Who Is Pascal Kaiser? German Soccer Referee Assaulted by Three Men Following His Viral Public Wedding Proposal to Boyfriend

What began as a powerful public declaration of love has taken a troubling turn. German football referee Pascal Kaiser, who went viral for proposing to his boyfriend Moritz in front of tens of thousands of fans, was reportedly assaulted at his home following a wave of homophobic backlash, cyberbullying and threats.

The incident occurred days after the widely shared proposal at Cologne's RheinEnergieStadion. Here is what happened and what we know about Kaiser.

Assault Reported After Viral Proposal

A week after Kaiser and Moritz captured attention with their heartwarming stadium proposal, the referee was allegedly attacked at his home in Cologne. The proposal had taken place during a match at RheinEnergieStadion in front of 50,000 spectators.

According to the French publication L'Equipe, Kaiser was assaulted late Saturday night into Sunday morning by three men.

Reports state that in the days leading up to the attack, Kaiser had received significant backlash and cyberbullying. The publication said he had informed police about threatening messages, including ones containing his home address. Authorities reportedly stated there was no immediate threat.

Twenty minutes after he got off the phone with the authorities, Keiser went out to smoke a cigarette, but he was reportedly greeted by three men in his garden and was assaulted. The German soccer referee has sustained an injury to his right eye from the assault.

What was supposed to be a romantic, wholesome, and heartwarming scene has become a trigger for a hate crime and homophobia, making Kaiser a target. Kaiser has since been moved to a secure, undisclosed location under police protection while the investigation into the hate crime continues.

Quick Facts About German Soccer Referee Pascal Kaiser

After suffering from an assault that he believed was because of his public wedding proposal, here are things to know about Kaiser.

Kaiser is a 27-year-old German football referee and lifelong supporter of 1. FC Köln. He serves as a referee and assistant in the fifth tier of German football, specifically the Oberliga Niederrhein.

Furthermore, the 27-year-old has been a long-time advocate for LGBTQ+ visibility in sports. He previously told Schwulissimo, a major German news outlet, 'I see this as my mission: to create visibility. To be a voice. And to encourage people who aren't yet brave enough to speak up.'

He added, 'I know how lonely it can be to think you're the only one. I want no one to have to feel that way again.'

The Viral Wedding Proposal

On 1 February 2026, Kaiser got down on one knee in front of thousands of people and declared his love for his fiancé, Moritz. He said, 'I want everyone to see that I love this person. A man. As a man. In football.'

The crowd cheered on the love they've witnessed at the stadium, and the couple sealed the proposal with a kiss.

After the proposal, FC Köln, a professional soccer team that plays at the field where they got engaged, uploaded a video of the couple's special moment.

They wrote: 'Pascal Kaiser is a referee and a huge FC fan. Pascal is queer and came out three years ago. Today, he had a special plan, which FC Cologne supported. Pascal proposed to his long-term partner at the RheinEnergieStadion, but see for yourselves!' The team added, 'Congratulations, you two!'

Following the attack, Kaiser's Instagram account and the couple's account he shares with his partner are now both locked and private.