A second division footballer in Germany was handed a unique punishment after insulting a female referee during a match. Kerem Demirbay was made to officiate a girls’ game during the weekend.
Fortuna Düsseldorf’s Kerem Demirbay was made to take charge of a girl’s game on Saturday as punishment for insulting a female referee.
The Turkish youth international had reportedly told referee Bibiana Steinhaus in last week’s game against FSV Frankfurt that women had no place in men’s football after she had sent him off for a second booking.
On Saturday he was the referee in the youth league encounter between Haan 06 and Langenfeld before posing with the teams for photos.
“This is what happens when young players make mistakes,” Fortuna posted on the club’s Facebook page.
Demirbay, 22, is still awaiting sanction by the German FA for his comments and has repeatedly apologized, but has not revealed what it was he exactly told Steinhaus. “I am extremely sorry for what I said to Mrs Steinhaus. I should have never said this sentence, because it is not what I think of women,” wrote Demirbay.
He took to Facebook to publicly apologize to the 36-year-old Steinhaus, who officiated the 2011 women’s World Cup final when Japan beat the USA in a penalty shoot-out as well as the 2012 Olympic final in London.
apc/jh (Reuters, AFP)
