Liverpool star Virgil van Dijk praises groundbreaking female referee ahead of UEFA Super Cup
On Wednesday, Stéphanie Frappart will become the first woman to serve as a referee during a major UEFA men’s soccer game. Frappart will take charge of the UEFA Super Cup match between Liverpool and Chelsea.
Prior to the game, Reds star Virgil van Dijk had nothing but good things to say about Frappart. The 28-year-old van Dijk said he doesn’t care that Frappart is a woman, only that she’s officiated high-level games in the past.
"Gender is irrelevant." @VirgilvDijk on Stephanie Frappart becoming the first female referee of a major men’s UEFA match when she takes charge of the Super Cup 👏 pic.twitter.com/OkOWUpO4WH
— B/R Football (@brfootball) August 13, 2019
Liverpool manager Jürgen Klopp was pleased with the appointment, saying he’s happy to be “part of this historic moment.”
Jürgen Klopp on Stephanie Frappart, Manuela Nicolosi and Michelle O'Neill: "Finally - it's time. I'm happy to be a part of this historic moment. It's a smart decision to have women referee a very, very important game. It's the first time, but I hope it's not the last"#SuperCup
— Melissa Reddy (@MelissaReddy_) August 13, 2019
UEFA is the governing body of European soccer, and the Super Cup is contested annually between the reigning Champions League winner and Europa League winner. This season, that’s Liverpool and Chelsea, respectively.
Frappart, 35, will be the head official and joined by assistants Manuela Nicolosi and Michelle O’Neill.
Frappart, who is French, has been trending in this direction for some time now. In April, Frappart became the first woman to ref a Ligue 1 match.
Upon learning she would officiate in the Super Cup, Frappart said she hoped young girls would be inspired to pursue their dreams when they saw her on the field.
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Chris Cwik is a writer for Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at christophercwik@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter! Follow @Chris_Cwik
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