Women’s Champions League referee says she’s sick of being referred to as ‘the sexy ref’ after closing down her Instagram due to sexist messages

Referee Emanuela Rusta has said she is fed up with being called ‘the sexy referee’ after officiating in the Women’s Champions League.

Rusta, 30, is from Albania and became the first woman to referee a match in the Albanian men’s SuperLiga. In recent months she has made the transition to the European stage.

She was previously active on social media, posting glamorous photos of herself in a bikini while working out at the gym. However, she has now closed her Instagram account after receiving sexist messages on the platform.

Rusta, who will referee tonight’s Champions League match between Sporting Lisbon and Real Madrid for women, believes the media attention surrounding her performance has made it difficult for her to reach the same level as her male colleagues.

“They should focus more on my professionalism than on other things,” she told AFP, quoted by Brand.

But she has attracted more attention for her physical appearance than for her refereeing performance.

Rusta has closed her Instagram account after being the victim of sexist messages

The 30-year-old has revealed she is tired of being called ‘the sexy referee’ by the media

Rusta has faced headlines such as: ‘The sexy referee who raises the temperature’ in her home country, while another report in 2022 claimed that she ‘stole the show’ in a Champions League match, despite being only the fourth official.

Rusta added: ‘You have to fight hard to be accepted. You have to shatter the glass ceiling.’

Despite facing comments about her appearance off the field, Rusta feels respected on the field and hopes for more challenging opportunities in her chosen profession.

“Refereeing is not about gender, it’s about competence,” she said.

‘The (Albanian) Referees Association has always focused on promoting women, so my case is not a coincidence or the end of the process. I hope that the day is not far away when there will be four women refereeing a match in the highest male category.

Rusta has ambitions to referee top-level men’s matches in the future

She could follow in the footsteps of Stephanie Frappart (pictured), who has refereed in the men’s Champions League and at the 2022 World Cup.

‘Even though it may seem like a predominantly male environment, I feel respected and valued for the work I do on the field.’

Rusta could follow in the footsteps of her female colleague Stephanie Frappart, who became the first woman to officiate a men’s Champions League match when she took charge of the 2020 match between Juventus and Dynamo Kyiv.

She made further history at the 2022 Men’s World Cup when she refereed the group match between Germany and Costa Rica in Qatar.