“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.”
These powerful words come from Sapir Berman, the Israeli referee who, earlier this year, etched her name into the history books. Berman beamed as she recalled the moment her “dream came true,” becoming the first transgender woman to officiate an international football match. It’s a story not just about football, but about courage, authenticity, and the beautiful power of choosing oneself.
For 31-year-old Sapir, the journey to this moment was a long and often solitary one. From the tender age of five, she remembers wanting to be a woman, a girl. But as she fell in love with football, a stark realization hit her: “the dream of being a woman and playing football didn’t go together.” And so, for almost 26 years, Sapir hid her true self, burying her innermost desire beneath the surface of a football-loving life.
Growing up in a family captivated by the sport, Sapir played as a defender for a decade. When professional play didn’t pan out, she transitioned to refereeing, steadily climbing the ranks to preside over men’s matches in the Israeli Premier League. On the outside, she was excelling. On the inside, she carried a secret that weighed heavily.
The turning point arrived with the unexpected pause of the COVID-19 pandemic. Plunged into lockdown, Sapir found herself reflecting deeply on her life’s trajectory. “Is this what life will look like? Is this where it’s going?” she asked herself. The answer became clear: “I decided to reveal myself.”
The decision, while liberating, came with its own set of fears. Sapir initially worried her career in football was over. But with the unwavering support of her brother and the professionalism of Israel’s referees association, she began to navigate the uncharted waters of her transition. This journey, however, was far from smooth.
“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,” Sapir recounted. The physical changes brought on by hormone therapy presented significant challenges. “Outside the field, I felt amazing. On the field, I felt that I destroyed my career,” she admitted, after failing two fitness tests and being moved down a league.
Yet, Sapir’s resolve was unyielding. With the guidance of a sports psychologist and a lot of “trial and error,” she made a remarkable comeback. This year, she earned her international badge, a testament to her perseverance, and in March, officiated the Women’s Under-17 Euro qualifier between Northern Ireland and Montenegro – a historic first for European football, as confirmed by UEFA.
Sapir now harbors even grander dreams: to referee a match in the Champions League, the European Championship, or even the World Cup.
Her story unfolds amidst a global conversation about transgender participation in sports – a “hot-button issue” as different bodies grapple with balancing inclusivity and fair competition. While decisions like England’s Football Association banning transgender women from playing in women’s football exist, Sapir holds a nuanced and hopeful perspective. She trusts decision-makers 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 eloquently states, reminding us that an athlete’s performance is affected by a multitude of factors, not just one.
On the pitch, the reaction to Sapir has been overwhelmingly positive. Her favorite anecdote? The fans continued to curse her, “only now, they did it in the feminine form.” For Sapir, this was a “kind of stamp of approval — that they see me exactly as I am.”
Beyond the stadiums, her impact resonates even deeper. Young people stop her on the street, telling 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,” Sapir says, her voice radiating a powerful sense of conviction.
Sapir Berman’s journey is a vibrant testament to the strength found in authenticity. It’s a reminder that true joy blossoms when we have the courage to choose ourselves, to pursue our passions, and to show the world that, indeed, anything is possible. Her whistle doesn’t just signal a foul or a goal; it echoes a melody of hope, acceptance, and the beautiful fusion of two dreams into one extraordinary reality.
