The first woman to referee in a Belgian professional male match
Viki De Cremer has become the first woman to act as a referee in a professional male football match in Belgium.
The 29-year-old was fourth referee in a match between the East-Flemish team Deinze and RSCA Futures, the youth team of RSC Anderlecht (the match was won 2-3 by the visiting team from Brussels).
De Cremer, whose brother Wesli is a referee in the Jupiler Pro League, is already a veteran of the game, having first appeared on the pitch in February 2015.
The young ref has said that this match was “a great moment for myself” and that it was something that she had worked very hard for.
At first, Viki occupied a different sort of spot on the soccer pitch: she used to play, but an injury set her on her history-making path of becoming a referee. Another proof that there’s a silver lining in every cloud.
She has taken to refereeing with a passion, perfecting her craft daily and rewatching all of her games “from the first to the last second” to learn as much as possible. She also discusses things with her brother and with other female referees.
The next dream? Leading a match with her brother Wesli De Cremer at the highest level.
Congratulations to Viki De Cremer, and may many young women follow in her footsteps and beyond!