Some of their predecessors only resorted to referee whistling, Krenglbach’s defender, after their active careers Iris Knienieder has been on the road twice in the lower house of football since 2018: the 32-year-old active footballer, who is currently in fourth place with her club in the women’s Upper Austria league, is also on the road as a referee and, among other things, has already chaired the Upper Austria final -Ladies cups. “I’m a rules fanatic and have a very strong sense of fairness – actually perfect conditions for a referee.”
The Corona break played into her hands on the way to refereeing: “I recovered from two cruciate ligament operations and completed a basic referee course.” Because of her proximity to the player side, does she know better how to deal with the kickers in tricky situations? “I see myself as a referee on an equal footing with the players. Emotions often burst out in the game and it is very important to distinguish between which statements are emotional and which statements are really insulting.”
She has a special wish for the current spring: “To get as physically fit as possible and to act as well as possible as a player and referee.”
