- Title: Klopp hails female ref for Super Cup as "historic moment"
- Date: 13th August 2019
- Summary: ISTANBUL, TURKEY (AUGUST 13, 2019) (REUTERS) STADIUM INTERIOR VARIOUS OF LIVERPOOL TRAINING LIVERPOOL MANAGER, JUERGEN KLOPP, AT TRAINING LIVERPOOL MANAGER, JUERGEN KLOPP, ARRIVES FOR NEWS CONFERENCE NEWS CONFERENCE IN PROGRESS (SOUNDBITE) (English) LIVERPOOL MANAGER, JUERGEN KLOPP, SAYING ABOUT FEMALE REFEREE FOR SUPER CUP MATCH: "I'm really happy that we can be part of that historic moment. I think there's so many things in the world out there about which we are not smart enough to make the right decisions, but that's a very smart decision that we can finally bring in a woman to be a referee of a very, very important game and a big game in front of millions of people. And we all, I'm pretty sure with all the emotions involved in the moment, I can say I'm really sure to try to help tomorrow night not to make it more difficult than the game itself is anyway. So, I will show my best face, if possible. Otherwise, my mum will be angry. That's normal. It's the first one, so maybe it makes it a little bit more special and I hope it's not the last one, that's all I can say." VARIOUS OF LIVERPOOL GOALKEEPER, ADRIAN, TRAINING MO SALAH AND DIVOCK ORIGI SALAH PERFORMING TRAINING DRILL (SOUNDBITE) (English) LIVERPOOL MANAGER, JUERGEN KLOPP, SAYING ABOUT QUALITY OF CHELSEA: "If people really think Chelsea is not a real challenger then I cannot help these people. Because you have only to watch the team to see what they have. They are really strong, and young and fresh and everything is exciting in the moment because Frank (Lampard) is a club legend. He'll make himself a name as manager, that will happen 100 per cent. You could see that immediately when he took over at Derby and now doing a job at Chelsea. So, it will be really interesting and for us it's a really important game tomorrow night because we don't have to play any other game tomorrow night, that's the only one, and so we are completely focused on that." VARIOUS OF TRAINING IN PROGRESS KLOP WATCHING TRAINING LIVERPOOL PLAYERS, SADIO MANE AND VIRGIL VAN DIJK, ARRIVE FOR NEWS CONFERENCE (SOUNDBITE) (English) LIVERPOOL PLAYER, VIRGIL VAN DIJK, SAYING ABOUT FEMALE REFEREE FOR SUPER CUP MATCH: "I think gender is irrelevant. If the quality is there, and it is there otherwise she wouldn't get appointed for this game, then it doesn't really matter. If you look at the CV as well she had been doing so many good games they made probably the right decision and like I said gender doesn't matter at all." LIVERPOOL TRAINING (PLAYERS SEEN INCLUDE ALEX OXLADE-CHAMBERLAIN, ANDREW ROBERTSON, ADAM LALLANA, TRENT ALEXANDER-ARNOLD, JORDAN HENDERSON AND SADIO MANE) FABINHO, FIRMINO, GINI WIJNALDUM, MO SALAH TRAINING TRAINING IN PROGRESS 19, LIVERPOOL PLAYERS PERFORM TRAINING DRILL ADRIAN IN GOAL JAMES MILNER SENDS A CROSS TOWARD OXLADE-CHAMBERLAIN WHO MISHITS A VOLLEY
- Embargoed: 27th August 2019 19:11
- Keywords: soccer football Frank Lampard female referee Liverpool Chelsea UEFA Juergen Klopp Super Cup Virgil Van Dijk
- Location: ISTANBUL, TURKEY
- City: ISTANBUL, TURKEY
- Country: Turkey
- Topics: Soccer,Sport
- Reuters ID: LVA001AS1XCU7
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text:Liverpool manager Juergen Klopp has hailed the appointment of France's Stephanie Frappart as the first woman to referee a major UEFA competition final as a "historic moment".
Frappart will take charge of the Super Cup between Liverpool and Chelsea on Wednesday, and she vowed to prove female officials are just as effective as their male counterparts.
Asked for his verdict on the decision, Klopp gave it a resounding thumbs-up.
"Finally - it's time. I'm happy to be a part of this historic moment. It's a smart decision to have women referee a very, very important game. It's the first time, but I hope it's not the last," said the German, who guided Liverpool to their sixth European Cup title last season.
"Obviously we're not smart enough to make all the smart decisions, but this is a smart decision."
"I'm really sure we will try to not make the game any more difficult than it will be (for the officials). I will show my best face if possible, otherwise my mum would be angry," he joked.
Frappart, 35, will be assisted by her French compatriot Manuela Nicolosi and Ireland's Michelle O'Neill.
The trio have worked together at bigger matches - they were in charge of this year's Women's World Cup final in France - but there is no doubt they will be under intense focus at Istanbul's Vodafone Park.
The Super Cup is an annual match played between the winners of the Champions League and the Europa League. Liverpool beat Tottenham Hotspur in the Champions League final last season while Chelsea defeated Arsenal in the Europa League final.
Fourth official and Turkish referee Cuneyt Cakir supported the trio, saying: "They are brave, they have courage, they don't hesitate to give unpopular decisions - you will see tomorrow."
UEFA said separately that it had also invited to the game two Italian women referees, Annalisa Moccia and Giulia Nicastro, who had experienced sexist behaviour at recent domestic matches.
"We strongly condemn any form of sexist, discriminatory, derogatory or abusive conduct towards female referees," said UEFA President Aleksander Ceferin in a statement.
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