German football referee Pascal Kaiser has reportedly been attacked for a second time, just days after being assaulted at his home following a widely shared on-pitch marriage proposal.
On 30 January, the 29-year-old proposed to his partner Moritz at Cologne’s RheinEnergieStadion, in front of nearly 50,000 spectators ahead of a match between FC Köln and VfL Wolfsburg.
The proposal quickly circulated online — but was followed by threats, including posts referencing Kaiser’s home address.
First Assault
On 7 February, just 20 minutes after informing police about the threats he had received, Kaiser was attacked by three men while in his garden. The assault left him with an injury to his right eye.
Second Attack
According to French sports outlet L’Équipe, Kaiser was attacked again on 9 February. Two individuals allegedly assaulted him outside his home, striking him in the face and torso.
Kaiser was reportedly meant to be under police protection at the time. However, officers are said to have arrived approximately 30 minutes after the second attack was reported.
Visibility and Backlash
Kaiser publicly came out as bisexual in 2021, becoming one of the few openly LGBTQ+ referees in professional football. He had used his proposal to highlight the importance of queer visibility within the sport.
The initial attack drew widespread condemnation.
Carla Antonelli, Spain’s first openly transgender senator and a prominent LGBTQ+ activist, shared an image of Kaiser’s injuries on Instagram following the first assault.
Her caption read:
“Terrible message, if you make yourself visible we’ll put you in the closet: Referee Pascal Kaiser, who proposed to his partner before the Cologne-Wolfsburg match, was assaulted at his home. It is known that prior to the assault, the address of Pascal Kaiser’s house had leaked on social media and received direct threats. Police intervened after the attack and Pascal Kaiser is now in a safe place under police protection.”
FC Köln also condemned the violence, stating:
“The sheer hatred behind this cowardly attack confirms in a horrific way just how important our commitment as the FC family is against any form of violence.
“As 1. FC Köln, we stand by our conviction for acceptance, diversity, and equality — in sport and in society, on the pitch and in everyday life.”
The repeated attacks have intensified concerns about online harassment escalating into real-world violence, particularly for openly LGBTQ+ figures in professional sport.
