Tired of being called the "sexy referee": She closed her social media accounts
Female football referee Emanuela Rusta stated that she is uncomfortable with being referred to as the "sexy referee." It was also reported that Rusta had to close her Instagram account due to being subjected to sexist messages.
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Female football referee Emanuela Rusta has expressed that she is no longer comfortable being labeled as the "sexy referee".
Rusta, who will officiate the Women's Champions League match between Sporting Lisbon and Real Madrid, spoke to the press ahead of the game.
The 30-year-old referee has made her mark on the European football stage after achieving the milestone of being the first woman to officiate a men's SuperLiga match in Albania.
"REFEREEING IS A MATTER OF COMPETENCE, NOT GENDER"
Rusta told AFP via Marca:
"They should focus on my professionalism rather than other things. You have to fight hard to be accepted. You have to shatter the glass ceiling. Refereeing is not a matter of gender, it is a matter of competence. To make good decisions, you need to know the rules of the game very well, and at the same time, you need to be physically fit and have a high capacity for concentration."
On the other hand, headlines written about Rusta have included phrases such as "the sexy referee who raises the temperature".
CLOSED HER SOCIAL MEDIA ACCOUNT
It was noted that the female referee Rusta previously used social media actively, but closed her Instagram account due to the sexist messages she received on the platform.
"I FEEL APPRECIATED"
Continuing her remarks regarding the appreciation shown to her, Rusta said, "I hope we will soon see days where four female referees officiate matches in the top-tier men's category. Even though it is an environment mostly dominated by men, I feel that the work I do on the pitch is respected and appreciated. As long as you maintain a professional approach, are fair, impartial, and committed to your job, it is impossible not to receive support from your colleagues or the federation."
Rusta, who played basketball in Albania before becoming a referee, transitioned to football while studying physical education.
It was reported that Rusta currently balances her refereeing career by working as a middle school physical education teacher.
The European match to be played today will be her first Women's Champions League match as a referee.
However, Rusta has officiated 15 matches in the Albanian men's Super League, two of which were this season.