Israeli referee Sapir Berman beamed as she recalled the moment her “dream came true” earlier this year, when she became the first transgender woman to officiate an international football match.
“I always wanted to be a woman, and I always wanted to be a football referee — and then those two came together and fused into one dream that just exploded with joy,” the 31-year-old told AFP.
“It’s an uplifting, powerful feeling — the feeling that I’m doing the right thing, that I’m choosing myself, that I’m showing the world it’s possible.
“Since I was five, I remember wanting to be a woman, wanting to be a girl. And when I started playing football, I realised that the dream of being a woman and playing football didn’t go together,” she said.
“So I decided to hide who I was and just keep playing football. I hid myself for almost 26 years.”
Berman grew up in a football-loving family, playing as a defender for around 10 years from around the age of five.
When she realised her professional ambitions were not working out, she joined the referees association and worked her way up to preside over men’s matches in the Israeli Premier League.
But all the while, Berman felt she was hiding her innermost secret and was even frustrated during the initial stage of her hormone therapy.
It was when the Covid-19 pandemic hit and Berman was plunged into lockdown that she began reflecting on the future.
“I asked myself: ‘Is this what life will look like? Is this where it’s going?’” she said.
“I decided to reveal myself.”
Berman initially feared her career in football was over, but said her brother suggested she try to make it work.
– ‘A lot of questions’ –
England’s Lucy Clark became the first transgender woman in the world to referee a match in 2018, in the third tier of English women’s football, but has never officiated internationally.
When Berman officiated the Women’s Under-17 Euro qualifier between Northern Ireland and Montenegro in Belfast in March, it was a first for European football, according to UEFA.
Berman said the journey was not always easy, despite great support and professionalism from Israel’s referees association.
“There were a lot of questions, and a lot of moments where they said: ‘We don’t know what to do.’ And I also didn’t know what to do, what it involved, what to expect, or how the process would go,” she said.
Berman said that when she began hormone therapy as part of her transition, she initially felt resentful towards her body.
“Outside the field, I felt amazing. On the field, I felt that I destroyed my career,” she said.
She failed two fitness tests and was moved down a league, but with the help of a sports psychologist and “a lot of trial and error”, she made her comeback.
Berman received her international badge earlier this year and dreams of refereeing a match in the Champions League, the European Championship or the World Cup.
– ‘Different layers’ –
Transgender participation has become a hot-button issue as different sports try to balance inclusivity with ensuring fair competition.
Earlier this year, England’s Football Association announced that transgender women would no longer be allowed to play in women’s football.
Berman said she trusted those in decision-making bodies and expected them to “find the way to integrate, to unite, to diversify”.
“Human beings are made up of so many different layers, and you come and reject us for just one reason,” she said, explaining how an athlete’s performance could also be affected by mental, financial, geographical or familial factors.
On the pitch, Berman said she has received positive reactions from both players and supporters.
“The fans continued to curse me — only now, they did it in the feminine form,” she said, adding it “was a kind of stamp of approval — that they see me exactly as I am”.
And on the street, young people have told her that her story has given them hope.
“That fills me up. It gives me so much strength to keep going and doing what I do — because at the end of the day, I chose myself.”
Portugal’s new head coach Jorge Jesus has explained why he named Cristiano Ronaldo in his first national team squad, stressing that current form, not past achievements, will decide the 41-year-old’s place.
Jesus included the Al-Nassr forward in the 25-man group for the upcoming UEFA Nations League matches against Wales, Norway and Denmark.
According to football transfer expert, Fabrizio Romano on X on Friday, speaking after announcing the squad on Friday, the coach said:
“His performance is what matters. The past doesn’t count.
“Cristiano is a player like all the others. If he is performing well, he will play. If he isn’t, he won’t.
“He has a different status and has won five Ballon d’Or awards, but does that influence my decisions? No.
“But is he a different player? Absolutely.”
The call-up ends speculation that Ronaldo’s international career may have ended after Portugal’s World Cup exit earlier this summer. Jesus previously coached Ronaldo at Al-Nassr and takes charge of Portugal for the first time against Wales on September 24.
