A soccer referee trying to restore order during a wild on-field brawl wound up becoming one of its casualties.
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Mathilde Demoncay suffered a concussion after she was knocked to the ground during a men's match between French club Metz and Fortuna Sittard of the Netherlands.
The ugly scene unfolded in the 38th minute of the friendly after a foul sparked a confrontation between players from both teams.
As more players joined the scrum, Demoncay stepped in and attempted to separate them. That didn't go particularly well.
Video shows Demoncay getting swallowed up by the crowd of pushing and shoving players before being knocked to the ground. The contact appeared to be accidental.
She remained on the field in obvious discomfort and was eventually helped off. According to The Telegraph, Demoncay was later diagnosed with a concussion.
In an almost too-perfect bit of irony, she went down directly in front of a sign bearing the French words "Respectez l'arbitre."
Translation: "Respect the referee."
The female referee who led the Metz vs Fortuna Sittard match fell after trying to separate the players. pic.twitter.com/ZaMcJH7CQi
— Football Fans Stuff (@officialffsnews) July 26, 2026
The game eventually resumed with another official taking over. Demoncay initially served as an assistant referee before sitting out the remainder of the match because of the concussion.
Metz went on to win 3-1.
Players from both teams reportedly apologized to Demoncay afterward, and she left the stadium with a Metz jersey.
Video of the melee quickly spread across social media, with fans criticizing the players for allowing things to get so out of control.
Friendly match, indeed.
