Emma Hayes described referee Iuliana Demetrescu's decision to send Kadeisha Buchanan off in Chelsea's Women's Champions League semi-final defeat to Barcelona as "the worst decision" in the history of the competition.
Chelsea's hopes of winning a first Women's Champions League title were ended as Barcelona overturned a 1-0 first-leg deficit to win 2-0 at Stamford Bridge and progress to the final.
Fridolina Rolfo fired home from the penalty spot with 15 minutes to play to complete the defending champions' fightback and seal a 2-1 aggregate victory, after Hayes' side had been made to endure the final half hour with 10 players following Buchanan's red card.
Barca had already levelled the tie via a fine finish from Ballon d'Or winner Aitana Bonmati by the time the Chelsea defender saw red. Reaching for a loose ball inside the centre circle, she appeared to get the ball before catching the ankle of Patri Guijarro and Demetrescu did not hesitate in showing a second yellow card.
Hayes said: "I was surprised when she was selected, she's famous for easy cards and I think that is probably the worst decision in UEFA Women's Champions league history.
"I'm gutted for [the players]. We were robbed."
She added: "I stood there and looked at the fourth official and said 'surely that will be checked' and she said 'it can't on a yellow'.
"The toughest thing to take is that we didn't lose it. There's nothing you can do when there's such a terrible decision and it's already hard enough. They are a top team.
"When you work so hard for days, weeks, months, years, you come here and you expect the best from the officials at the very least and it feels really, really hard to take."
In Hayes' final season in charge at Stamford Bridge, Chelsea battled gamely
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