Female referee concussed when knocked in French friendly

A female referee suffered a concussion after being knocked to the ground while attempting to break up a brawl between players during a preseason friendly match in France on Saturday, July 25, 2026. The incident occurred at Schlossberg Stadium in Forbach, eastern France, during a match between French Ligue 2 side Metz and Dutch club Fortuna Sittard.

The confrontation erupted in the 40th minute following a shirt-pulling foul by a Metz player. The situation quickly escalated as the fouled Fortuna Sittard player confronted two Metz players, drawing other teammates into a wider melee. Referee Mathilde Demoncay, 26, rushed in to intervene but was knocked over backwards as more players pushed into the scuffle. Video footage from the match shows Demoncay falling heavily to the turf, appearing to hit her head on the ground.

Medical staff, assistant referees, and security personnel rushed onto the pitch to attend to the official. One Fortuna Sittard player was seen signaling urgently for medical assistance. Demoncay remained on the ground for several minutes, holding her arm, before sitting up to be assessed. Although she initially resumed duties as an assistant referee after play...