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Yesterday, Saturday, a friendly match between French club Metz and Dutch side Fortuna Sittard was marred by an unprecedented incident after the match referee fell to the ground following a violent verbal altercation between the players, forcing him to leave the pitch for good at half-time.
The incident took place in the 40th minute at the Schlossberg Stadium in Vorbach, Moselle, when a Metz player pulled the shirt of a Dutch player in the middle of the pitch, leading to an intense verbal dispute that turned into a scuffle between the players.
To fall suddenly on one’s back
While Mrs. Demonkai was trying to separate the entangled players, a group of players inadvertently pushed her, so she suddenly fell on her back and stayed on the ground for a while, holding her arm.
Assistants and security personnel intervened to calm the situation and assess the match referee’s injury before the substitute referee took over after minutes of hesitation.
Horrendous footage of a scuffle during a friendly match between Metz and Fortuna Sittard as Lekinsio Seefuik reacts badly to a shirt being pulled from Jesse Demmingen.
In the commotion, match referee Matilda Demonkey appeared on the ground.
(🎥: @FossoSzn:) pic.twitter.com/yrNauDt2J9
— 🇫🇷 Dutch football 🇳🇱 (@Foot_NL) July 25, 2026
Substituted in the first half
Or Al-Hikma, who was supposed to be in charge for the entire match, was carried off before leaving the pitch entirely at the end of the first half.
He was replaced by one of the assistant referees on the touchline to end the game, which saw an early draw (1-1) just before the end of the first half, before the Mets won 3-1 thanks to a Gauthier Hein double and a goal from Pap Moussa Fall.
