A brilliant referee who once officiated a match between Chelsea and Liverpool has been urged to tone down her eye-catching looks.
Manuela Nicolosi, 45, has officiated over 200 professional men’s and women’s soccer matches throughout her career, including serving as an assistant referee in the 2019 Super Cup final between Chelsea and Liverpool, but she has been told that her appearance is “getting too much attention”.
In an interview with Italian media outlet Quotidiano Sportivo, she was asked if her appearance had ever been an obstacle.
She replied, “No, it’s the opposite. All my bosses told me that you have to keep a low profile, that you attract too much attention.”
“One year, I was not promoted from Serie C to Serie B because I was too ‘visible’. I almost gave up. Technical mistakes and failing athletic tests are another matter.
“But it’s a big deal to have them stop you for being ‘flashy’. I left Italy at 20 because I realized that Italy didn’t want female referees.
“They get you to a certain level, a regional level, and then they put spokes in your wheel in every way.”
Manuela’s career in Italy got off to a turbulent start, with him being sent off from one game against Echerenza in Italy’s fifth division.
“I barricaded myself in the locker room,” she said. “The team’s coaches and managers were shouting at me, ‘We’re going to kill you, get out of there.’
“I called the police and they came out. I remember it like it was yesterday.”
Manuela admitted that verbal abuse is an issue that all referees encounter, but when asked if he had ever been harassed he answered: “Yes, but I don’t want to talk about it.
“I never gave in. That’s why it took me so long to build my career. There were (players stepping forward) but I never gave in. I’m not the type of person who dreams of being engaged to a football player.”
“On the pitch, whether I played against (Kylian) Mbappé or against (Mohamed) Salah, it was the same for me.”
Manuela can currently be seen on screen during matches as a referee in the King’s Cup, founded by Gerard Pique.
