▁ ▁During ▁the ▁ 2 0 1 3 ▁campaign ▁saw ▁a ▁trans itional ▁year ▁where ▁many ▁star ▁names ▁left ▁the ▁football ▁club ▁due ▁to ▁B irmingham ' s ▁in ability ▁to ▁comp ete ▁finan cially ▁with ▁the ▁big ▁clubs . ▁However , ▁by ▁successfully ▁transition ing ▁the ▁team ▁with ▁the ▁introduction ▁of ▁the ▁young sters , ▁the ▁average ▁age ▁of ▁the ▁team ▁dropped ▁from ▁ 2 7 ▁to ▁ 2 1 ▁and ▁a ▁foundation ▁was ▁built ▁that ▁still ▁maintained ▁them ▁as ▁one ▁of ▁the ▁most ▁compet itive ▁teams ▁in ▁the ▁league . ▁Still ▁compet ing ▁the ▁UEFA ▁Champions ▁League ▁in ▁ 2 0 1 3 / 1 4 ▁season ▁B irmingham ▁qualified ▁for ▁the ▁Qu arter ▁Final s ▁for ▁the ▁first ▁time ▁in ▁their ▁history . ▁ ▁In ▁the ▁spring ▁of ▁ 2 0 1 4 ▁B irmingham ▁beat ▁Ar sen al ▁ 3 - 0 ▁on ▁aggregate ▁to ▁progress ▁to ▁the ▁Sem i ▁Final s ▁of ▁the ▁Champions ▁League ▁and ▁faced ▁Swedish ▁side ▁Ty reso ▁which ▁contained ▁many ▁of ▁the ▁women ' s ▁games ▁star ▁players , ▁such ▁as ▁Mart a . ▁It ▁was ▁a ▁unique ▁achiev ement ▁for ▁a ▁semi ▁professional ▁side ▁comple ting ▁with ▁full - time ▁clubs , ▁with ▁far ▁superior ▁bud gets ▁in ▁the ▁biggest ▁club ▁competition . ▁B irmingham ▁came ▁within ▁ 2 0 ▁minutes ▁of ▁continu ing ▁the ▁remarkable ▁run ▁by ▁almost ▁reaching ▁the ▁final , ▁before ▁falling ▁short ▁in ▁the ▁final ▁stages ▁of ▁the ▁game . ▁ ▁B irmingham ▁continued ▁this ▁extraordinary ▁run ▁in ▁the