Manuela Nicolosi: Powerful Journey of a Football Referee
From Childhood Football Passion to International Success
Introduction
Manuela Nicolosi is an Italian-born football official whose career became an important part of the growth of women in association football referee roles. Born in Rome on 18 January 1980, she entered refereeing as a teenager and eventually reached some of the most prestigious stages in international football. Her journey took her from local pitches in Italy to France, FIFA competitions, Olympic Games, a Women’s World Cup final and the UEFA Super Cup.
Her story is especially powerful because her path was not straightforward. As a child, she wanted to play football, but her family viewed the sport as unsuitable for girls. Instead of abandoning football, Nicolosi discovered refereeing and turned that obstacle into an opportunity. Her career demonstrates how determination and professional preparation can transform a difficult beginning into international success.
Quick Bio of Manuela Nicolosi
| Category | Details |
|---|---|
| Full Name | Manuela Nicolosi |
| Date of Birth | 18 January 1980 |
| Birthplace | Rome, Italy |
| Nationality | Italian-born French football official |
| Profession | International football official, former assistant referee, speaker and author |
| Known For | FIFA competitions, Women’s World Cup final and UEFA Super Cup |
| International Career | Began in 2010 |
| Major Sports | Association football |
| Olympic Appearances | 2016 and 2020 |
| Major 2019 Assignment | FIFA Women’s World Cup final |
| Historic Match | 2019 UEFA Super Cup, Liverpool vs Chelsea |
| Book | Decido io. Dal sogno alla Supercoppa |
| Current Professional Work | Speaker, author, football/refereeing talent and educator |
Early Life and Family Influence
Manuela Nicolosi grew up in Rome in a family where football was already important. She went to the stadium with her father as a child and became fascinated by the atmosphere surrounding the sport. Her early dream was to become a footballer and experience the game from the pitch rather than from the stands.
That dream faced an early setback because her father did not want her to play football, considering it a sport for boys. Her family connection with refereeing eventually offered another route into the game. Her cousin helped inspire her interest in refereeing, and at around 15 years old Nicolosi began her journey as an association football referee.
Starting a Career in Refereeing
Nicolosi entered refereeing when opportunities for women in football were far more limited than they are today. She began on youth pitches, where she encountered difficult conditions, strong reactions from spectators and the broader prejudice surrounding women in football. Instead of allowing those experiences to end her ambitions, she continued progressing through the system.
Her early career gave her practical experience in decision-making, match management and handling pressure. These skills later became central to her success as an international assistant referee. Her development also showed that refereeing could provide her with a path into elite football even when playing opportunities had been restricted.
Moving to France for Education and Football
In the early 2000s, Nicolosi moved to France to continue her education at a business school in Troyes. The move became an important turning point because it connected her academic ambitions with a new stage in her refereeing career. She learned French and contacted the Paris Île-de-France football league after realizing how much she missed refereeing.
She successfully entered the French system and progressed through its competitive structure. By 2008, she had reached the top level of French women’s football as a central referee. In 2010, she was recognized as the best female referee in the French championship, marking an important stage in her development.
International Career Begins in 2010
The year 2010 became one of the most important points in Manuela Nicolosi’s career because she became an international referee. From there, her professional opportunities expanded from domestic competitions to major international tournaments.
Her career later included FIFA competitions, UEFA tournaments and the Olympic Games. She also progressed in the French men’s football structure, becoming an assistant in National in 2013 and reaching Ligue 2 in 2018. Balancing elite refereeing with a full-time management career eventually became increasingly difficult, leading her to dedicate herself more fully to football officiating.
Major International Tournaments
Nicolosi became involved in several major international competitions during her career. Her Olympic record includes appearances at the 2016 Rio Olympics and the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, where she worked as an assistant referee in women’s football.
Her tournament experience also included the FIFA Women’s World Cup, UEFA Women’s Euro competitions and other FIFA events. A later 2026 speaker biography describes her as having been selected for two Olympic Games, five FIFA tournaments and two UEFA championships, underlining the breadth of her international experience.
