Focus on women referees

Europe's leading women referees gather in Nyon for their fourth annual UEFA course on Wednesday and Thursday.

Constant progress
As part of UEFA's much-respected referee development programme, European football's governing body gives its full attention to nurturing women referees, given the flourishing nature of women's football and the constant progress being made by European women match officials, some of whom have become regulars in the top-flight divisions across the continent.

Theoretical and practical
Around 40 international women referees will be in Nyon, together with members of UEFA's Referees' Committee for a course which combines theoretical and practical work - with the recent FIFA Women's World Cup in China the focus of attention. Five European referees and eight assistants took part in the tournament last month.

World Cup analysis
Through video analysis and discussion groups, the referees and UEFA experts will reach conclusions about developments in women's refereeing on the basis of the World Cup action, and about some of the key decisions taken in the final round, which was won by Germany for the second successive time.

FIFA fitness test
Referees will undertake the FIFA fitness test as part of the course, under the guidance of Belgian referee fitness expert Werner Helsen, who has been working together with UEFA for a number of years in the men's and women's referee sector. The course will also include a review of the recent summer gathering of Europe's leading men referees.

The following referees are attending the seminar:

Elite category
BROHET Claudine (Belgium)
DAMKOVA Dagmar (Czech Republic)
IHRINGOVA Alexandra (England)
BECK Christine (Germany)
GAÁL Gyöngyi (Hungary)
DE TONI Anna (Italy)
DORCIOMAN Cristina (Romania)
IONESCU Floarea Cristina (Romania)
AVDONCHENKO Natalia (Russia)
PETIGNAT Nicole (Switzerland)
OEDLUND Eva (Sweden)
PALMQVIST Jenny (Sweden)

Premier category
SCHETT Tanja (Austria)
FOČIĆ Snježana (Croatia)
QUINTERO SILES Paloma (Spain)
OLANDER Maaren (Estonia)
ROBIN Noëlle (France)
STEINHAUS Bibiana (Germany)
TVARIJONAITE Ausra (Lithuania)
DE JONG Sjoukje (Netherlands)
KUZMANOVIĆ Gordana (Serbia)
MONZUL Kateryna (Ukraine)

Category 2
SINABOVA Anelia (Bulgaria)
DAMJANOVIĆ Marija Margareta (Croatia)
GURDON BASIMAMOVIĆ Mihaela (Croatia)
SAVOLAINEN Kirsi (Finland)
GUILLEMIN Florence (France)
REMY Marylin (France)
MITSI Efthalia (Greece)
COHEN Rachel (Israel)
SPINELLI Silvia Tea (Italy)
BRAZ BASTOS Sandra (Portugal)
ALBON Teodora (Romania)
TOSUN Hilal Tuba (Turkey)

Category 3
GRIGORYAN Knarik (Armenia)
MEDVEDEVA - KELDYUSHEVA Yuliya (Kazakhstan)
ZEIEN Laurence (Luxembourg)
PĒCE Ginta (Latvia)
KOSTUROVA Ivana (Slovakia)
SUBOTIČ Tanja (Slovenia)