She is why I started to watch football!
Fernanda Colombo UlianaEarly Doors has always been suspicious of football referees. Deciding to become one of the men in black has always seemed a peculiarly cruel bargain with the devil: sure, you get to be involved in football at a level that could be far higher than your own skill, and we can kind of understand getting a kick out of blowing the whistle and laying down the law.
But are those minor thrills really worth becoming the sporting equivalent of a traffic warden? Is the uniform and the whistle or flag adequate compensation for the constant barrage of abuse from fans and players, aggression that often borders on physical assault, and guaranteed public humiliation every time you make a mistake? It's not as if there's money in it: unless you get to the very highest level, the money on offer equates to little more than petrol expenses.
For a man in early middle age it all might be worth it, of course. But if you were a young, beautiful woman with the world at your feet, would you still give up your weekends to be a match official?
You would if you were 25-year-old Fernanda Colombo Uliana, an up-and-coming match official from Brazil who caused a minor earthquake on the internet when she ran the line at the Brazilian Cup match between Sao Paolo and CRB this week.
Fernanda has just been granted FIFA official status by the refereeing committee of the Brazilian FA (aka the CBF), hence her appearance in such a high profile match.
And rather than regretting the fact that she will now have to have abuse hurled at her from far larger crowds, she is delighted that her career has moved on to the next level - both for herself, and for women in general.
"It's one more step towards winning people over," she told local paper Diario Catarinense.
Fernanda still has a day job, working as a personal trainer specialising in hydro-fitness at a gym in Florianopolis, but it's clear she has eyes on a full-time career in football.
"It's the result of all the dedication I've shown. Who wouldn't want to receive recognition in their chosen career, after all? For me it's a huge victory."
But are those minor thrills really worth becoming the sporting equivalent of a traffic warden? Is the uniform and the whistle or flag adequate compensation for the constant barrage of abuse from fans and players, aggression that often borders on physical assault, and guaranteed public humiliation every time you make a mistake? It's not as if there's money in it: unless you get to the very highest level, the money on offer equates to little more than petrol expenses.
For a man in early middle age it all might be worth it, of course. But if you were a young, beautiful woman with the world at your feet, would you still give up your weekends to be a match official?
You would if you were 25-year-old Fernanda Colombo Uliana, an up-and-coming match official from Brazil who caused a minor earthquake on the internet when she ran the line at the Brazilian Cup match between Sao Paolo and CRB this week.
Fernanda has just been granted FIFA official status by the refereeing committee of the Brazilian FA (aka the CBF), hence her appearance in such a high profile match.
And rather than regretting the fact that she will now have to have abuse hurled at her from far larger crowds, she is delighted that her career has moved on to the next level - both for herself, and for women in general.
"It's one more step towards winning people over," she told local paper Diario Catarinense.
Fernanda still has a day job, working as a personal trainer specialising in hydro-fitness at a gym in Florianopolis, but it's clear she has eyes on a full-time career in football.
"It's the result of all the dedication I've shown. Who wouldn't want to receive recognition in their chosen career, after all? For me it's a huge victory."
When she is not refereeing, she is a model.
No comments:
Post a Comment