The Football Disciplinary Committee has decided to replay all Belgian top-flight matches between Anderlecht and Genk after a VAR error led to a misuse of the rules of the game.
The incident took place 23 minutes into the match, when Genk forward Ira Saw followed up on a penalty miss by teammate Brian Heinan, past former Leicester City goalkeeper Kasper Schmeichel, who saved the first spot-kick. It happened when I crossed the finish line.
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Replays showed Sol was in the penalty area when Heinan hit the ball, and VAR advised referee Nathan Verboomen to cancel the goal.
However, replays showed that two Anderlecht players had also entered the penalty area, and according to the match regulations, Genk’s penalty should have been retaken instead of the match officials’ decision to award Anderlecht a point. was. free kick.
On 23 December 2023, Anderlecht finally won the match 2-1 with Anders Dreyer’s winning goal in the 91st minute.
Belgian referees initially deemed the incident to be a VAR error rather than a misapplication of the rules of the game and ruled that the match would not be replayed.
However, Genk appealed this decision to the Professional Football Disciplinary Council, which ruled that the referee’s decision was overturned and the match should be replayed in full.
“The Professional Football Disciplinary Council has decided that the match between Anderlecht and KRC Genk at the end of last year should be replayed,” Genk said in a statement.
“The Disciplinary Council initially declared that it had the authority to rule on this matter, thereby overturning the Professional Referees Department’s previous decision not to replay the match.
“The council then followed KRC Genk’s argument that the match officials had incorrectly applied the rules in the penalty phase in question. KRC Genk hopes that a date can be found soon to replay the match.”
Anderlecht trail Belgian Pro League leaders Union Saint-Giroise with eight points, and are 13 points behind third-placed Genk.