Female referee suffers concussion in France after players' brawl

A female referee reportedly suffered a concussion after being knocked to the ground during a melee in a men's friendly match in France. Referee Mathilde Demoncay had taken charge of the friendly between Ligue 2 French side Metz and their Dutch opponents Fortuna Sittard on Sunday. Demoncay had blown for a free kick to Fortuna Sittard in the 39th minute, after a Metz player had pulled the shirt of a breaking attacker.

The fouled Fortuna Sittard player was seen squaring up to two Metz players following the incident. This led to Demoncay racing over in an attempt to break up the incident, while players from both teams ran in as the melee grew. Footage showed Demoncay, 26, being knocked over backwards as more players pushed into the melee.

One player signaled for medical attention with Demoncay appearing to have hit her head on the ground after falling. While unclear on the footage, Demoncay seemed to hit her head after falling. One Fortuna player noticed the stricken referee and motioned for medical staff to come to her aid. Medical staff, assistant referees, and security came onto the pitch, with Demoncay receiving assistance.

The footage depicted Demoncay sitting up as medical staff began to assess her, while players appeared to be concerned by the incident. Demoncay was ultimately unable to continue the match, with one of her assistants stepping in. The incident, which took place under a sign reading 'respect the referee,' led to two players being booked. Fortuna Sittard described it as a 'remarkable moment' on the club's website. Metz, who had been leading 1-0 at the time, went on to win 3-1 in the friendly.