The 30-year-old Franca Overtoom is allowed to go to the European Football Championship for women in England this summer. It will be her first final round. “Great of course,” says the assistant referee in a response.
Overtoom, who was recently a guest in our football talk show De Aftrap, is delighted with the UEFA election. On the website of the KNVB she says: “I am still relatively young compared to other candidates who have more experience. On the other hand, I am active in the Netherlands at the highest level of professional football and then you are in a good position in Europe. on.”
Referee
The Obdamse is not the first Dutch woman to go to a final round. Sjoukje de Jong (2001) and Nicolet Bakker (2017) preceded her. The Netherlands does not provide a referee. The highest arbitrators, including the Alkmaar Shona Shukrula, whistle in Category 1. For broadcasting, they must be one level higher, in the so-called Elite category.
At the end of last year, Overtoom made her debut in the Eredivisie with the duel Go Ahead Eagles – FC Groningen† Six months later, the sister of former pro Willie is allowed to go to the European Championship. “It really is a top season. It couldn’t have been better. These two goals were on my list at the start of the season and I have now achieved them. I hope to put in good performances in the group stage and based on that, we’ll see how far I’m coming. That will also depend on the results of the Orange Lionesses.”
Pol van Boekel and Dennis Higler are also going to the European Championship. They are part of the fifteen-person VAR team. The European Championship will be played from July 6 to July 31 and was originally scheduled to take place last year. Due to the corona pandemic, the final round had to be postponed. The Dutch national team is defending champion.