Woman official injured with head trauma after intervening in on-field altercation

n n

Female referee Mathilde Demoncay suffered a concussion after being knocked to the ground while attempting to break up a confrontation during a friendly match between French club Metz and Dutch side Fortuna Sittard.

n

As reported by BBC Sport on Sunday, the incident occurred in the 40th minute when tensions boiled over following a shirt-pulling incident involving players from both teams.

n

Several players rushed toward each other as the disagreement escalated into a melee.

n

Demoncay stepped in to try to restore order but was caught in the middle of the confrontation and fell heavily to the ground.

n

She remained on the pitch for several minutes, holding her arm, as assistant referees, security personnel and medical staff rushed over to assess her condition and calm the situation.

n

After receiving treatment, the 26-year-old returned to the field and continued in the role of assistant referee when play restarted.

n

n

However, she was unable to continue after halftime and was replaced for the remainder of the match.

n

The match eventually resumed, with Metz securing a 3-1 victory over Fortuna Sittard.

n

The incident highlighted the risks officials face while attempting to control heated moments during football matches, with referees often required to intervene in situations involving physical confrontations between players.

n

.

n n