2019 FIFA Women’s World Cup Final
The greatest breakthrough of Manuela Nicolosi’s refereeing career came in 2019. She was selected as an assistant referee for the FIFA Women’s World Cup in France and became part of the officiating team for the final between the United States and the Netherlands.
The appointment represented the achievement of a dream she had developed during childhood. Her journey from small pitches and early resistance to a World Cup final demonstrated the scale of her professional progress. It also established her as one of the most prominent Italian women to reach the highest levels of international football officiating.
Historic UEFA Super Cup in 2019
Only a short time after the Women’s World Cup final, Nicolosi reached another historic milestone. She was part of the female officiating team for the 2019 UEFA Super Cup between Liverpool and Chelsea in Istanbul. Stéphanie Frappart was the referee, with Nicolosi and Michelle O’Neill serving as assistant referees.
The appointment was historic because it represented the first female officiating trio to work a major European men’s final. For Nicolosi, the occasion became a symbol of breaking through the barriers that had restricted women’s participation in elite football. Her career therefore became significant not only for her personal achievements but also for the wider development of women in refereeing.
Ligue 1 Achievement
Another important achievement came in French men’s football. On 5 March 2023, Nicolosi was part of the first female trio to officiate a Ligue 1 match. The game was Troyes against Monaco, with Stéphanie Frappart and Élodie Coppola completing the officiating team.
The occasion had additional meaning because Troyes was the city where Nicolosi had studied after moving to France. Her return to the city at such an important point in her career created a striking connection between the beginning of her French journey and one of its major professional milestones.
Education and Business Career
Football was only one part of Nicolosi’s professional development. She also built an academic and corporate career. Her published biography identifies her as having two degrees in Business and Management as well as a master’s degree in finance. She also worked as a manager for major international companies.
This combination of business and elite sport later became central to her work as a speaker. She uses experiences from refereeing and management to discuss leadership, decision-making, resilience, preparation and professional development. Her career demonstrates how skills developed on the football field can also translate into business environments.
Motherhood and Personal Balance
Nicolosi has spoken publicly about balancing her professional ambitions with motherhood. She has a daughter, and in an interview with Manageritalia she explained how becoming a mother changed her priorities. During that period, her daughter became her main focus before Nicolosi later returned to international refereeing as her daughter became more independent.
Her experience became part of her broader message about work-life balance. Rather than presenting career and family as permanently competing priorities, she has discussed setting goals over defined periods and changing priorities according to circumstances. This perspective has become part of her speaking and educational work.
Retirement and New Professional Chapter
After a distinguished refereeing career, Nicolosi retired from active officiating. The French elite referees’ union described her retirement as the beginning of a new professional chapter rather than an end to her involvement with football.
Her post-refereeing career has included conferences, training sessions, education and motivational speaking. She has also continued working in football-related media. A 2025 Manageritalia profile identifies her as a refereeing talent with DAZN since 2024 and says she shares her knowledge with schools and companies.
Manuela Nicolosi as an Author
Nicolosi became an author with Decido io. Dal sogno alla Supercoppa: il coraggio di rompere gli schemi. Published by ROI Edizioni in October 2024, the book tells the story of her journey from childhood football passion to international refereeing and the historic UEFA Super Cup.
The book focuses on themes including ambition, difficult decisions, professional competence, resilience and the challenge of balancing work, personal life and sporting goals. It provides an extended account of the experiences that shaped her career and her philosophy of making decisive choices.
