'Not good enough': Sonia Bompastor fumes over VAR controversy in Chelsea loss as Veerle Buurman goal ruled out | OneFootball

Blues denied an equaliser towards the end of the first half at the Emirates

The Blues were trailing 2-0 towards the end of the first half when Veerle Buurman headed home to half the deficit, but was dubiously deemed to have fouled Lotte Wubben-Moy as she leapt for the header.

The contact was minimal, but the goal was ruled out regardless and Chelsea went on to lose 3-1.

“It is always more difficult to complain about the referees when you lose the game, but to be honest it is not good enough,” she said.

“I think we really need to find solutions. When you are playing a Champions League quarter-final, you need to respect the women’s game more. You need to respect more the players, because they work hard every week to put a good performance on the pitch.

“For sure the first goal is a goal. I cannot see with the VAR how you can not allow that goal. That is a shame, to be honest.

She continued, adding VAR was failing at its intended purpose of eliminating human error.

Verdict: Sonia Bompastor

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Asked what the fourth official told her after Buurman’s header was chalked off, she replied: “Nothing! Nothing, it is always the same. You go to them and ask them to check the situation and make sure they made the right decision, they just always say ‘we are checking’, but they make the wrong decision.

“Nothing changes. To be honest, when a human makes a mistake you can understand a little more, but when there is VAR it is really difficult. It is not the first time for us this season in the Champions League. They need to be better.”

Bompastor acknowledged that VAR was necessary in the women’s game, but remained adamant that reform was necessary, saying she would be open to having top referees from the men’s game officiate women’s matches.

“We deserve the best referees. If it has to be coming from the men’s game, maybe. We need to make that decision, because it is really frustrating. We need to bring competence. That is most important.

“We need to have VAR in the women’s game, we just need the right people to make the decisions. It is difficult to say (if the outcome of the game would change if that goal stood). It is really frustrating when you think you have that goal and lose it.”

Chelsea now have something of a mountain to climb as they look to keep their Champions League hopes alive in the second-leg, but Bompastor is not giving up hope: “If I don’t have the belief, I just stay home.”