Fifa have rejected high-profile demands to use both male and female referees in future Women’s World Cups , following the chaotic scenes during England’s last-16 win over Cameroon on Sunday.
Former England captain Faye White and her ex-international team-mate Casey Stoney have called for a mix of male and female referees for future tournaments, amid criticism of Qin Liang, the Chinese official who took charge of England’s contentious 3-0 win in Valenciennes.
“At the World Cup, it should be the best referee for the job,” White told the Daily Mail. Stoney, Phil Neville’s former assistant in the England set-up and now manager of Manchester United, has suggested that many of the female officials in France are out of their depth, telling the BBC: “Where are these referees refereeing week in, week out? Then we put them on the biggest stage.”
Fifa, who have had a female-only rule since 1995, do not set qualifying criteria for officials at the tournament, leaving it to individual confederations to nominate ‘elite referees’.
However, the governing body this morning insisted there are no plans for change, and pointed out that male officials already work in the women’s game, notably as VARs. “There is no need for such action,” a FIFA spokesperson said. “Male and female referees are already working together.”
Liang, who usually officiates low-intensity matches in front of tiny crowds, did not issue red cards to Cameroon for an early elbow on Nikita Parris and a stamp on Steph Houghton, which has left the England captain a doubt for Thursday’s quarter-final against Norway in Le Havre. Fellow defender Lucy Bronze also missed training today as she was unwell.
Fifa, though, are backing Liang, while an investigation into all aspects of Cameroon’s behaviour is likely to be concluded today.