In the 6th round of the Chinese Super League, Shanghai Port defeated Shandong Taishan 4-3 at home, and the Chinese Super League ushered in a female referee for the first time.
What did you do to prepare for today's game?
Because I often watched it before the Chinese Super League, and Chengdu also had the Rongcheng team, I often went to the scene to watch the game, so I still have a certain foundation for understanding the Chinese Super League.
But before I came, I still took out the previous games of the two teams of Harbour and Taishan, and focused on analyzing their technical and tactical play, and made a plan in advance, especially because the rhythm of the men's game is different, so I have to make full preparations in this aspect of pre-start, relatively speaking, I have really made a good preparation in terms of physical fitness.
How did the first enforcement feel like?
I was a little nervous before the start, but when the whistle blew, all my attention and concentration were in the middle of the game, and the tension disappeared. I believe that I have also reached a new starting point, and the direction of the future will be clearer and clearer.
How would you rate your performance today?
If it's 10, I'm still confident that I'll give myself a 7.5.
What will be the goal after that?
Because I am now an international referee and have completed the enforcement of the Women's World Cup in 2023, 2023 is a thing of the past, so I have to look forward to 2027 and hope that the next World Cup can stand on the World Cup stage again.
Do you think your fitness can keep up with the pace of the men's game?
In fact, I had a track and field foundation before, and I have lived in our mountains since I was a child, and I often have the habit of climbing mountains and running, so I am still relatively confident in terms of physical fitness.
What is the difference between enforcing the Chinese Super League and enforcing the Women's World Cup?
First, there is indeed a physical disparity between men and women. There is also the fact that the Chinese Super League is more mature in terms of technology and tactics, so on the field, in fact, I think it is especially like fouls, and when it comes to making a technical prediction, it is actually clearer, much clearer than the women's game.
Was this one of the most fan attendances?
In the Women's World Cup before, the number of spectators for that game also reached tens of thousands, but this time it is indeed the largest number of people in China.
What do you expect from some of the other female referees?
Because everyone pays attention to the women's football team, especially the European team's style of play, the pace of play is not slower than the pace of men. Therefore, it is actually a trend for female referees to enforce men's football events, because after we go out, we will face European teams, so there is still a certain gap between our Chinese referees and European referees. Of course, in Europe, everyone also knows that female referees will participate in the enforcement of men's football matches in the Premier League, which is already a norm. Our Chinese Football Association has a very clear idea of cultivating female referees, and our women's football team will have more referees to participate in our men's football competitions.
You've already blown the Women's World Cup, will you make it your goal to try to blow the men's World Cup in the future?
We will look forward, but the clearest goal at the moment is the 2027 Women's World Cup, but then because the AFC already has requirements for us, the first is to pass the physical test of the men's football team, and the second step is to participate in the top league of the men's football team. The next step is to participate in the men's football tournament in Asia.
The warm-up time before the game was relatively long, and I shared my feelings at that time
Because I still have a lot of self-confidence in my own physical fitness, so when I was preparing for the event, I actually felt more of an honor, and it was still more fun and enjoyable to be able to stand on our Super League field with them.
What do you think is the significance of becoming the first female referee to officiate a men's football match in China?
I saw some controversy on the Internet before I came, and it is now the norm for female referees to enforce men's football matches in Europe, and it is true that the level of women's football in Europe is developing faster and faster, and the level is getting higher and higher. So if our Chinese and Asian women's football referees want to break out of Asia and go to the World Cup to blow the key games, then we will blow the men's football game, which is actually to lay a good foundation for us in the future.
How did you get to the referee position?
Actually, I didn't play football since I was a child, because I grew up in an environment where I had almost no exposure to football. After I arrived at college, because I learned track and field, my running posture may have been seen by everyone, and my physical fitness was really good, so I met a football teacher later during college, he saw that my physical fitness was better, and the image in Sichuan, my height and other aspects were relatively tall, at that time, the Sichuan Football Association was also vigorously trying to find a female referee with this talent as a reserve, so he asked me, are you interested in learning this football referee? My reply at the time was that I said that I couldn't even understand the football game, and he said that it didn't matter, if you had any questions, feel free to ask me, and from then on, I embarked on the path of learning football refereeing.
When I was a freshman, I had just entered college, and we had soccer classes at this time. Then I started to learn football refereeing, and I also took football as my specialty, so in my daily study, I also participated in kicking football, although it can't be compared with the professional level of kicking football from a young age, but because you are involved, then you will definitely gain something, and it will also help you to grow as a referee.
Have you ever communicated with Ma Ning?
Yes, after I received the assignment at that time, I told Mr. Ma that my first men's football game, I said that I would definitely be a little nervous. He said it doesn't matter, you just treat it as a normal game, and I believe that with him, he can give me more self-confidence, so we have a connection before. He also gave me a lot of encouragement, support and help.
Do you have any advice for future women's football referees?
I am the only one standing on the stage of the World Cup in the 2023 World Cup, so I actually hope that more of our female referees can participate in our World Cup. So I've been involved in the men's football game, including since I went to the World Cup, and I know the difference between the level of men's football and the level of our teams in Europe. So the suggestion is first, participate in our men's football games, whether it is watching the game, or participating in our events, then every day is to be fully prepared, I believe that one day we can participate in the men's football competition, and rush out of Asia to stand on the stage of the World Cup.
