Chelsea manager Emma Hayes expressed her disbelief and frustration at the red card given to Kadeisha Buchanan during their Women’s Champions League semi-final defeat against Barcelona. According to Hayes, it was the “worst decision in Women’s Champions League history.” Buchanan was shown a second yellow card for a challenge on Patri Guijarro just before the hour mark, resulting in her dismissal from the game. Chelsea ultimately lost 2-0 at Stamford Bridge, resulting in a 2-1 aggregate defeat.
Hayes believed that her team was “robbed” by the referee’s decisions, as they also conceded a penalty during the match. She disagreed with the decision to award a yellow card for Buchanan’s challenge, stating, “I didn’t think it was a foul, let alone a yellow card.” The red card came at a crucial moment in the game, with the tie finely balanced at 1-0 in favor of Barcelona on aggregate.
The Chelsea manager argued that going down to 10 players shifted the momentum in Barcelona’s favor. She believed that her team was on top of the game and had the potential to turn things around before the red card. Hayes expressed her frustration, saying, “We just hit the post, I could feel the momentum going in that direction, but we didn’t have the chance to experience that.” She felt that everything went Barcelona’s way, including the deflection and penalty that led to their victory.
Despite the use of the video assistant referee (VAR) system in the match, it could only be used to review potential red card decisions, not yellow cards. Hayes questioned why the yellow card decision was not checked by VAR, stating, “Surely that will be checked?” The Chelsea boss described the decision to send off Buchanan as “horrific.”
Hayes also highlighted the disappointment of missing out on the final, as it meant she would leave Chelsea having won every trophy except the Champions League. She will be departing at the end of the season to become the manager of the United States national team.
Overall, Hayes’ comments reflect the frustration and disbelief felt by Chelsea after their semi-final defeat. The controversial red card decision had a significant impact on the outcome of the match, and Hayes believed it was an unjust call. Despite the disappointment, she acknowledged Barcelona as a top team and lamented the fact that the outcome was taken out of her team’s hands.