'Controversy': Female referee caught in brawl, suffers concussion symptoms; "Tried to endure it somehow..."

*This content was translated by AI.

A female referee attempting to stop a group brawl among male players fell onto the field as if collapsing on a ring floor, showing signs of concussion. The injured referee was ultimately substituted and could not officiate the match until its conclusion.

Sports outlet ESPN reported on the 28th (Korean time) that "a female referee trying to separate players during a preseason friendly match between Metz (France) and Fortuna Sittard (Netherlands) fell onto the field and had to leave the stadium."

The incident occurred in the 40th minute of the first half. Fortuna's forward Requinzio Jayfaouk was fouled for grabbing an opponent's jersey, lost his composure, and engaged in a physical confrontation with Metz players. Soon, numerous players from both teams rushed onto the field, turning the pitch into a chaotic brawl within moments.

Matilde Demonce (26), the head referee, jumped into the middle of the fight to restore order and separate the players. However, she was swept away by the surging crowd of players and fell hard onto the ground. This scene spread rapidly via social networking services (SNS).

According to video footage, Demonce remained on the field for several minutes, unable to stand up while holding her arm. Assistant referees, medical staff, and stadium security personnel rushed onto the field to manage the situation and check Demonce's condition.

After play resumed, Demonce attempted to continue officiating by moving to an assistant referee position, but her condition worsened, and she left the field after the first half ended.

In the second half, one of the original assistant referees took over as head referee. According to ESPN's Dutch edition, an amateur referee with a valid license was urgently brought from the stands to assist in managing the match due to the absence of the assistant referee.

The situation was quite serious. Local French reports confirmed that Demonce suffered mild concussion symptoms from the collision incident.

British outlet BBC also covered the same incident on the same day, stating: "Female referee Demonce fell hard onto the field while trying to stop a group brawl among players and was injured and substituted. It is reported that she experienced concussion symptoms during the process."

The preseason friendly match held that day ended with Metz defeating Fortuna Sittard 3-1. Fortuna mentioned the incident on its official website as an "unusual moment," but provided no specific details about Demonce's health condition. Metz made no further comments regarding the incident.

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*This content was translated by AI.