Chelsea coach laments lack of VAR on hair-pulling incident in Women's Champions League

Sonia Bompastor showed video of Arsenal's Katie McCabe pulling Alyssa Thompson's hair, but no red card was issued.

Apr. 2, 2026 at 10:24am

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Chelsea coach Sonia Bompastor criticized the lack of VAR review on a hair-pulling incident involving Arsenal's Katie McCabe and Chelsea's Alyssa Thompson during their Women's Champions League quarterfinal match. Bompastor showed video footage of the incident to reporters, arguing that McCabe should have been sent off, but the referee did not take any action. Chelsea lost the match 1-0, with Arsenal advancing 3-2 on aggregate.

Why it matters

The lack of VAR review on the hair-pulling incident has raised questions about the consistency of officiating in women's soccer, especially in high-profile matches like the Women's Champions League. Hair-pulling is considered a form of violent conduct that can result in a red card, as seen in previous incidents in women's and men's soccer.

The details

In the final seconds of the match, Arsenal defender Katie McCabe was seen pulling back the flowing hair of Chelsea forward Alyssa Thompson as she broke forward in search of a goal to take the game to extra time. Chelsea coach Sonia Bompastor felt McCabe should have been sent off for the incident, and she showed the video footage to reporters in a post-match interview. However, the referee did not take any action, and the match ended 1-0 to Arsenal, who advanced 3-2 on aggregate.

  • The hair-pulling incident occurred in the final seconds of the Women's Champions League quarterfinal second leg match on April 1, 2026.
  • Sonia Bompastor showed the video footage and criticized the lack of VAR review in a post-match interview.

The players

Sonia Bompastor

The head coach of Chelsea's women's team, who criticized the lack of VAR review on the hair-pulling incident.

Katie McCabe

The Arsenal defender who was seen pulling Alyssa Thompson's hair during the match.

Alyssa Thompson

The Chelsea forward whose hair was pulled by Katie McCabe during the match.

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What they’re saying

“I brought the phone with me — I don't know if you can see that. That's probably not usual. But if you look at this video, and I don't know if you can see, for me it is clearly a red card for the Arsenal player. She's pulling Alyssa's hair. So I think, for me, if the VAR again is not able to check that situation, I don't know why we have the VAR.”

— Sonia Bompastor, Chelsea coach

“I just want to clarify that I was genuinely reaching for the shirt, I wouldn't ever want to pull someone's hair. Full respect to Thompson.”

— Katie McCabe

What’s next

UEFA is still waiting on the match delegate's report to determine if any disciplinary action will be taken against Katie McCabe or Sonia Bompastor for her behavior during the incident.

The takeaway

This incident highlights the ongoing challenges in ensuring consistent and fair officiating in women's soccer, especially when it comes to addressing acts of violent conduct like hair-pulling. The lack of VAR review in this case has raised concerns about the use of technology to support referees in making critical decisions during high-stakes matches.