Female referee injured in melee during friendly

What the report says

BBC Sport reported that match official Mathilde Demoncay was injured during a friendly between French club Metz and Dutch side Fortuna Sittard after being knocked down while trying to separate players. The incident occurred in the 40th minute, when a shirt-pulling episode led two opponents to square up and other players quickly joined the confrontation.

According to the report, Demoncay fell heavily as she attempted to intervene in the melee. She stayed on the pitch for several minutes and was seen holding her arm while assistant referees, security staff and medical personnel came on to calm the situation and check on her. BBC Sport said she reportedly suffered concussion, citing an external report.

Demoncay, 26, initially continued after play resumed, working as an assistant referee, but she did not return for the second half. Another assistant referee replaced her for the remainder of the match. Metz went on to win the friendly 3-1.

The episode is notable because it involved an official being injured during a match that was not a competitive fixture, underlining concerns about player conduct and referee safety even in preseason or exhibition settings. The BBC report did not give the venue or specify whether any disciplinary action followed the confrontation.