With the VAR centralized in Tubize, rather than scattered around in vans, we were going to see what we were going to see. Unfortunately, there are still hiccups. Technical and human … But while virtually everyone, even Mbaye Leye, agrees that there was clearly offside on the Standard’s winning goal scored on Friday by Amallah on service from Dragus, the body referee is silent.
In fact, every Monday, Frank De Bleeckere comments, on the federation’s website, the main controversial phases of the weekend. He will do so this Monday, three days after the Rouches match. It’s a bit late. We contacted him this Sunday but he did not want to react, referring us to his press release on Monday. This is really the minimum service for the spokesperson of the arbitration department. And since no one else is allowed to speak, neither the referee (Lawrence Visser) nor the main VAR attendant (Nathan Verboomen), it is total silence at the federal level. Welcome to the 21st century, that of communication, it seems …
The explanation put forward, off the microphone, by the refereeing body to respond to the astonishment of the Ostend coach, always very classy, is the impossibility of drawing the offside line when one foot is not on the ground. This is the first time we’ve heard it. Is this the case in all systems? We do not remember a problem like this at the Euro, for example. It would be interesting to have Franck De Bleeckere’s explanation on the subject, since he was a UEFA observer at the Euro. But hey, as he only expresses himself on Mondays, and only through very formatted press releases and videos …
►► The opinion of our consultant Stéphane Bréda on this controversial phase.
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