FC Barcelona Femeni defeated Chelsea Women 2-0 at Stamford Bridge to reach the finals of the Women’s Champions League 2024. The hosts finished the game with 10 players, after Kadeisha Buchanan was sent off for a second yellow.
Chelsea manager Emma Hayes spoke out against the referee in the post match press conference, calling it the worst decision in Champions League history. And in the process, the Blues’ hopes for a quadruple have ended too, after their League Cup defeat against Arsenal.
Chelsea Women defeated at home by FC Barcelona Femeni
THE REIGNING CHAMPION REACHES THE UWCL FINAL! 🔥✅ pic.twitter.com/eIiiFbT6kN
— 433 (@433) April 27, 2024
“When you get such a shocking refereeing decision, there’s nothing you can do about it,” said Hayes, whose side were knocked out by the holders Barcelona at the semi-final stage for the second consecutive season.
“I was surprised when I saw her [Demetrescu] selected, she’s known for giving easy cards. That [showing Buchanan a second yellow] was probably the worst decision in Women’s Champions League history. I didn’t think it was a foul, let alone a yellow card. I’m gutted for them, the players. We were robbed.
“I genuinely believe we were on top of the game [immediately before the sending-off], we’d just hit the post, we could feel the momentum going in that direction, but we didn’t get the chance to experience that.”
Chelsea came away from Barcelona with a 1-0 lead against the defending champions. And in spite of a sold out Stamford Bridge behind them, they were unable to get the lead over the line. Aitana Bonmati scored early in the game to level the aggregate score, while Fridolina Rolfo scored a penalty with 15 minutes left on the clock to give the Spanish side the lead.
Now, they are back in the finals of the Women’s Champions League, with a chance to defend their title. Chelsea, on the other hand, turn their attention to the Women’s Super League in a bid to send off Emma Hayes with at least one piece of silverware in her final season.
