UEFA backs officials after Chelsea's Sonia Bompastor criticism

Oddly the BBC match report suggested McCabe picked up a yellow card for the hair pull, She did not. It was not even a free kick. They implied a “should it have been a card” as if it was debatable. Whilst previously they reported about a hair pull in the men’s game and explained how it’s not explicitly called out in the rules but it is categorised as violent conduct which is a red card.

The quality of refereeing is objectively terrible, hence the need for video assistance but for this not be reviewed by the video assistant referees is unforgivable, and then as per Sly below, to suggest they were happy with the officials performance is maddening.

I hadn’t reslised during the game it was the same official as the Barca game. Had the gosl stood in that game rather than the incoorect offside, despite it bring a factual decision and not subjective. Chelsea would gsve topped the league phase and had a much easier side of the draw. Small details matter hugely.

“Sonia Bompastor is incredibly frustrated right now. The fact VAR did not intervene on the most obvious hair pull - intentional or not - beggars belief. The irony was it wasn’t even given as a foul. It happened right in front of Bompastor. I understand the frustration - but it didn’t come just from last night.

“It came from last week and the first leg too. After last week’s game she had a problem with VAR and said the women’s game needed more respect after Veerle Buurman’s goal was ruled out for a foul.

“She talked about the referee being the same one who made errors in previous games against Chelsea in the Champions League - a penalty for Real Madrid in 2023 that was outside the box and a goal against Barcelona that was flagged offside but was onside in November 2025.

“So she had history with the referee in the first leg and this officiating in the second leg. You can understand the frustration.”

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