UEFA is breaking new ground by appointing Stéphanie Frappart of France to referee the UEFA Super Cup between Liverpool and Chelsea on 14 August.
This will be the first time that a female official takes charge of a major UEFA men’s competition event – a showpiece match seen as the curtain-raiser to the new season, pitting the UEFA Champions League holders Liverpool against the winners of the UEFA Europa League, Chelsea, at Beşiktaş Park in Istanbul.
Frappart created history domestically in France in April as she became the first female referee to officiate a men’s Ligue 1 match, between Amiens and Strasbourg. The Val-d’Oise native has now been promoted to join the pool of Ligue 1 referees on a permanent basis for the 2019/20 season.
As in the Women’s World Cup final, Frappart will be assisted by compatriot Manuela Nicolosi and Michelle O’Neal from the Republic of Ireland. The fourth official will be Turkey’s Cuneyt Cakir.
UEFA president Aleksander Čeferin said: “I have said on many occasions that the potential for women’s football has no limits and I am delighted that Stéphanie Frappart has been appointed to officiate at this year’s UEFA Super Cup along with assistant referees Manuela Nicolosi and Michelle O’Neal.
“As an organization, we place the utmost importance on the development of women’s football in all areas. I hope the skill and devotion that Stéphanie has shown throughout her career to reach this level will provide inspiration to millions of girls and women around Europe and show them there should be no barriers in order to reach one’s dream.”
The 35-year-old Frappart is not the first female referee assigned to a men’s UEFA competition match. That honour went to Nicole Petignat, who refereed three UEFA Cup qualifying round games between 2004 and 2009.
Video Assistant Referees (VAR) will be used in Istanbul. The VAR official will be Clement Turpin from France, and he will be aided by fellow countryman François Letexier, Mark Borsch of Germany and Italy’s Massimiliano Irrati.
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