Soccer
10:54, 24-Apr-2019
Stephanie Frappart to become first female referee in Ligue 1
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Stephanie Frappart will become the first woman to referee a men's top-flight match in France when Amiens host Strasbourg this Sunday, according to the French Football Federation.
Frappart, 35, the only referee from France who will be officiating at the Women's World Cup to be held in the country this June, is also the first woman to officiate a Ligue 2 (second-tier) match.
In a recent interview with AFP, Frappart said she would see being appointed to a Ligue 1 game as "an acknowledgment of my competence."
"I don't want to be given top billing or put in Ligue 1 just because I am a woman," she added.
French referee Stephanie Frappart gestures during the French L2 football match between Valenciennes and Beziers, April 19, 2019. /VCG Photo
French referee Stephanie Frappart gestures during the French L2 football match between Valenciennes and Beziers, April 19, 2019. /VCG Photo
Frappart previously officiated at the 2015 edition of that tournament and took charge of the women's under-20 World Cup final last year.
Germany's Bibiana Steinhaus became the first female referee in one of the top European leagues when she took charge of a Bundesliga match between Hertha Berlin and Werder Bremen in September 2017.
(With input from Reuters and AFP)