Anna-Lena Heidenreich and her fellow referees in the women’s Bundesliga are being criticized. Image: picture alliance / Eibner press photo
The German Football Association rejects the form of criticism with which 1. FC Nürnberg complains about the referees in the women’s Bundesliga. “That has nothing to do with fair play,” says DFB vice-president Ronny Zimmermann.
Top DFB officials Sabine Mammitzsch and Ronny Zimmermann reacted angrily to 1. FC Nürnberg’s massive criticism of the referees in the women’s Bundesliga. “Despite all understanding of the displeasure over bad decisions, it is not okay how our referees are being put under public pressure. That has nothing to do with fair play,” said Ronny Zimmermann, vice president of the German Football Association, who is responsible, among other things, for refereeing.
“It is very strange how our female referees are publicly pilloried in this way,” said Sabine Mammitzsch, Vice President for Women’s and Girls’ Football. At the same time, she admitted: “For us there is no question that structural work needs to be done on the conditions and requirements for the referees. This applies to all areas of the league.”
“Leaguewide Problematics”
1. FC Nürnberg had complained bitterly about the performance of female referees in the upper house. “We are talking about a cross-club, league-wide problem here,” said Osman Cankaya, sporting director of the “Club” women.
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According to other people in charge, it is also a problem that referees from men’s professional leagues are not allowed to referee in the women’s Bundesliga because there are separate squads for the referees at the DFB. “Men are not automatically better referees,” said Zimmermann.
