Shona Shukrula to be the first female referee in Dutch men's professional football

Shona Shukrula will be the Netherlands' first female referee in men's professional football. The 32-year-old from Alkmaar has been promoted to a higher group and will work towards leading a second-division Keuken Kampioen Divisie next season, the Dutch Football Association KNVB reports.

Lineswomen Sjoukje de Jong (2001), Nicolet Bakker (2011), and Franca Overtoom (2018) made their debut as officials in professional football before this. Overtoom has been a lineswoman in the highest division, the Eredivisie, since 2020 and was the only female assistant referee at the highest football level in the Netherlands last year.

Shukrula has been refereeing matches for the KNVB since the 2009/10 season. She was active at the highest amateur level, the Tweede Divisie, and has been a fourth official one level up in the Keuken Kampioen Divisie since 2020.

She has already refereed European Championship and World Cup qualifiers and UEFA Champions League matches in the women's game. She has been moved up to the country's second-highest level of football, below the Eredivisie, via a special program to develop talented referees for the professional system.

"I am incredibly proud of my promotion to the group of professional football referees," said Shukrula in a statement from the KNVB. "I have worked very hard for this for 15 years. I am happy with the confidence the KNVB has shown in me, but I am not there yet. My debut is within my sights, but it still needs to happen. From now on, I am focussing entirely on making my first appearance as a referee in professional football next season."

In the last few years, female referees have also debuted in men's professional football in countries like France, Germany, and England.