic league next season.

Arsenal played nine of 11 home games in the Women’s Super League at Emirates Stadium this season, with almost 57,000 fans watching a 5-0 win over Tottenham. The other two games were at nearby Borehamwood which can hold about 4,000 fans.

“Found a place where we belong,” Arsenal said in a social media post.

The two extra domestic league games at the Emirates will be balanced by fewer games there in the opening stages of the Champions League, which have attracted fewer than 10,000 fans.

Arsenal finished runner-up to Chelsea in the English league before beating heavily favored Barcelona to become champion of Europe.

The home game against Chelsea drew more than 45,000 fans, and more than 46,000 came to the season-ending game against Manchester United.

Arsenal said in a statement it will use Borehamwood in the opening phase of the Champions League, which switches to an 18-team single standings league next season, then return to north London for the knockout rounds. Domestic cup games also will stay at the smaller venue.

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