"I could hear my heart racing": Ukrainian women referee recalls journey to the top


FILE PHOTO: Referee Kateryna Monzul gestures during the football match of the Ukrainian Premier League between Shakhtar Donetsk and FC Zorya Luhansk at the NSC Olympiyskiy stadium in Kyiv, Ukraine February 28, 2021. Picture taken February 28, 2021. REUTERS/Valentyn Ogirenko

KYIV (Reuters) - Kateryna Monzul made history in 2016 when she became the first female referee in Ukraine to officiate a soccer match in the men's top division, a game between Chornomorets Odesa against Volyn Lutsk.

"Despite the mental training, when I went out on the soccer pitch and watched the teams lining up, I could hear my heart racing. I was overwhelmed with emotions," recalls Monzul.

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