Tess Olofsson, 34, is the first Swedish female referee to judge elite football on the men's side full time.
Olofsson has been elected Referee of the Year four times, and in addition to several matches in the women's Swedish team, she has also refereed a Champions League quarter-final for women.
Now comes the next success - Tess Olofsson has been selected as one of twelve main referees for this summer's European Championship finals in England, the European Football Association Uefa announced earlier on Tuesday.
- It feels a little unreal.
It's really fun to get such a nice message today, that you are on the first list.
Then it's just a matter of continuing to work and perform.
There are some intermediate goals along the way.
It is important to pass the fitness tests before the European Championships and then continue to perform during the matches this spring so that you have the chance to judge some matches during the European Championships, she tells SVT Sport.
"This will take time"
But the journey has not always been straight up.
In a match in the Superettan in May 2021, she had to be carried out on a stretcher with a torn heel tendon.
An operation and eight months later she was back.
- It has gone pretty well.
It was a setback early last summer.
I got an infection in the wound during the summer months, when I had a cast.
So I had to keep the orthosis (an orthopedic aid) for four weeks longer.
They felt that the weeks were ticking and had a little hope of possibly being back in the autumn, but then I realized that this will take time, says Olofsson.
Celebrated with extra training
The European Championship selection is the 34-year-old's first championship after Pernilla Larsson was Sweden's representative at the European Championships in the Netherlands in 2017.
- It feels a little unreal.
At first they just wanted to shout straight out, but then I went away and did a running test with a referee colleague, I celebrated with a little extra training today.
The biggest focus for Olofsson right now is the European Championships and to perform in the Superettan and Damallsvenskan.
But she dreams of making her debut in the men's Allsvenskan.
- We take one day at a time haha, the Allsvenskan will come later.
Assistant judge Almira Spahic has also been selected to judge this summer's European Championships.
Spahic who became the female judge of the year 2021.
KLIPP: Olofsson wants to reach the men's Allsvenskan (April 2, 2021):
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Olofsson selected for the European Championships: "Just to continue working"