SC Freiburg and VfL Wolfsburg will face off in the women’s DFB Cup final on Thursday afternoon. The referee is Fabienne Michel from Mainz.
More than 40,000 tickets have already been sold for the women’s DFB Cup final in Cologne, and millions of viewers will be watching the game on television (from 4:30 p.m. live on ARD). “I’m looking forward to the game and the backdrop the most,” says Fabienne Michel in a DFB interview with a view to her cup trip to Cologne. For the 28-year-old referee from Mainz, it is a great honor to referee the final: “I’m really happy about the appointment. It’s an absolute highlight in my career as a referee and a great honor.”
Fabienne Michel – the first referee, refereeing a game with VAR
Fabienne Michel has been in charge of games in the Bundesliga for six years, and the student has been on international assignments since last year. As a FIFA referee, the 28-year-old also recently underwent intensive VAR training. Not unimportant, because the team around the Mainz native will be the first female team in Germany in Cologne to lead a cup final with a video referee. “The use of the VAR in this game is a further step in the professionalization of women’s football,” says Christine Baitinger, sporting director of the women’s referees. In addition, goal-line technology can be used in the cup final.
Michel, who whistles for TSV Gau Odernheim from Rheinhessen, started refereeing at the age of 13. “I like being part of the game and making decisions,” says Michel, adding: “It’s just nice to feel that you’ve contributed to a good game within a fair framework.” Through her work as a referee, she has learned many skills in terms of communication and teamwork.
Nomination as appreciation for good performance
Michel was particularly pleased about the composition of the team. Your assistants in the cup final are Sina Diekmann from Essen and Melissa Joos from Leinfelden-Echterdingen. “The nomination is appreciation for the work we’ve done over the past few years,” says the Mainz native, who has overseen 50 games in the women’s Bundesliga so far. The cup final is probably the most prestigious game of a women’s soccer season in Germany and will be played in front of a record crowd this year. Even if there is a “little moment of goosebumps” when running in, Fabienne Michel will be fully focused during the 90 minutes: “As soon as the ball rolls, I will probably hardly notice it because we are simply too focused on the game and block out the atmosphere like in a kind of tunnel.”