La Liga to introduce first female official next season

MADRID, July 02 (AFP): La Liga is set to have its first female official next season, the Spanish Football Federation announced on Tuesday.

Guadalupe Porras Ayuso, a 32-year-old assistant referee, will become the first woman ever to officiate in the league.

"The assistant referee will be the first woman to debut in the top flight," the RFEF said in a statement.

Another female referee, Marisa Villa, was named in La Liga's list in 2007 but did not passed the physical tests required to officiate a match.

Porras Ayuso has worked in Segunda, the men's second division, for two seasons and before that officiated for eight seasons in Segunda B, the third division in Spain.

Her promotion is another boost for gender equality in Spanish football, following a year of unprecedented interest in the women's game.