Ligue 1: Stéphanie Frappart, it’s over

After more than two decades spent refereeing professional football matches, Stéphanie Frappart has decided to retire.

A page is turning for Stéphanie Frappart. The day after the announcement by the UEFA executive committee of her appointment as a member of the European body’s referees committee, the forty-two-year-old Frenchwoman decided to put her whistle in the closet. The French Football Federation announced it this Friday and did not fail to pay him tribute for his career.

Before starting in her new role, Stéphanie Frappart leaves a mark in the history of arbitration. And not just from a French point of view. Initially a referee for women’s matches, she truly came into the spotlight in 2014 when she became the first woman to manage a men’s Ligue 2 match, at a certain Niort-Brest. A first ” reward “ for the one who had already held her position for seventeen years.

In 2019, a new additional level with this Ligue 1 match between Amiens and Strasbourg. And here again, Stéphanie Frappart becomes the first woman to referee an elite men’s match. On the international level, she will also make a string of high-profile appearances, for example with this UEFA Super Cup match between Chelsea and Liverpool (2019). At the 2022 World Cup, again, she is once again the first woman to lead a men’s match (Costa Rica-Germany).

Stéphanie Frappart changes hat

In total, Stéphanie Frappart will have participated in three women’s World Cups, one men’s World Cup, two editions of the Olympic Games for the women’s tournament, three women’s Euros and one men’s.

In her new role within UEFA, the native of du Plessis-Bouchard “ will contribute to the strategic development of refereeing in Europe, as well as UEFA’s work in referee appointments, performance monitoring, technical advice and the ongoing development of match officials for UEFA competitions.”indicated the authority.