Nelly Viennot

Nelly Andrée Viennot (née Bodé;[1] born 8 January 1962 in Flers, Orne) is a French football referee. An international woman's referee since 1995, she served as an assistant referee in the 2003 FIFA Women's World Cup.[2]

Viennot attracted the attention of the wider football community when she was shortlisted, along with 82 other elite referees, as a possible assistant referee for the 2006 FIFA World Cup. Viennot attended a four-day FIFA workshop in Frankfurt, hoping to become one of the 60 referees eventually chosen as assistant referees for the world's largest football tournament. However, she failed a sprint test on 21 April 2006, ending her consideration for participation. She would have been the first ever female referee at a male World Cup; no other referee has come as close to officiating in the tournament.

Viennot's refereeing career began in 1987, and she refereed her first international woman's match on 1 January 1995. Since 2002 she has regularly refereed French football at the top levels, and made appearances in the UEFA Champions League.

Honours

• Chevalier of the Ordre national du Mérite: 2003[1]

References

1. "Décret du 14 mai 2003 portant promotion et nomination" [Decree of 14 May 2003 on promotion and appointment]. Journal Officiel de la République Française (in French). 2003 (112): 8343. 15 May 2003. PREX0306633D. Retrieved 25 August 2019.
2. "Match Report". FIFAworldcup.com. Archived from the original on 10 December 2004.

• Viennot's FIFA profile
• "Woman may be World Cup referee", Bangkok Post, date unknown.
• "Female ref hopes to be at World Cup"^[usurped], SLAM sports, date unknown.
• "Viennot won't be first female Cup ref"^[dead link‍], Associated Press, 21 April 2006.