A female soccer player is suffering from a problem among male players | Football News

Referee Mathilde Demoncay was knocked down as the men’s players clashed during a friendly match in France.

A female soccer player was shaken when she was knocked to the ground while trying to break up a dispute between male players during a friendly soccer match in France.

Referee Mathilde Demoncay was officiating a friendly match between French club Metz and Dutch club Fortuna Sittard on Saturday when the incident happened, according to local media reports.

Demoncay was unable to continue after the incident at the Schlossberg Stadium in Forbach, eastern France, where the two teams were preparing for their new seasons.

In the match report on their website, Fortuna Sittard, who lost the game 3-1, described it as a “strange moment” but did not elaborate. Metz did not have a report of the incident on their website.

The brawl started in the 40th minute when two opposing players clashed after pulling their shirts. Other players rushed to meet them.

Demoncay went down after trying to intervene, falling heavily after being hit in the melee, television footage showed. The fight took place in front of a large sign that read: “Respect the judge.”

The referee sat on the pitch for several minutes, holding his arm, while his assistants, security staff and medics rushed to the pitch to check on him.

Demoncay, 26, started to act as an assistant referee after play resumed but left the court at half-time, while another assistant did his job.