Men’s football plays by her rules
dubai — It’s a man’s world, they say, but not anymore. What a man can do, a woman can match that, if not do better. And on the evidence of what transpired on a muggy Wednesday night in Istanbul, they can take it up a notch.
The Uefa Super Cup, European club football’s season-opener, played out in front of 38,434 fans at Vodafone Park, with English clubs Liverpool and Chelsea dishing out entertaining fare.
But the night clearly stood out as it marked the first time a female referee officiated a top men’s European fixture. Frenchwoman Stephanie Frappart, who also refereed the women’s World Cup final between the USA and the Netherlands last month, conquered another male bastion, paving the way for more to come.
She had an outstanding game and Frappart was not alone. It was an all-woman crew with Frappart’s compatriot Manuela Nicolosi and Ireland’s Michelle O’Neill being the lineswomen.
It was a first and hopefully won’t be the last.
Take a bow, ladies!
istanbul — Jurgen Klopp hailed “incredible” Uefa Super Cup hero Adrian and then admitted he had no idea where the goalkeeper even was a fortnight ago.
The Spaniard, only in the side because of an injury to number one goalkeeper Allison Becker, saved Tammy Abraham’s penalty to give Liverpool a 5-4 shootout win against Chelsea after the showdown between Champions League and Europa League winners had finished 2-2 in Istanbul on Wednesday.
Adrian, the 32-year-old former Betis shot-stopper joined Liverpool on a free transfer to replace the departed Simon Mignolet on August 5, the day after Klopp’s team lost on penalties to Manchester City in the Community Shield.
Released by West Ham United, he was thrust into the spotlight when he had to replace the injured Alisson in the first half of the Premier League opening 4-1 win against Norwich on Friday.
“I don’t know where Adrian was two weeks ago when we played Man City,” said Klopp after seeing his European champions win the Super Cup for the fourth time.
“When I spoke to him for the first time it was clear he would need time to get fit, but we didn’t have that time so he has to be fit now, and he was fit, he played an incredible game, he made sensational saves.”
Adrian made notable interventions during the game, diving at the feet of Mateo Kovacic in the first half and batting away a Mason Mount strike late in extra time.
“In penalty shootouts you’re always lucky but his performance over 120 minutes was incredible, making the save from the penalty was the icing on the cake,” said Klopp.
Every penalty in the shoot-out had been successful before Mohamed Salah converted Liverpool’s fifth kick at the home of Besiktas. Substitute Abraham then had his effort saved by Adrian, the new signing only playing in the absence of the injured Allison Becker.
Sadio Mane had earlier been Liverpool’s star, cancelling out Olivier Giroud’s first-half strike to ensure the match ended 1-1 in 90 minutes, and then putting Klopp’s team in front on 95 minutes.—