Watch FIFA World Cup 2026™ LIVE, FREE and EXCLUSIVE

Demirbay cops clever punishment for sexist comments

Fortuna Dusseldorf midfielder Kerem Demirbay was ordered to officiate a girl's match on the weekend, after insulting a female referee during his side's clash with FSV Frankfurt.

Kerem Demirbay

Fortuna Dusseldorf ordered midfielder Kerem Demirbay to referee a girl's match after his sexist comments towards a female referee Source: Facebook

Demirbay who is currently on loan from Hamburger, reportedly told referee Bibiana Steinhaus that women had no place in men's football after he was sent off for a second bookable offence.

Fortuna Dusseldorf responded on their offical Facebook page with the caption "This is what happens when young players make mistakes."

The Turkish midfielder also took to his own Facebook page to apoligise to Steinhaus, saying "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."

The German Football Association also handed the 22 year-old a five match ban and Fortuna manager Rachid Azzouzi revealed the club have appealed the punishment.

"We consider the punishment is unreasonably high and have therefore decided to lodge an appeal," Azzouzi said.


Watch the FIFA World Cup 2026™, Tour de France, Tour de France Femmes, Giro d’Italia, Vuelta a España, Dakar Rally, World Athletics / ISU Championships (and more) via SBS On Demand – your free live streaming and catch-up service. Read more about Sport

Have a story or comment? Contact Us


1 min read

Published

Updated

By Basil Saab



Share this with family and friends


SBS Sport Newsletter

Sign up now for the latest sport news from Australia and around the world direct to your inbox.

By subscribing, you agree to SBS’s terms of service and privacy policy including receiving email updates from SBS.

Follow SBS Sport

Download our apps

Listen to our podcasts

Get the latest with our sport podcasts on your favourite podcast apps.

Watch on SBS Sport

Sport News

News from around the sporting world

Watch now