No VAR in Women’s Champions League is down to ‘logistical issues’, Uefa says

Uefa has insisted there are “significant technical, operational and logistical challenges” to implementing VAR at all Women’s Champions League games following calls for its more widespread use after refereeing mistakes marred Chelsea’s 2-2 draw at Real Madrid.

The Chelsea manager, Emma Hayes, said her side had been “robbed of a 3-1 victory” by “two humongous decisions” which she described as “embarrassing.”

Hayes first saw her side concede an unjustified penalty when Chelsea’s Jessie Fleming fouled Athenea del Castillo outside the box – that was converted to make the game 2-2. Then, in the 95th minute, the referee, Frida Klarlund, disallowed what would have been a winner from Niamh Charles for offside against Sam Kerr, even though the Australian was not interfering with play.

A Uefa spokesperson refused to be drawn on whether the refereeing team would be stood down or spoken to, but said all matches and officials were routinely assessed after each game. The spokesperson also said that while Uefa did intend to eventually bring in VAR for all Women’s Champions League games, and not just the latter stages as it currently stands, it was not possible to do so yet.

“The implementation of VAR in European competitions involves significant technical, operational, and logistical challenges,” Uefa said in a statement. “To address these challenges, Uefa has developed a gradual plan to introduce VAR in the majority of matches, starting with men’s and women’s club and national team competitions.”

It added: “Uefa already plans to implement VAR at the Uefa Women’s Nations League finals next year and will continuously evaluate the possibility to implement VAR in competitions or stages of competitions where it hasn’t been so far.”

While the cost of VAR and the lack of revenues in the women’s game are partly behind Uefa’s approach, European football’s governing body is also understood to believe that it does not yet have enough officials of sufficient quality to run the system.

Photograph: Guillermo Martinez/NurPhoto/Shutterstock Chelsea’s Jessie Fleming commits the foul outside the box on Athenea del Castillo that led to the award of a Real Madrid penalty.