Greek-Australian referee Tina Zafiropoulos has been named the Female Football Week Referee of the Year by Football Victoria, receiving recognition for her outstanding contributions to the sport. Female Football Week is an annual event dedicated to promoting women and girls in football and honoring their valuable involvement.
Zafiropoulos boasts an impressive refereeing career spanning over two decades, officiating matches across various levels, including junior, male, and female age groups. Her friendly and joyful character has made her a well-liked figure within the football community. Earlier this year, she was also selected to referee the Futsal State Championships at La Trobe University.
In recognition of her remarkable 20 years of service, Zafiropoulos was previously honored at the Football Victoria Referee Awards, where she received a silver medal. The upcoming FIFA Women’s World Cup, to be co-hosted by Australia and New Zealand, holds great significance for women’s football in both countries.
While Australia secured automatic qualification as the host nation, Greece and Cyprus unfortunately did not qualify for the tournament. In a positive development, FIFA recently announced the availability of an additional 250,000 tickets for all 64 games of the tournament, further enhancing the fan experience.
