Florencio Varela (Argentina) (AFP)
Brazilian Edina Alves was the first woman to officiate Thursday at Copa Libertadores, Latin America's most prestigious club football competition.
The referee quartet was all female as Alves was assisted by compatriot Neuza Back and Chilean Cindy Nahuelcoy, with another Chilean, Maria Belén Carvajal, as fourth referee.
Women were also represented in other functions, with the Brazilian Ana Paula Oliveira in charge of video advice assistance and the Argentinian Sabrina Lois as arbitration delegate of the South American Confederation (Conmebol).
The referee quartet led the meeting between the Argentines of Defensa y Justicia and the Ecuadorians of Independiente del Valle (1-1), on behalf of the last day of group A of the competition, in Florencio Varela, near Buenos Aires. .
Edina Alves had already become the first woman to officiate, as fourth referee, during a major men's competition meeting organized by Fifa, last February, on the occasion of the World Club.
The Swiss Esther Staubli and the Uruguayan Claudia Umpiérrez had already refereed men's FIFA tournaments, but in the youth categories (World Under 17).
In Europe, Stéphanie Frappart was the first woman to referee a Champions League match, Juventus Turin-Dynamo Kiev (3-0), on December 2, 2020. The Frenchwoman had previously refereed the European Men's Supercup between Liverpool and Chelsea in 2019 (2-2 ap, 5-4 tab).
Previously, the Swiss Nicole Petignat was the first woman to officiate in the men's European Cup, in the UEFA Cup (C3, former name of the Europa League), in August 2003.
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