Chelsea head coach Sonia Bompastre says the women’s game needs more respect in terms of officiating after a VAR decision went against her side in the Women’s Champions League quarter-final first leg.
Near the end of the first half, the goal was ruled out by the referee after Fehr Bulman was adjudged to have fouled at the back post after Laia Codina went down.
VAR checked the call and it appeared to be a very soft call, but the call on the field remained the same. Chelsea were trailing 0-2 at this point, but it was a crucial moment in the game and could have given the Blues momentum for the second half.
This is not the first time Chelsea have been stymied by vague VAR decisions in this season’s Champions League, most recently drawing the ire of the Blues manager.
“It’s really frustrating. It’s always harder to complain to the referee when you lose a match, but to be honest, it’s not enough,” Bonpastor said.
“We seriously need to find a solution, because when you play in the quarter-finals of the Champions League, you need to respect the women’s game more and you need to respect the players more, because they work hard every week to perform well on the pitch.
“The first goal was a goal. Even when you look at VAR, you can’t see that that goal shouldn’t have been conceded. It’s disappointing to be honest, so that’s what it is. There’s nothing we can control about that and now we have to focus on the next game.”
Chelsea lost 1-3 to Arsenal in the Champions League quarter-final first leg.
Asked what a fourth official said when asked about the decision, Bompastre said: “Nothing, it’s always the same.”
“When you go to them and ask them to review the situation and make sure they made the right decision, they always just say, ‘We’re checking,’ but they made the wrong decision and nothing has changed.
“When humans make mistakes, it’s a bit understandable, but with VAR it’s really difficult and it’s not the first time this season in the Champions League.
“When we played against Barcelona, we scored a goal together with (Catalina) Macario, but I don’t think that goal was offside. If we had won the game at that moment, it would have been different, so things have changed a lot. So I think they need to be better.”
Bompastre said that although he supports VAR, which is not yet available in the WSL, something needs to be done to improve the current standards of officiating in matches.
The return trip will take place at Stamford Bridge on Wednesday 1 April
“I think this is a good thing and we need to introduce VAR in the women’s game as well. Maybe it’s just to make sure we have the right people looking at the situation and making the right decisions at the moment.”
“Soccer is physical and there are duels in the game, but after looking into it, I don’t understand why the first duel was not allowed.
“We deserve the best referee, so if it has to come from the men’s game, we probably will. If it has to come from the women’s game, we deserve the best referee. We need to make that decision, we need to bring the ability, and that’s the hardest thing.”
Asked at a crucial moment of the match whether the goal could change the eventual 3-1 first-leg scoreline, Bompastre was less sure.
He added: “It’s hard to say, but it was an important moment just before half-time so it was definitely important… but it’s really frustrating to think that I deserved that goal.”
