CONCACAF announced the appointment of Sonia Denoncourt as its Director of Refereeing on Thursday, tasking the Canadian with leadership of a push to “support referee development at multiple levels” across the region and eventually guide more refs towards FIFA status.
A retired referee who officiated at the 1995, 1999 and 2003 FIFA Women's World Cups (above) and the 1996 and 2000 Summer Olympics as well as men's professional matched in El Salvador and Brazil, the Quebec-born Denoncourt will oversee all aspects of refereeing within the confederation.
“Ms. Denoncourt not only brings a vast global knowledge of the refereeing arena, but also a solid vision to gear, advance and professionalize the region,” CONCACAF president Jeffrey Webb said in a statement.
“Refereeing has an extremely important role within the game. We are confident that her guidance will reinforce education and training, overcoming the intrinsic challenges of this fundamental position.”
CONCACAF says it has tabbed Denoncourt, the first-ever female referee to obtain a FIFA international badge, to lead “the implementation of a performance-based plan to evaluate and train the region's referees.”
She arrives at her new post after a stint at FIFA, where she served as Head of Women’s Referee Development and Refereeing Senior Manager. She previously held a similar role at the Canadian Soccer Association.
“It’s an honor and privilege to be in this position to help raise the level of professionalism in the region,” said Denoncourt, a member of the Quebec Soccer and Canadian Soccer Halls of Fame. “There is a lot of potential in CONCACAF, and we need to provide more support to all 41 member associations in order to build a stronger structure leading to improved performance on the field.”
