Patraș Svetlana

About

Svetlana Patraș is a remarkable personality in Moldovan football, with a diverse and accomplished professional career. In 2008, she was named the best female football player in Moldova, subsequently consolidating her studies by obtaining the UEFA "A" coaching license in 2012. From 2011 to 2016, she worked as a FIFA referee, and since 2020, she has served as a UEFA referee observer. Her competence and dedication have been recognized internationally, as she participated in the UEFA Women in Football leadership program in 2015, which prepares women in football for leadership positions in sports organizations. Patraș has coordinated and currently coordinates several large-scale international projects within the Moldovan Football Federation. The most significant is the Open Fun Football Schools (OFFS) project in Moldova, which was named the best grassroots project in Europe in 2010. She also coordinates the "Safe Football for Children in Moldova" project, being the author of the first child protection policy in sport in the Republic of Moldova. From 2017 to 2020, she led the "Through Football to Grow Healthy" project, an initiative aimed at kindergarten children. In March 2024, she further solidified her expertise by graduating from the FIFA Safeguarding Program: A Safe Environment for Children in Sport, an 18-month course organized by FIFA and the Open University. Patraș is part of the family of another notable personality in Moldovan football – her twin sister, Natalia Ceban, who is a federal women's football inspector and a FIFA assistant referee. Together, the two sisters have contributed significantly to the development of women's football and to the implementation of international standards of protection and professionalism in sports. Svetlana has dedicated her career to promoting a safe and inclusive sports culture, constantly being assigned to international qualifying matches and UEFA tournaments, where she acts as a delegate and referee observer, honorably representing the Republic of Moldova on the European football stage.