The Israel FA has given its full support to history-making, top-flight referee Sapir Berman who has come out as transgender.
Berman, whose birth first name was Sagi, has started the process of gender transitioning according to reports in Israel.
She held a press conference in Ramat Gan on Tuesday after which, the Israel FA tweeted in support of their match official.
"We have a new Referee, Sapir Berman. The first Referee to be transgender. We are so proud!" read the tweet which also included an emoji of the Trans flag.
We have a new Referee, Sapir Berman. The first Referee to be transgender❗
We are so proud 🇮🇱🏳️⚧️@UEFA @FIFAcom pic.twitter.com/qtAa9POOQA— ISRAEL FA (@ISRAELFA) April 27, 2021
The 26-year-old is into her second season refereeing in the Premier League in Israel and has been officiating football matches for a decade.
Berman said that she has received support from her family and that players and supporters have begun to address her as a woman before going on to explain her decision to begin the process of transitioning.
"I always saw myself as a woman, from a young age," Berman told reporters at the press conference.
"I realized society will not accept me, will not be on my side, so I continued like this for nearly 26 years.
"I decided to come out and to show who I am, first of all to myself, for my soul."
Berman has already been given a separate dressing room from the rest of the matchday officials and the managing director of the referee's association in Israel, Jair Teper, expressed his support for Berman.
"The gender identity is of no importance to us, what counts is only the skills on the football field," he said.
Berman is not the first ever transgender referee in football. Lucy Clark became English football's first transgender referee at the start of the 2018/19 season.
Clark revealed in a feature article with the English FA that her own story had inspired another referee to make the decision to referee as a woman.
