A female referee was left concussed and forced to leave the pitch after she was knocked to the ground while trying to break up a brawl during a friendly between French side Metz and Fortuna Sittard of the Netherlands.
Mathilde Demoncay, 26, was caught in the middle of the confrontation when tensions boiled over in the 40th minute. The flashpoint began after a shirt-tugging incident prompted two opposing players to confront each other, with teammates rushing in to join the melee.
“Referee Mathilde Demoncay, 26, suffered concussion after being knocked down during a friendly between Metz and Fortuna Sittard.”
As Demoncay attempted to intervene, she ended up on the ground, falling heavily. She stayed on the pitch for several minutes, clutching her arm, while assistant referees, security personnel and medical staff sprinted on to restore order and assess her condition.
Miraculously, the official resumed her duties as assistant referee when play restarted. But she lasted only until half-time, leaving the field with another assistant taking over. The incident, which occurred during a pre-season friendly, reportedly left Demoncay with concussion.
The match continued without her, though the full repercussions for the players involved remain unclear. The incident raises fresh questions about the safety of match officials, particularly in high-pressure situations where they are forced to physically separate players.