Bompastor Critiques VAR Disruption in Champions League Draw Against Barcelona

Chelsea manager Sonia Bompastor criticized the nine-minute disruption during the first half of Chelsea’s 1-1 Champions League draw with Barcelona, deeming it “not good enough” for a match of such significance.

The interruption occurred due to a technical failure that caused all streams and video feeds, including the UEFA VAR system, to go offline, halting play just before halftime.

“It was incredibly frustrating; we were building good momentum when something out of our control disrupted us. At this level, this is unacceptable,” Bompastor stated during a news conference.

She further noted, “I am unsure if this has happened in the men’s game, but this was the first instance I have witnessed it.” According to reports from ESPN, the issue stemmed from a failure in the generators that supply power to the technology.

In the latter stages of the match, Catarina Macario found the back of the net with her first touch, only for the goal to be disallowed due to offside. Bompastor voiced her doubts regarding the functionality of VAR during the second half.

“To be honest, I am not even certain if VAR was operational in the second half. As seen in the first half, we experienced nearly a ten-minute break, and the television feed was interrupted,” she remarked.

“It was a situation I disliked because we were in a strong rhythm, and having to stop the players is not ideal at this level. It may be beyond anyone’s control, but I suspect that VAR was indeed offline, which is likely why there was no review available for the disallowed goal.”

In team news, captain Millie Bright was omitted from the starting lineup, with Bompastor opting to field Nathalie Björn and Naomi Girma as center-backs instead of the 32-year-old veteran.

Admitting that Bright was “frustrated” by the decision, Bompastor emphasized the importance of team support.

“She was certainly not pleased with the decision; that reaction is expected. However, she quickly refocused on the team’s needs and demonstrated strong leadership qualities. Within minutes of our conversation, she was concentrating on supporting the team and fulfilling the expectations I set for her as a leader. Even without my prompting, she has always prioritized the team above herself.”