National Team: Referee Pioneer Martully masters DFB

With impeccable performance, Ivana Mortally replied to the first referee in more than 113 years of German international history.

Whatever smashed Thomas Müller told her after the final whistle, Ivana Mortally reacted pleased and gave a smile to the Faxing Munich. Also in the game, the Croatia, who was the first referee at all a lot of the German men s national team, had not left out of the rest. Mortally joined friendly, but intended and above all almost faultless — though she had been a bit nervous before the premiere.

It was for you a great honor to whistle the World Cup qualifier of the DFB selection in Wolfsburg against Liechtenstein (9: 0), the 36-year-old had said in the run-up to the SID. Croatia s Shirt boss Bruno Magic had even talked about a historic day and no doubts about a successful appearance: She can do that!

And that did Mortally later on the lawn — even if the game started hectic when she was probably nice. After a brutal kick of the Liechtensteiner Jens Hofer against the neck of Leon Goretzka, the referee had no other choice at all, as already after ten minutes to gap the red card and to show the penalty point.

Rudder conceded Yellow-lock — Schalke does not go

Fully properly, Mortally was also in the yellow card for Antonio Rudder after an elbow insert in the header duel, even if the German central defender will be missing at the annual accounts on Sunday (18:00 clock at RTL) in Armenia.

Rudder was lucky that the Croatia had a last admonition shortly before the half, after the Chelsea professional had pushed his opponent in the scramble. And as left-back Christian Günter wanted to shame a penalty in the second half, Mortally did not fell in.

The average of 6.5 million TV viewers and 25,984 visitors in the sold-out VFL-Arena clearly realized that there was no beginner at the work. Since 2008, the daughter of a former second division referee reaches the whistle, in her home she was a similar pioneer as it was once Briana Steinhaus-Webb in Germany.

On the 10th of September she was the first woman a game of the first Croatian men league HNL. One month later, she whistled the EM qualifying game of the U21 juniors from Latvia against San Marino.

But the biggest game of your career has been the appearance in Wolfsburg — but maybe there is even greater. The clubs and players need time to accept me, said Mortally. Your performance of Thursday evening has helped in any case.