Female referee suffers concussion after being knocked to the ground in player melee

A female referee suffered concussion when she was knocked to the ground as she tried to break up a melee between male players during a friendly between French club Metz and Fortuna Sittard of the Netherlands on Saturday, media reports said. Referee Mathilde Demoncay was unable to continue after the incident at Schlossberg Stadium in Forbach, eastern France, where the two teams were preparing for their respective new seasons. In the match report on their website, Fortuna Sittard, who lost the game 3-1, described the episode as a “remarkable moment” but did not comment further. Metz had no report of the incident on their website. Tension flared in the 40th minute when two opposing players confronted each other after a shirt-tugging incident. Other players rushed to join in the confrontation. Demoncay ended up on the ground after attempting to intervene, falling heavily after being knocked in the melee, video on social media showed. The fight happened in front of a large sign reading: “Respect the referee”. Demoncay remained on the turf for several minutes, holding her arm, while assistant referees, security personnel and medical staff ran on to the pitch to restore order and assess her condition. The 26-year-old Demoncay resumed as the assistant referee after play restarted but left the field at halftime, with another assistant taking over her duties. Reports said Demoncay had suffered concussion.