Germany's Kathrin Hendrich sees red for hair-pull in Euro quarter-final
- Kathrin Hendrich was sent off for pulling Griedge Mbock's hair during the match, resulting in a penalty kick for France.
- Germany managed to equalize and later win the match on penalties despite playing with 10 players for the majority of the game.
- The incident highlights Germany's historical success against France in major tournaments.
In a dramatic quarter-final match of the UEFA Women's Euro 2025 held in Switzerland, Germany faced off against France on July 19, 2025. Early in the first half, German defender Kathrin Hendrich was shown a red card for yanking the hair of French captain Griedge Mbock while attempting to regain her position during a free kick in the penalty box. The Video Assistant Referee (VAR) intervened, leading the Swedish referee Tess Olofsson to review the incident. Following the review, Hendrich was ejected from the game, leaving Germany down a player and conceding a penalty, which was successfully converted by Grace Geyoro, giving France a 1-0 lead while Germany struggled with the sudden setback. Despite being disadvantaged for most of the match, Germany managed to equalize and push the game into a penalty shoot-out after extra time. The ten-player squad was resilient, with goalkeeper Ann-Katrin Berger playing a crucial role in saving penalties, resulting in Germany winning 6-5 and advancing to the semi-finals. After the game, Hendrich was relieved when UEFA cleared her to play in the final should Germany defeat Spain in the next match, indicating a significant turn in what was deemed an unusual incident of hair-pulling in football. This marked the sixth consecutive victory for Germany over France in major tournaments, highlighting their historical dominance over the French squad despite France's impressive form in earlier matches throughout the tournament.