Chelsea vs Liverpool referee told she ‘attracts too much attention’ | Football | Sport
A stunning referee who once officiated a match between Chelsea and Liverpool has been urged to dial back her eye-catching appearance.
Manuela Nicolosi, 45, has presided over more than 200 professional matches across both men’s and women’s football throughout her career, including as an assistant referee during the Super Cup final between Chelsea and Liverpool in 2019. However, she has now been informed that her appearance is “attracting too much attention”.
Speaking to Italian outlet Quotidiano Sportivo, she was quizzed on whether her looks have ever presented an obstacle.
She replied: “No, on the contrary. All my superiors told me: you have to be less visible, you attract too much attention.
“One year I wasn’t promoted from Serie C to Serie B because I was too ‘visible’. I was on the verge of giving up. Technical errors or failed athletic tests are one thing.
“But having them stop me by telling me ‘you’re flashy’ is a big deal. I left Italy at 20 because I realised they didn’t want female referees.
“They let you reach a certain level, the regional one, and then they put a spoke in your wheels in every way.”
Manuela’s career in Italy got off to a turbulent start and she was forced to be escorted from one fixture in the Eccellenza, Italy’s fifth division.
“I barricaded myself in the locker room,” she said. “The coaches and managers of a team were shouting at me ‘we’ll kill you, get out’.
“I called the police who escorted me out. I remember it as if it were yesterday.”
Manuela acknowledged verbal abuse is an issue all referees encounter, but when questioned whether she’s ever faced harassment, she responded: “Yes, but I’d rather not talk about it.
“I never gave in, which is why it took me so long to make a career. It happened (players making advances), but I never gave in. I’m not the type who dreamed of getting engaged to a footballer.
“On the pitch, whether I was facing (Kylian) Mbappe or (Mohamed) Salah, it was the same for me.”
Manuela can now be spotted on screens during the King’s Cup – established by Gerard Pique – where she officiates as a referee.