Career Timeline
| Year | Career Milestone |
|---|---|
| 1980 | Born in Rome, Italy |
| Around 1995 | Began refereeing at approximately 15 |
| Early 2000s | Moved to France for education |
| 2008 | Reached France’s top women’s division |
| 2010 | Became an international referee |
| 2013 | Became an assistant in National |
| 2015 | Selected for the FIFA Women’s World Cup |
| 2016 | Worked at the Rio Olympic Games |
| 2017 | Participated in UEFA Women’s Euro |
| 2018 | Reached Ligue 2 as an assistant |
| 2019 | Worked at the FIFA Women’s World Cup final |
| 2019 | Worked the UEFA Super Cup between Liverpool and Chelsea |
| 2020/21 | Worked at the Tokyo Olympic Games |
| 2022 | Participated in UEFA Women’s Euro |
| 2023 | Part of the first female trio to officiate a Ligue 1 match |
| 2024 | Published Decido io and began/continued work as a DAZN refereeing talent |
| 2025–2026 | Continued speaking, writing and professional education activities |
The timeline is based on Olympedia, the French elite referees’ union, ROI Edizioni and current professional biographies.
Positive and Negative Turning Points
Positive Turning Points
The most positive moments in Nicolosi’s career include becoming an international official, reaching the Women’s World Cup final, working the UEFA Super Cup, appearing at Olympic Games and later using her experience in business and education. Each achievement expanded the possibilities for women in association football refereeing.
Difficult Challenges
Her career also involved significant challenges. She faced gender stereotypes from childhood, difficult conditions during her early refereeing years and the pressure of succeeding in a traditionally male-dominated football environment. She also had to balance a demanding management career, elite refereeing and motherhood.
Legacy and Influence
Manuela Nicolosi’s legacy extends beyond individual matches. Her career helped demonstrate that women can reach elite positions in football officiating, including major men’s competitions. Her historic UEFA Super Cup appointment and Ligue 1 appearance are especially important examples of that progression.
Today, her work as an author, speaker and football talent allows her to communicate lessons from her sporting career to wider audiences. Her story combines football, management, leadership and resilience, making her career relevant well beyond the football pitch.
Conclusion
Manuela Nicolosi built an extraordinary career by refusing to let early barriers define her future. From watching football in Rome with her father to becoming an international association football referee, her journey crossed national borders and eventually reached the biggest stages of the sport. Her participation in the 2019 Women’s World Cup final and historic UEFA Super Cup remains central to her legacy.
Her story did not end with retirement. Through writing, speaking, media work and education, Nicolosi continues to turn her experiences into lessons about leadership, decision-making, resilience and ambition. Her career remains a powerful example of how persistence can transform an unlikely opportunity into an international achievement.
Frequently Asked Questions
1. Who is Manuela Nicolosi?
Manuela Nicolosi is an Italian-born international football official and former assistant referee known for major FIFA, UEFA and Olympic assignments.
2. When was Manuela Nicolosi born?
Manuela Nicolosi was born on 18 January 1980 in Rome, Italy.
3. Where did Manuela Nicolosi grow up?
She grew up in Rome, Italy, where her childhood passion for football developed through visits to the stadium with her father.
4. Does Manuela Nicolosi have a daughter?
Yes, Nicolosi has a daughter and has publicly discussed how motherhood influenced her career priorities.
5. Why did Manuela Nicolosi become a referee?
She wanted to play football as a child but was discouraged from doing so, and she later discovered refereeing through her family connection to the profession.
6. Where did Manuela Nicolosi study in France?
She moved to Troyes, France, to study at a business school before restarting her refereeing career in the French football system.
7. What book did Manuela Nicolosi write?
She wrote Decido io. Dal sogno alla Supercoppa: il coraggio di rompere gli schemi, published by ROI Edizioni in 2024.
8. What was Manuela Nicolosi’s biggest refereeing achievement?
One of her defining achievements was serving as an assistant referee in the 2019 FIFA Women’s World Cup final and then working the historic UEFA Super Cup between Liverpool and Chelsea.
9. When did Manuela Nicolosi become an international referee?
She became an international referee in 2010.
10. What does Manuela Nicolosi do after refereeing?
She works as a speaker, author, educator and football/refereeing media talent, including work with DAZN.
