Fernanda Colombo is 23 years old and has already reached a level very few women have reached in Brazilian football 🇧🇷⚽
A lineswoman in the First Division, she studied Physical Education, rose through the lower divisions and is now one of the country’s most recognized assistant referees. But her fame does not come solely from the whistle: “I think being attractive has hurt me in my career as an assistant referee”, she admits bluntly. She says her mistakes are magnified in the media in a way that would never happen to a male colleague, and that sexism in Brazilian football is real and deep-rooted, more so than in other countries, as she herself acknowledges.
The curious thing is that, according to her, elite players respect her: the problems came from coaches and officials. Even Romario publicly came to her defense. With nearly 60,000 followers on Facebook and the dream of refereeing in Spain one day, Fernanda continues fighting for something simple: to be judged by her work, not by her looks 💪