BERLIN: After a decade in Germany’s second division, Bibiana Steinhaus will make Bundesliga history this season by becoming the first woman to referee in the country’s top flight.
The 38-year-old police officer is among four referees to have been promoted by the German Footbal Federation (DFB) into the league’s elite group of 24.
“For every referee, whether man or woman, the dream is to be able to referee in the Bundesliga. I worked very hard toward that goal and had some setbacks over the past few years, so I’m very happy about the referees’ commission’s confidence,” Steinhaus said when her promotion was announced in May. “It shows that the performance-principle also applies in the field of referees.”
The daughter of a referee, she began by officiating women’s games for the DFB in 1999. Steinhaus then became a FIFA referee in 2005 and earned her place in the second division in 2007, as the first female referee in German professional football, before securing her latest promotion.
During that time, Steinhaus has handled women’s World Cups and European Championships, along with the gold medal match between the United States and Japan at the 2012 Olympics in London. Last June, she took charge of the women’s Champions League final between Lyon and Paris Saint-Germain.
Of her 80 matches in Germany’s second tier, all but one went off without a hitch for Steinhaus. After sending off Kerem Demirbay in 2015, the then-Fortuna Duesseldorf midfielder reportedly told her: “Women have no place in men’s football.”
Demirbay was roundly criticized for the remark and handed a three-game ban with two further games suspended. Duesseldorf also made Demirbay referee a girls’ game to ensure he understood the message.
Demirbay apologized both publicly and to Steinhaus directly for his comment, and said he was “very happy that she accepted my apology.” The 24-year-old player is likely to meet Steinhaus again this season if she takes charge of any games involving his current club, Hoffenheim.
However, Steinhaus is already aware that she may be treated differently to other referees. During Bayern Munich’s game against Chemnitzer FC in the German Cup last Saturday, she had one of her bootlaces untied by Bayern winger Franck Ribery as he pretended to put the ball in place for a free kick.
She laughed it off by giving Ribery a couple of playful punches in response, but it is debatable whether the France winger would have untied the bootlace if he had been dealing with a male referee.
“She laughed, that’s positive,” Ribery told broadcaster ARD afterward. “It was a joke, but you always have to respect the other.”
It was not Steinhaus’ first run-in with someone from Bayern. As the fourth official during a league game in 2014, she shrugged off Pep Guardiola’s hand from her shoulder as the then-Bayern coach got animated over a decision.
Bundesliga top flight set for its first woman referee
Bundesliga top flight set for its first woman referee
PSG rally from early deficit to beat Monaco 3-2 away in Champions League playoff
- PSG are now in an advantageous position for the return leg in Paris next Wednesday as they look to progress to next month’s last 16
MONACO: Champions League holders Paris St. Germain overcame a horror start and a two-goal deficit to beat 10-man Monaco 3-2 away in the first leg of their knockout round playoff tie on Tuesday.
Desire Doue came off the bench to engineer an impressive turnaround for PSG, who conceded a goal in the opening minute and were 2-0 down after 18 minutes as Folarin Balogun grabbed a double for the hosts.
The 20-year-old Doue replaced Ballon d’Or winner Ousmane Dembele, who went off injured after 27 minutes, and proved decisive for the visitors as he struck two superb goals plus set up one for Achraf Hakimi.
Monaco spent most of the second half down to 10 men after Aleksandr Golovin was shown a red card for a studs-up tackle that raked down the shin of Vitinha with the referee upgrading his original caution to a sending off after consulting the touchline VAR screen.
PSG are now in an advantageous position for the return leg in Paris next Wednesday as they look to progress to next month’s last 16.
However, the European champions were in all sorts of trouble after 56 seconds when their fullback Nuno Mendes had a stray cross-field pass cut out in midfield, handing Monaco a first attack with Golovin chipping for Balogun to head home from close range.
Monaco looked to be in the driving seat as Balogun netted a second goal after Maghnes Akliouche’s cleverly weighted pass allowed the American striker to outsprint PSG captain Marquinhos and score.
PSG WASTE PENALTY OPPORTUNITY BUT STILL WIN
Their fortunes were still looking good despite a defensive slip by Wout Faes, which led to the defender pulling back on Khvicha Kvaratskhelia and giving away a 22nd-minute penalty, but Vitinha’s effort was saved by Philipp Kohn.
But the tie swung as Doue came on for Dembele and scored with his first touch in the 29th minute with a left-footed effort after being teed up by Bradley Barcola. The goal was confirmed after a VAR check denied Monaco’s claims for a foul on defender Vanderson in the buildup.
Doue’s rifling shot in the 41st minute was parried away by Kohn, but Hakimi reacted quickly to pounce on the rebound and make it 2-2 before the break.
Golovin’s dismissal in the 48th minute left Monaco on the back foot as the visitors then dominated proceedings and should have had more than just the 67th-minute winner from Doue – another superbly struck shot that flew into the goal from the edge of the penalty area.
“I didn’t feel I had to show something starting on the bench, I tried to play as usual. Tonight it paid off. I was able to score, to help the team. That’s my job,” Doue said.
“The coach makes his choices, he thinks about putting the best players in the team. Tonight he fielded this starting eleven, which is very good. Whether it’s a defeat or a victory, it’s always a team effort.”
PSG midfielder Warren Zaire-Emery missed a couple of good chances and Hakimi came close to a late fourth goal when his 86th-minute angled effort went close across the face of the goal.
“Disappointment is the overriding feeling,” said Monaco captain Denis Zakaria. “We went into this match with the aim of winning, but we didn’t manage to do it today. We still have our chances. We’re going to Paris and trying to win there.”
