Ukrainian referee Kateryna Monzul will direct an Italian match
Having fled Kharkiv and the bombs of the war, she will be able to continue her job in the country that welcomed her. She is one of the best match judges in the international arena and has also directed men
Ukrainian referee Kateryna Monzul will be able to continue her activity in football in Italy and will direct the Inter-Sampdoria match of the women’s Serie A on Sunday 20 March in Milan. He is one of the best match judges in the international arena and has already directed Europa League matches and other important challenges, including in the men’s sector, including qualifying for the next World Cup in Qatar 2022. UEFA took steps to offer her an escape route from the Russian invasion and thus it was possible to welcome her into the country.
Who is Kateryna Monzul
Born in 1981 in the city of Kharkiv, from where she fled, the 40-year-old is the best female referee in Europe together with Frenchwoman Stéphanie Frappart, and is already in Italy. To direct Inter-Sampdoria, she will have a special exemption, not being part of the Serie C refereeing staff, from which she draws for the direction of women’s Serie A matches.
“I’d like to continue to referee,” she said a week ago, after running away from the bombs of the war with her sisters and grandchildren. Her wish was granted.
For the future, a path is already foreseen that could lead her to fully enter the roles but the first hope remains that of being able to get her back to the football fields in her Ukraine as soon as the war and the international situation allow it. But now according to the regulations, she could also whistle in the Italian Serie A.
The football family
Thanking Uefa and the Italian Referees Association (AIA), the president of the Italian Football Federation Gabriele Gravina underlined:
“The European football family has a big heart and the Italian one is at the forefront of helping the Ukrainian population. Thanks to Uefa, to president Ceferin, and to Roberto Rosetti (referees manager) who showed extraordinary sensitivity and in the AIA, who immediately activated, we organized ourselves to send another important message in favor of peace, welcoming in the team Italian referees collects Monzul to allow her to continue to carry out her profession at a high level “.
Proud to welcome
The number one of the Italian Referees Association Alfredo Trentalange said:
“The doors of the AIA are always open to give solidarity and help to those who are experiencing difficult times. We are proud to give hospitality to Kateryna Monzul who comes from a territory whose population is experiencing a terrible war. We are talking about one of the most famous female referees. of the world: a true model. We are happy to have you direct in our championships in the hope that, in the shortest possible time, you will be able to return together with your loved ones to your country “.
Thanks from Ukraine
Ukrainian Football Association president Andriy Pavelko said:
“I am touched by the level of assistance our Italian friends in the FIGC are showing us in such difficult times. It is extremely important for Ukraine that their football can progress in some way even in dramatic circumstances. Kateryna is an exceptional referee who deserves to be I am sure she will offer an excellent performance in Italian football. Thanks to the UEFA president, Aleksander Ceferin, and to the FIGC president, Gabriele Gravina, for their invaluable support“.
