German referee Pascal Kaiser issues heartbreaking statement after fans express concern following attacks
"I'm currently dealing with PTSD, severe anxiety and serious sleep problems," said Kaiser
By Aaron Sugg
German referee Pascal Kaiser has issued a heartbreaking statement after being attacked twice following his public proposal to fiancé Moritz.
After his boyfriend said yes during a proposal in front of thousands at FC Köln’s RheinEnergieStadion in late January 2026, Kaiser was the victim of two incidents on his own property.
February proved an unsettling month. On 7 February, around 20 minutes after reporting threats of violence against him to the police, Kaiser was attacked by three men in his garden after going outside for a cigarette. He sustained an injury to his right eye.
“Some people stay. Some paths change” – Pascal Kaiser breaking his silence after he was attacked on his own property
Only two days later, according to French sports outlet L’Equipe, Kaiser was attacked again at his home by two individuals waiting for him on his doorstep.
After going silent on Instagram following the attacks, the referee posted a cryptic message to his Instagram story on 2 March, causing fans to flood his DMs with support.
Kaiser wrote: “I never thought so much could happen in such a short time. Some people stay. Some paths change. And sometimes you have to learn to be strong on your own – even when you hoped you never would have.”
“It was the first time I managed to go outside alone again” – Kaiser revealing his cryptic Instagram Story was the first time he faced the outdoors after his attack
More than week later, he returned online with a saddening update, revealing he is struggling with symptoms of PTSD and is undergoing therapy.
Thanking his followers for their kind messages, Kaiser, today (10 March), penned: “I’ve been receiving a lot of messages asking how it’s possible that one day I posted that it was the first time I managed to go outside alone again, and shortly after that I’m suddenly in another country.”
“I’m currently dealing with PTSD, severe anxiety and serious sleep problems” – Kaiser on life since his attack
The attacks have taken a toll on his mental wellbeing: “I’m going through a very difficult time mentally. I’m currently dealing with PTSD, severe anxiety and serious sleep problems. After everything that has happened in the past weeks, my own home often hasn’t felt like a safe place for me.”
Kaiser revealed that he is already seeking help and will soon begin a stationary trauma therapy programme to work through his experiences.
“Sometimes fighting doesn’t mean being strong all the time – sometimes it simply means getting through one day after another,” the referee concluded.
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