LONDON — Chelsea manager Sonia Bompastor lamented the refereeing decision that ruled out a goal for her side in their 3-1 loss at Arsenal in the first leg of the Champions League quarterfinals, and insisted that the women’s game deserves more respect and the best referees.
Veerle Buurman‘s header was chalked off in the first half after Chelsea were already 2-0 down. Referee Alina Pesu ruled that Buurman had fouled Arsenal defender Laia Codina in rising above her to head home. VAR did not overturn the decision.
Chelsea did score via a second-half Lauren James goal but it was in vain as Arsenal punished their profligacy to take control of the all-English tie.
“For sure the first goal is a goal,” Bompastor told a news conference after the game. “I don’t see with the VAR how you cannot allow that goal. That’s a shame, to be honest.”
Chelsea defender Lucy Bronze echoed her manager’s comments.
“I don’t think any single player on the pitch thought that was a foul to be honest, apart from the ref,” Bronze told Disney+.
“I think as soon as the ref gave it, VAR are not going to overturn it. And it was disappointing because I feel like we could have swung the momentum back a little bit and then it just took a little bit longer.
“It would have been an important goal to score at halftime. And I think we probably could have got even more back into the game in the second half. So, that’s the momentum of games and how it goes. It’s just disappointing.”
Bompastor added that there was no reason given to the team for the decision not to give the goal.
“They just always say, ‘Yeah, we are checking’ but they make the wrong decision and nothing changed. But to be honest, when a human makes a mistake, I think you can understand a little bit more, but when there is the VAR, it’s really difficult,” she added.
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Bompastor also referenced Chelsea believing they were on the wrong side of an officiating error when a goal from Catarina Macario was ruled out in the 1-1 draw with Barcelona in the League Phase.
Officials deemed the United States forward to be offside, though replays suggested it was too close to call.
The French coach — the only person who has won the competition as both a player and a manager with former club OL Lyonnes — said that the game deserves more respect and the best referees, regardless of if this means pulling officials from the men’s game.
“When you are playing the quarterfinal of the Champions League, you need to respect the women’s game more, you need to respect the players more, because they work hard every week to put in a good performance on the pitch.
“We deserve the best referees, so bring the best. I think if it has to be coming from the men’s game, maybe if it has to be the women coming from the women’s game, but the best ones, I think we need to make our decisions because again, it’s really frustrating.”
Chelsea will look to overturn the 3-1 deficit in the second leg at Stamford Bridge on April 1.
