A story is popular on social networks about a football player who insulted a female referee with a sexist remark. Allegedly, as punishment, the athlete was sent to referee a match of women's teams, during which he sent off eight players and explained his action with the same words: “Women’s place is in the kitchen.” We have verified the accuracy of such posts.

Users of social networks most often present this story as follows: in 2015, football player Karim Demirbay received a red card from a woman refereeing a match. As he left the field, he told the referee: “You’d better stay in the kitchen.” The referee included this phrase in her report, as a result of which Demirbay was suspended for five games. He was also sent to referee a women's football match. In that game, Demirbay allegedly issued eight red cards. When asked about the reasons for such harsh refereeing, the football player replied: “Because women’s place is in the kitchen.”

In April 2025, the story went viral on Facebook, where one of the posts collected more than 5,800 likes and more than 170 reposts. Previously, users of other social networks wrote about this story, for example, “VKontakte"

The first part of the viral publications is true, although it is replete with inaccuracies. November 29, 2015 Kerem Demirbay (this is how the athlete’s name is spelled correctly) took part in the 2nd Bundesliga match (second division of the German football championship). His club Fortuna (Dusseldorf) met with Frankfurt. Demirbay scored two goals, but was sent off in the 85th minute.

This match was refereed by a woman - Bibiana Steinhaus. Leaving the field, Demirbay really said to her that women have no place in football. The referee entered this incident into the protocol, and the athlete was disqualified for five matches (two of them suspended, that is, he ended up missing three games).

The second part of the story - about Demirbay, who refereed a match of women's teams and sent off eight players - is partly fictitious. Refereeing was not part of the athlete’s punishment: the Fortuna club decided to send him as a referee for that game in order to smooth out the negative impression of Demirbay’s action. Already December 5th on the club’s social networks appeared report on how a player refereed a girls' match.

“Fortuna” published several photos from the match, including a group photo of Demirbay with young athletes. No incidents were reported, let alone eight expulsions and a new sexist behavior by the football player. By that time, the decision on disqualification had not yet been made, and a much more severe punishment would have awaited him if he had allowed such an act.

In addition, immediately after the match in which Demirbay was sent off, he called the referee and apologized, saying that he got excited and succumbed to emotions. “I very much regret that I said such a thing to Mrs. Steinhaus. I should never have said this phrase and it does not reflect my attitude towards women,” later stated footballer.

The story of Demirbay's disqualification was widely covered by sports media in 2015. And the partially fictitious second part of the viral posts, in which he allegedly demonstratively deleted female football players, began to spread on social networks at least since 2017. The authors of such publications often admired the player’s tenacity.

Thus, the German football player did insult the referee, but then apologized for his sexist comment. Demirbay subsequently refereed a match for the youth women's team, but no incidents were reported. At this time, increased attention was attracted to the player, and it is unlikely that the act described by the authors of the viral posts would have gone unnoticed.

Cover photo: f95.de