Sonia Bompastor criticised officiating standards in women's football after Chelsea Women lost 1-0 to Arsenal in the Women's Champions League. The quarter-final first leg at the Emirates Stadium saw a Chelsea goal disallowed for offside during the second half. Replays indicated that the decision was incorrect, according to The Guardian.
Bompastor stated that the women's game deserves more respect and better professional standards from match officials. The manager expressed frustration that such decisions occur in high-stakes knockout fixtures. Chelsea lacked the use of a video assistant referee for certain phases, though UEFA utilises the technology from the group stages onwards in the competition, per Sky Sports.
Arsenal secured the narrow advantage ahead of the return leg at Stamford Bridge. Caitlin Foord scored the only goal of the match in the first half to give the home side the lead. Bompastor noted that while her team must perform better, the officials need to match the professional growth of the players.
