The beautiful referee reveals: The football community is sexist... and they wanted to kill me

                                                          Italian-French referee Manuela Nicolosi

The beautiful referee reveals: The football community is sexist... and they wanted to kill me

Italian-French referee Manuela Nicolosi has criticized a "sexist environment" and claimed she was once told to tone down her appearance after "attracting too much attention." 

The 45-year-old has refereed more than 200 professional matches in men's and women's football during her refereeing career – and was even named one of Fortune Italia's 50 Most Powerful Women.

The referee boasts an impressive resume, having officiated at the 2016 and 2020 Olympic Games, becoming the first Italian to referee a Women's World Cup final in 2019, and serving as an assistant referee in the UEFA Super Cup final that same year. But her rise to the top wasn't easy, according to Nicolosi, who emphasized that her appearance was a major obstacle in the "male-dominated world of football."

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 should be less visible because you attract too much attention.'" She added: "In France, one year, I wasn't promoted from the third division to the second division because I was too attractive. I was about to give up." She added: "I left Italy at the age of 20 because I realized they didn't want female referees. They let you reach a certain level, then they put obstacles in your way."

Nicolosi recounted a "horrific" incident that still haunts her to this day. She explained: "I was refereeing a match in the Excelenza League, Italy's top amateur league. At the end of the match, I took refuge in the dressing room after a coach and a team official shouted at me, 'We're going to kill you, get out.' I called the police, who escorted me out. I remember it like it was yesterday."

When asked if she had been harassed by players, she replied: "Yes, but I prefer not to talk about it. I never gave up, and that's why it took me so long to reach this level." She added: "Some players have wanted to propose, but I never gave up. I'm not the type of person who dreams of getting engaged to a football player."