Gobjila Elena
Main achievement
FIFA referee
About
Elena Gobjilă is one of the most remarkable football referees in the Republic of Moldova, recognized internationally for her professionalism. She obtained FIFA referee status in 2023, being validated among the 18 Moldovan referees for international competitions. Throughout her career, she has officiated in women's Moldovan Cup finals, such as the one on May 8, at the Zimbru stadium in Chisinau, where she led the brigade alongside assistants Natalia Ceban and Ana Ciobotaru. Her performances have attracted the attention of UEFA, which has delegated her to numerous European matches, including the qualifiers for the Women's European Championship 2025, where she officiated the Armenia - Kazakhstan match, and in the EURO U19 and U17 women's preliminaries. She collaborates closely with the Moldovan Football Federation (FMF), an organization that supports her through training courses and the promotion of women's refereeing. She represented Moldova at the first UEFA symposium dedicated to women's refereeing, organized in Nyon, Switzerland, in February, discussing topics such as recruiting women into refereeing and achieving performance. Recently, in May 2026, she was appointed to the final tournament of the Women's U17 EURO in Northern Ireland, where she served as the fourth official for Spain - Finland and refereed Germany - England, assisted by officials from Switzerland, Ukraine, and Spain. Other assignments include qualifiers in Luxembourg, Bosnia and Herzegovina, alongside colleagues such as Ana Ciobotaru, Natalia Ceban, and Oxana Cruc, contributing to the increased visibility of Moldovan refereeing at the European level. Little public detail is known about Elena Gobjilă's personal life, but at 26 years old, she was already recognized not only for her refereeing expertise but also for her charismatic presence, being compared to a role model in the Moldovan football world. She actively promotes women's football, participating in FMF campaigns such as "PRO People," which aims for safe football for children. Through her commendable performances, Elena inspires young women in the Republic of Moldova to enter refereeing, demonstrating that gender is not a barrier to achieving sporting excellence.
