ISTANBUL: Stephanie Frappart said she will prove female officials are as competent as their male counterparts when she becomes the first woman to referee a major Uefa competition final in the Super Cup between Liverpool and Chelsea today.
Frappart, 35, will be assisted by her French compatriot Manuela Nicolosi and Ireland’s Michelle O’Neill. The trio have worked together at bigger matches – they were in charge of this year’s Women’s World Cup final in France – but there is no doubt they will be under intense focus at Istanbul’s Vodafone Park.
Asked if she was afraid of being “double criticised” for any mistakes made, Frappart said it was time for female referees to show they are as good as the men.
“We have to prove ourselves technically and physically that we are the same as the men. We are not afraid about (wrong decisions). We are ready,” she told a news conference. Frappart, who in April became the first female referee in France’s Ligue 1, also dismissed the idea that it was more difficult to officiate a men’s game.