Saudi Pro League club Al-Taawoun have been ordered to play two home league matches behind closed doors after supporters taunted Al-Hilal midfielder Ruben Neves with chants about the death of his close friend and former teammate Diogo Jota.
As reported by BBC Sport on Thursday, Al-Taawoun have also been fined 100,000 Saudi Riyals (£20,000) over the incident.
Supporters repeatedly shouted “Jota” at Neves before Al-Hilal’s 6–0 victory on Saturday.
The chants referred to Jota, the Liverpool and Portugal forward who died in a car crash at the age of 28 last July.
Jota and Neves were close friends after playing together at Wolverhampton Wanderers and for Portugal.
Neves now wears the number 21 shirt for Portugal in Jota’s memory and has a tattoo on his calf showing the pair embracing.
He was also a pallbearer at Jota’s funeral.
After the match, Neves condemned the supporters’ behaviour.
“I just hope they don’t go to pray later after what they did,” he told reporters.
Cristiano Ronaldo, who plays for Saudi club Al-Nassr and was an international teammate of Jota, had also reacted strongly to the incident.
The five-time ballon D’or winner called for lifetime bans to be issued to the chanting fans
The Saudi Pro League’s decision means Al-Taawoun will serve two home-match stadium closures in addition to the financial penalty.
In a statement, Al-Taawoun said: “Such behaviour is completely unacceptable and does not represent the club, its fans, or the values for which the club is known.
“Sports competition cannot be a justification for insulting, belittling, or bullying others at the expense of anyone’s feelings.”
Todd Boehly has stepped down as Chelsea chairman after selling his stake in the club to majority owner Clearlake Capital, which has now taken full control.
Boehly and director Mark Walter sold their shares in a deal that hands Clearlake complete ownership. Boehly, Walter and Swiss billionaire Hansjörg Wyss previously each held a 12.8% stake, while Clearlake owned 61.5%. The club confirmed Wyss will remain an important stakeholder and partner in the ownership group.
Clearlake, led by co-founders Behdad Eghbali and José E. Feliciano, paid approaching £1 billion for the stakes, which represent about a quarter of the club. Club sources put Chelsea’s overall value at around £5 billion.
Boehly has held the chairman role since 2022, when the consortium bought Chelsea for £2.3 billion from Roman Abramovich following UK government sanctions. He will leave the position as part of the transaction.
In a statement on Thursday, Boehly said: “It has been an honour to serve as Chelsea chairman. I would like to thank the many who helped secure a bright future for the club, including the English Premier League, the coaches and players, the talented leadership and staff at Chelsea, and the legions of dedicated fans. I have valued my partnership with Clearlake and the wider ownership group, and the collective decisions and investment we have made to support the immediate and long-term success of the club. I am confident that Chelsea is well positioned for continued success under Clearlake’s leadership.”
Eghbali and Feliciano thanked Boehly for his “time and contribution” as chairman, adding that he “will always be a part of the Chelsea story and family.” They said their focus remains on investing in the club’s infrastructure, sporting performance, player development and delivering long-term success for supporters.
A club statement confirmed there will be “no changes to the day-to-day operations, leadership or strategy” following the deal. Boehly and Walter have also sold their shareholding in Chelsea’s partner club, French side Strasbourg.
Talks within the ownership group began after a rift that first became apparent in 2024, with both sides previously exploring options to buy each other out. BBC Sport reported in August that Boehly and Walter were considering selling their stakes.
Since the 2022 takeover, Chelsea’s highest Premier League finish has been fourth in 2024-25, a season in which they also won the UEFA Conference League and FIFA Club World Cup. The club finished 10th last season and appointed Xabi Alonso as manager in the summer. The ownership period has been marked by high player turnover and a strategy focused on signing young players to long-term contracts. Plans to redevelop Stamford Bridge or move to a new stadium had at times created tension between Boehly’s camp and Clearlake.
Walter, co-owner and chief executive of Guggenheim Partners, last month sold the Los Angeles Lakers for a record $12.5 billion. US federal prosecutors and the Securities and Exchange Commission are separately investigating companies in his business empire.
