Sonia Bompastor has criticised the refereeing from UEFA after the Chelsea head coach was sent off for protesting an egregious decision against her team.
On the night Chelsea emerged 1-0 victors thanks to a late Sjoeke Nüsken goal but it was Arsenal who would progress to the semi final winning the tie 3-2 on aggregate.
Sonia Bompastor spoke to the media after defeat to Arsenal in the quarter finals of the UEFA Women’s Champions League and The Halfway Line was there to hear from her.
‘It’s tough at a human level’ says Sonia Bompastor
Chelsea spurned a number of excellent opportunities to score with massive opportunities going beginning especially in the first half. It was a vastly improved performance on last week despite ending in defeat,
“It’s tough at the human level,” Bompastor said. “I think it’s tough. I think when you analyse the performance tonight, I think we were in control of the game.
“We had a good performance. I think defensively, we corrected the issues we had in the first leg. I don’t think Arsenal created a lot, except at the end of the game but we were pushing hard to try to score, and we left so many more spaces on the pitch, we were in control of the game with the ball as well.
“I think we created a lot. First half, we could have scored three goals. We had big chances. First half, second half. The reality is like we couldn’t score more than one, and that’s why we are not qualified for the semi final.”
Bompastor says she was ’emotional’ due to ‘clear’ refereeing error
Late in the match, with Chelsea chasing a goal that would take the tie into extra time Katie McCabe pulled Alyssa Thompson’s hair back as the Chelsea forward sped toward goal with McCabe out of position. The referee did not give even a free kick and VAR did not intervene.
Sonia Bompastor’s emphatic protestations saw her dismissed by the referee with seconds remaining. Bompastor was asked about the incident and why it drew the reaction it had from the Chelsea head coach,
“I’m more calm now,” Bompastor clarified before continuing. “You need to understand in the moment, yeah I was emotional because I think it’s clear for everyone, and I think everyone could see the video I had.
“One of my players was pulled by her hair and I can probably understand the referee sometimes can’t see that. I don’t understand, and it’s not been the first time now, it was one week ago: why the VAR is not checking that situation? Why are they not going back to that, just checking and having a clear call on that?
“Because I think the impact on my player, Alyssa Thompson, of course, she was emotional when you are playing football and someone pulls your hair.”
“I just think it’s not good enough. And at the end, again, I’m the one who gets a red card, where I think the Arsenal player should be the one who gets a red card.
“What is the VAR doing in these games? If we have the VAR, why are we not checking these situations? I don’t understand, and it’s not good enough.
“I think you need to understand we lost the game the first leg, and we didn’t score enough today in the game, that’s why we are not qualified. But I think tonight, like we are speaking too much about the referees, and it’s been the case last week.”
It was explained to Bompastor by Kit Shepherd of The Times that Katie McCabe had, since full time, stated that she did not intend to pull Thompson’s hair. Bompastor responded,
“Have you seen the video? So for you, like, did she try to grab the shirt or the hair?” Bompastor asked rhetorically. “I think the intention is clear. For me, she tried to grab the hair. And I think for that reason it’s clearly a red card, so I can’t comment more on that than what is the reality. I think for me, like, yeah, the intention is clearly to pull her hair.”
