A trailblazing figure will take charge of England’s international friendly against Senegal tonight after female official Stephanie Frappart was appointed for the clash.
The French referee etched her own name in Three Lions history back in 2023 when she became the first female to oversee an England men’s senior game when they took on Australia at Wembley.
She’ll be back in the thick of things at the City Ground as Thomas Tuchel’s side look to improve on a thoroughly underwhelming display against Andorra on Sunday, which saw them emerge slender 1-0 victors against much weaker opposition.
Frappart has far more accomplishments to her name that stretch beyond Wembley, first smashing the glass ceiling in her homeland when she was the first woman to referee in France’s top two men’s divisions, Ligue 1 and Ligue 2.
She later became the first woman to officiate in Europe’s upper echelons as she took charge in the Champions League and Super Cup.
Frappart then reached the pinnacle of the international game in Qatar in 2022, becoming the first female to oversee a men’s World Cup fixture when she led Germany’s clash with Costa Rica.
She remains a leading figure in the woman’s game and has officiated at three Women’s World Cups, the latest coming in 2023 in Australia and New Zealand.
“Stephanie is an outstanding referee and she has officiated on the highest stage within France, across Europe and at the men’s and women’s FIFA World Cup,” FA head of refereeing operations Peter Elsworth said.
The FA also noted that they were “keen to take the opportunity” to appoint Frappart when the French Football Federation indicated her availability.
Alongside Frappart for the game will be assistant referees Aurelien Drouet and Camille Soriano, with Abdelatif Kherradji as fourth official. Mathieu Vernice is VAR alongside AVAR Benoit Miller, completing the lineup of French officials.
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