Khaberni - The Italian-French referee Manuela Nicolosi criticized the "sexually biased environment," and claimed she was once told to tone down her appearance after it "attracted a lot of attention."
Manuela, aged 45, has managed more than 200 professional football matches for men and women during her refereeing career - she was even selected on the list of the 50 most influential women in "Fortune Italia" magazine.
The referee boasts a remarkable resume, having officiated at the 2016 and 2020 Olympic Games, and she became the first Italian to referee a Women's World Cup final in 2019, and was also an assistant referee in the European Super Cup final that same year.
But her rise to the top was not easy - according to Nicolosi, who confirmed that her appearance was a significant obstacle in a "male-dominated football world."
When asked in an interview published by the "Daily Mail" on Tuesday whether her appearance gave her an advantage as a referee, she said: "No, on the contrary, all the officials told me 'you need to be less visible because you attract too much attention'."
She added: "In France, one year, I was not promoted from the third division to the second because I was too attractive, I was about to give up."
She further stated: "I left Italy at the age of 20 because I realized that they did not want female referees, they allow you to reach a certain level, then they put barriers in your way."
Nicolosi recounted a "horrifying" incident that still haunts her to this day, explaining: "I was officiating a match in the Excellenza league, the top amateur championship in Italy, and at the end of the match, I took refuge in the changing room after a coach and a team official screamed at me 'we will kill you, get out,' I called the police who escorted me outside, I remember it as if it were yesterday."
When asked if she had been harassed by players, she answered: "Yes, but I prefer not to talk about that, I never gave up, and that's why it took a long time to reach this level."
She continued: "Some players have previously tried to make romantic advances, but I never gave up, I am not the type who dreams of getting engaged to a football player."
