The day has come for the first female referee to take charge of a top-tier match in Serie A. On 2 October 22, Maria Sole Ferrieri Caputi, a 32-year-old woman from Livorno, will be in charge of the match Sassuolo – Salernitana in the Italian top flight.It’s history in the making, but make no mistake – this woman hasn’t been given this job to make a political statement or to put points on some invisible board. She earned it.##NAJAVA_MECA_6677147##Ferrieri Caputi began refereeing at just seventeen in the province of Livorno. It was unusual to see such a young girl running around clay pitches and blowing the whistle with screaming fans within a metre of the sideline. Even though she was subjected to prejudice from day one, her strong character shone through, and she proved that, when she stepped on the pitch, she was not a gender but a highly competent match official. She never broke down. Aged 25, she made her debut in Serie D, the fourth-tier Italian football. Five years later, in 2020, Maria was promoted to Serie C. The following year, she directed her first match in Serie B. And now she will enter history books as the first lady to officiate a Serie A game. She already got a little taste of it a few months ago. In December 2021, she became the first woman to referee an Italian Cup match featuring a Serie A team when Cagliari faced Cittadella. That day she brandished three yellow cards and disallowed three goals with the assistance of VAR. She did a fine job.Nell’ultima un partita di Coppa Italia assieme ai 22 calciatori c’era anche Maria Sole Ferrieri Caputi, prima donna arbitro a dirigere una squadra di serie A. Al Tg3 dice: “Quando scendi in campo non esistono differenze di sesso” pic.twitter.com/ikvYIghUsj— Tg3 (@Tg3web) December 16, 2021 Just like many women in the refereeing business, Maria looked up to French international referee Stephanie Frappart, who was the first woman to referee a men’s football match (in Ligue 2 in 2014), the first to direct a UEFA Super Cup final (Liverpool – Chelsea in 2019), the first to referee in the Champions League (Juventus – Dinamo Kiev in 2019) and the first to be chosen for a European Championship. Frappart will also be one of three female referees in the upcoming World Cup – the other two being Yoshimi Yamashita from Japan and Rwandan Salima Mukansanga. The remaining 33 referees in the tournament will be male.As for Maria Sole Ferrieri Caputi, she will continue to push boundaries in her home country.
