Violent Brawl in Friendly Match: Female Referee Is Knocked Down and Knocked Out

There were moments of great tension during the friendly match between the French team Metz and the Dutch team Fortuna Sittard, played on Saturday afternoon. Female referee Mathilde Demoncay bore the brunt of the situation; she tried to calm things down but was overwhelmed and knocked out by the players on the field.

It all began in the 40th minute of the first half, when Fortuna player Lequincio Zeefuik, after being fouled, reacted aggressively by shoving his opponent. Both teams came to blows, and a scuffle broke out in the middle of the field.

Mathilde Demoncay tried to restore calm, but she was knocked down by several players and fell hard to the ground, hitting the back of her head. Ironically, the incident occurred right in front of a billboard reading “Respect the Referee.” The 26-year-old referee remained on the ground for several minutes, clutching her arm, while the assistant referees, medical staff, and security personnel entered the field to assist her and restore order.

Demoncay left the field and was able to continue the match by moving into the role of assistant referee, while one of the linesmen took her place on the field. According to French sources, the referee suffered a mild concussion. Metz won the match 3-1.