Nelly Viennot

Nelly Andrée Danièle Viennot (née Bodé;^[1] born 8 January 1962 in Flers, Orne) is a French football referee.^[2] An international woman's referee since 1995, she served as an assistant referee in the 2003 FIFA Women's World Cup.^[3]

Viennot attracted the attention of the wider football community when she was shortlisted, along with 82 other elite referees, as a possible assistant referee for the 2006 FIFA World Cup. Viennot attended a four-day FIFA workshop in Frankfurt, hoping to become one of the 60 referees eventually chosen as assistant referees for the world's largest football tournament. However, she failed a sprint test on 21 April 2006, ending her consideration for participation. She would have been the first ever female referee at a male World Cup; no other referee has come as close to officiating in the tournament.^{[citation needed]}

Viennot's refereeing career began in 1987, and she refereed her first international woman's match on 1 January 1995. Since 2002 she has regularly refereed French football at the top levels, and made appearances in the UEFA Champions League.^{[citation needed]}