French referee Stephanie Frappart made history on Wednesday night when she became the first referee in a UEFA Champions League men’s match.
Juventus’ ‘Group G’ Game
The 36-year-old hosted a Juventus’ Group G match against Dynamo Kiev in Turin. The Italian team won 3-0, with Federico Chiesa, Cristiano Ronaldo and Alvaro Morata taking the lead.
It’s not the first high-profile men’s game Frappart has in charge though. She became the first female referee to officiate the European Championship final while leading the UEFA Super Cup final between Liverpool and Chelsea in September, 2019.
A month before that, it seems Frappart reached the top of the women’s referee during the World Cup final between the United States and the Netherlands in France.
French Ligue 1
She also became the first female referee to officiate the France Ligue 1 match when Amiens played Strasbourg in April last year.
In October, Frappart watched his first Europa League match when Leicester City hosted Ukrainian side Zorya Luhansk.
Speaking after the Super Cup in Istanbul, Frappart told CNN that although managing big games in women’s soccer had helped him adjust to the pressure of working in men’s soccer, the size of the crowd was a real step forward for him.
“It was a great feeling when he came out of the stadium and the crowd was enjoying it,” he explained. “I’ve never had that in a big game.
“When you look up at the crowd – I usually do not associate with the crowd – they look at us and a few raise their hands and give us a thumbs up and congratulate us. I thought that was very special.”
Ahead of Wednesday’s semi-final, Juventus trailed Group G leaders Barcelona by three points. The two teams will face off in the final match of the team in Barcelona on December 8.
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