Italy’s Serie A to have 1st female referee next season

MILAN (AP) — Maria Sole Ferrieri Caputi will become the first woman to officiate in the Italian top flight after she was promoted to the Serie A refereeing pool from next season. The 31-year-old Ferrieri Caputi already became the first female to referee a match involving a Serie A team last year, in Cagliari’s Italian Cup match against Cittadella. Ferrieri Caputi started refereeing seven years ago and was promoted to Serie C five years later. She also refereed a Serie B match last year. That came a few months after Maria Marotta became the first female to officiate a second-division match in Italy.