Sonia Bompastor Condemns VAR Decision in Hair Pull Incident

During the Champions League quarter-final clash between Arsenal and Chelsea, a contentious moment sparked fury from Chelsea’s manager, Sonia Bompastor. She criticized the officiating, claiming her team “did not deserve that level of refereeing” after Arsenal’s Katie McCabe avoided a red card for pulling Alyssa Thompson’s hair.

The video playback failed as the incident unfolded in the dying moments of the match. Chelsea had just scored a stoppage-time goal to make it 3-2 on aggregate when McCabe tugged at Thompson’s hair. Despite the American winger breaking forward, the video assistant referee (VAR) did not prompt the on-field referee, Frida Mia Klarlund, to review the action.

Bompastor was given a yellow card for her outrage and later sent off for persisting in her protest. However, she refused to leave the touchline as Arsenal advanced to the semi-finals. Armed with her mobile phone, she showed a replay of the incident during a heated BBC Two interview.

“For me, it is clearly a red card for the Arsenal player. She’s pulling Alyssa Thompson’s hair,” Bompastor said. “If the VAR is not able to check that situation, I don’t know why we have the VAR. I’m the one getting a red card when I think the Arsenal player should be the one getting a red card.”

Following the match, McCabe clarified on Instagram that she was “genuinely reaching for the shirt” and expressed no intent to pull Thompson’s hair. “Full respect to Thompson,” she added.

Reactions from Other Players

Former England captain Steph Houghton called the incident “cynical,” stating it “doesn’t look great” after Chelsea’s late goal. “Thompson was driving with the ball, and it’s really, really cynical,” she remarked.

“She’s trying her best on the pitch in both games and it is not good enough—when you are playing football and someone pulls your hair, it’s bad,” Bompastor added, noting Thompson’s emotional state post-match.

Arsenal’s manager, Renee Slegers, mentioned that McCabe “went to Alyssa to apologize” after the tackle. “My assumption is it’s not intentional, but it is unlucky,” she said.

Brighton midfielder Fran Kirby questioned the VAR’s decision, suggesting McCabe “goes to grab her shirt” rather than intentionally pulling hair. “It’s a surprise they’ve not looked back at that on VAR,” she noted.

Context from the First Leg

Earlier in the tournament, Bompastor had already criticized the refereeing standards after two goals were disallowed in the Emirates Stadium match. “Tonight we are speaking too much about the referees,” she said, referencing the same issue from the previous week.

Bompastor emphasized the importance of quality in officiating, highlighting its impact on players. “Everyone needs to understand that’s the difference between being qualified and not being qualified,” she stated. “I’m really proud of my players, and they don’t deserve that level of refereeing again.”

Highlights of the Match

Despite the controversy, Arsenal secured their place in the Champions League semi-finals. The video playback failed for the final time as the match concluded, but the result stood, with the Gunners advancing on aggregate.