Ferrieri Caputi will be the first female referee in Serie A

by our correspondent Matteo Dalla Vite

July 1
– Florence

The starter of a long-announced promotion, that of Maria Sole Caputi Ferrieri in Can A and B, is a series of data that give a spectrum of the Italian women’s referee movement: a movement that has grown significantly. And Maria Sole is the tip of the iceberg of a five promoted which sees the thirty-one year old referee-woman from Livorno together with referees Rutella, Gualtieri, Perenzoni and Feliciani. “It is a very beautiful and very satisfying moment and it is also sad to think that someone is surprised at the arrival of a woman, women who among other things may have greater sensitivity, are more researching and less presumptuous, do more things at the same time, in short, they also have enormous margins for improvement – says AIA president Alfredo Trentalange -. The fact that Maria Sole is the first woman in A and B is certainly news, and it is a historic moment but promotion is an advancement that comes from merit and not from the privilege. We start for a complex, anomalous season: nothing is taken for granted in the refereeing field, we like to remember that the double membership goes on with 430 members because a boy or a girl who plays can also begin to referee and vice versa, and it is an enrichment for everyone. Just as another battle of ours is against violence against referees. We wish Maria Sole to be sure and I say to all our referees to seek merit for because there is no privilege: no one will find them. His path will be natural and we will pay attention to his path as to that of others. “The increase in membership and female employment is evident: while the male associates have decreased, the female ones have increased by 6% since 2018. female international arbitration appointments increased from 41 to 85 between referees (9 international matches for Maria Sole) and female assistants.

Dreamed moment

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Also present were Duccio Baglioni (vice president) and Ciampi (designator Can C), it should be remembered that on 8 July a press conference will be held on the sidelines of a Federal Council: Maria Sole will present herself there. “I will not hide from you that this is a moment that I have always dreamed of – says Katia Senesi, a member of the national commission -: I too come from refereeing. Somehow we got there not by chance or by mistake but because in this AIA we believes in the value of people, regardless of gender. We thought of a project dedicated to women, to ensure that those physiological gaps can be filled: we succeeded in a year and a half. Maria Sole is the tip of the iceberg of an association that has many female presences: there is a project that can make them pass from athletes to super-athletes. Serie A footballers are interested in the good referee, not the male referee. And the quality we have. work has just begun: there is not only Maria Sole but others will come. A woman in a football field can give something more, different and important “.

Determined

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Then, here is the intervention of the designator Gianluca Rocchi, who will be confirmed in his role tomorrow. “I regret the dismissals of some referees – says Rocchi -, but we want the best as the clubs want. And I subscribe to what Katia said, it doesn’t matter if he’s a man but quality matters. The balance of the season? Complex championship: c ‘it was some carelessness, I think we did not affect the results of the field, I am convinced that the current group is full of talents and that the only way is to send them on the field, there are 5-6 guys who will soon see them in international scope. Semi-automatic offside? An improvement that brings more attention to referees on other game situations and technology brings benefits. We have never said no to improvements. ” Then, here is Maurizio Ciampi, the one who coached Maria Sole. “Ferrieri Caputi – says Ciampi – is a referee promoted to Can A and B because he is capable: the top five are promoted, the rankings say. You will learn about a girl. shy, silent but in the middle of the field she is determined, very technically and athletically prepared and has a great ability to adapt. In a short time she went to referee female and then male cup competitions, with ease: she was recalled to the on field review during the playoffs of C and has serenely changed his decision. He is 31 years old like the other two promoted, so it is not true as someone who is young says: he is deserving. That’s all. “

Channel?

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There is the theme of communication. “We will get to make what happens to our world more transparent, we have been thinking about it for some time – says Trentalange -: it takes a strong investment. We are not yet so good at communicating but we are working on it and studying something also in concert with the Football Association. . We need to be good at communicating, we are investing to do it better and better. We try to open up more “. A channel is at the stadium, in synergy with the FIGC: will it be visible in September?