Sexist fishing channels: Fabienne Michel speaks in the ARD documentary series “impartial” for the first time publicly about the consequences of the incidents at the game SC Verl against Rot-Weiss Essen on March 28, 2025.
A normal third division game. Rot-Weiss Essen is a guest at SC Verl. The game is led by the only referee in the professional leagues: Fabienne Michel. It makes a mistake as it can occur in a soccer game. However, some fans of Rot-Weiss Essen take this as an opportunity to vote sexist chants and rape fantasies from the guest block.
In an interview for the 2nd season of the ARD documentary series “impartial-Germany’s elite referee”, referee Fabienne Michel speaks publicly about the incidents for the first time: “I love football – his culture, his passion”says the 30-year-old. “But when emotions turn into discriminatory insults, a clear limit is exceeded. There must be no place for this. And it is our common responsibility to make it clear – in the stadium and beyond.“
“That was a low point of the season”
Alexander Feuerherdt, media chief of the DFB elite referee, also makes a clear position in the fifth episode of the documentary series (“final whistle”): “It was a low point of the season and a terrible incident”says Feuerherdt. After the DFB was aware of the incidents, investigations were initiated immediately. “Then there was a sports court judgment that clearly stated: It was discriminatory, inhumane behavior of some of the Essen spectators towards the referee because of her gender”according to Feuerherdt.
Fabienne Michel did not comment on the incidents at the time. Nevertheless, she now makes it clear: “It is important for me to talk about it.” Also because she is not the only person concerned: “In the course of me, a lot of news from other referees. This is a big topic. As a referee, you learn to listen to the game from the start and concentrate on the game. But sometimes there are moments, limits are simply exceeded.”
She hopes that the incident will also help people to be sensitized to sexism around football. Due to the public discussion, she also noticed how much support for her: “I received an incredible amount of news and encouragement, received support. I am very grateful for that, that was good for me”she says in retrospect. “At first you feel pretty alone, and then to notice: Hey, there are other people who stand with you and stand up for the same values – that is good.”
The three -stage plan should specify handling
The great hope is that such incidents will not be repeated in the future. But what if a referee or a referee experiences discriminatory insults again?
If trainers or players are insulted, the case is clear: “We have the three -stage plan for discriminatory incidents”explains Alexander Feuerherdt: “If a case of discrimination occurs, the referee can interrupt the game and arrange a stadium announcement.” With repeated discrimination, the game can be interrupted and, in extreme cases, even canceled.
If referees are affected themselves, it becomes problematic, says Fabienne Michel, “Because I have to stand up for myself. I find that more difficult than standing for someone else.” Alexander Feuerherdt also admits: “The mechanism that a referee affected can protect herself without any problems.”
Michel: “I see society as responsibility”
So there is a need to catch up with the set of rules – but not only there, says Michel: “I see all of us as a society. Not only those who call such things, but also other people who are in the stadium who hear something like that, from coaches on the sidelines to the stadium speaker.” On March 28, 2025, the parties involved have not yet lived up to this responsibility. Nevertheless, Alexander Feuerherdt has the hope that the incident in Verl and the subsequent public discussion can change something: “We had neo -Nazi slotols in various stadiums in the early 1990s, at least in professional football we hardly ever have that anymore”he says.
On the one hand, this is the earnings of the active fan scenes, which had worked with fan projects on a change in the fan blocks themselves. But the association would also have learned to be added and positioned itself more clearly than before against discrimination. He also sees such positioning in the judgment of the DFB sports court: “If a sports court judgment is as clear as in Fabienne’s case, it is an eminent progress.”
And Fabienne Michel also believes that the discussions can change something: “Many people are not necessarily clear: What is discrimination? What is a discriminatory insult? I think that such incidents can help to raise awareness of other people. At least that’s my hope.”
The next few weeks and months will have to show whether these hopes will come true. What is certain is that as long as sexism is not recognized and addressed as a dedicated problem in the men’s football, the discussions will continue.