Maria Sole Ferrieri Caputi said Friday that the fact she has become the first woman to be admitted to Serie A’s roster of referees shows the barriers that once existed in soccer are coming down.
“There are no longer barriers along the lines of ‘you can’t do this because we don’t want it’,” Ferrieri Caputi told a press conference organized by the Italian Soccer Federation (FIGC). “There was no precise time at which I thought to myself that I can make it (to Serie A). “There has been more support since there was a change at the helm of the (Italian referees association) AIA because they gave us the instruments to be able to grow.
“Today the AIA makes us do the same fitness tests as the men. “I am already at work for next season, 100% focused to be as ready as possible for the resumption [of action]. “I’m working hard and making sacrifices for my dream. I’m happy to be able to keep cultivating it. “I’ve always loved soccer since I was little but I have never played. “My parents were not in favour. “Now the climate is different. “Professionalism in women’s soccer (in Italy as of next season) is fundamentally important to attracting girls to football”.
