Champions League: referee Stéphanie Frappart, pioneer without pressure

The evening of the Champions League, Wednesday evening, is interesting in more than one way.

In the event of a poor result against Manchester United, Paris Saint-Germain could thus jeopardize its qualification for the round of 16, a disaster that has never happened to it since the arrival of Qatari funds *.

But European football will also witness a historic first: Stéphanie Frappart will become the first woman to referee a Champions League match, in this case the match between Juventus Turin and Dynamo Kiev (9 p.m.).

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It is thanks to her discretion and her work that the former player of AS Herblay, in the Paris region, was invited to the big leagues.

Since her beginnings in refereeing at the age of 19, Stéphanie Frappart has never ceased to mark the spirits: she became the first woman to referee in Ligue 2 in 2014, then in men's Ligue 1 in 2019. She notably officiated this fall during the traditionally tense shock of the Olympics, between Lyon and Marseille.

Compliments from Klopp

Stéphanie Frappart then stood out internationally, leading the final of the Women's World Cup in 2019. On the European scene, she had refereed without trembling the European Supercup, to the point of receiving the compliments of the legendary technician German from Liverpool, Jürgen Klopp.

A referee is not someone who arrives overnight at this level

"I just showed that a referee is not someone who arrives overnight at this level," confided the thirty-something at the microphone Europe 1 of Jean-François Pérès at the end of 2019. "I have a career which is now 20 years long. I have shown that I have my place and I think I did it in the best possible way. "

"Benevolence and open-mindedness"

So what is this "way" of arbitrating, precisely?

"I show a little kindness and open-mindedness with them," she replies, indifferent to the scathing comments about seeing a woman referee a men's match: "I haven't changed. my personality and it's going well. "

In fact, what would be good would be no longer to be surprised to see her in C1 or at a World Cup.

Because she deserves it. Bravo to her, top top top top.

https://t.co/FhubX5zoPc

- Julien Froment (@JulienFroment) November 30, 2020

On the field of Juventus Stadium, Wednesday evening, Stéphanie Frappart will be surrounded by French assistants.

And if it is necessary to reframe the superstar Cristiano Ronaldo or to expel Adrien Rabiot, she will not hesitate, as she did not hesitate to exclude Dimitri Payet in the 16th minute of the last clash between Lyon and Marseille.

* The meeting can be followed live and in full on Europe 1, from 8 p.m. to 11:30 p.m.