After Anderlecht-AA Gent last weekend, referee Nicolas Laforge and VAR Wim Smet were still the bitten dogs, but next weekend they have already been appointed to blow the whistle again by the football association. Wim Smet will even be in action on Wednesday in the top match in the Croky Cup Club Brugge-Union.
It was VAR Wim Smet who called referee Nicolas Laforge to the VAR screen on Sunday evening after Julien De Sart’s goal. The AA Gent midfielder had just scored the 1-1 equalizer against Anderlecht, when Smet thought he saw a clear error after a duel between Kandouss and Arnstad. Laforge followed the VAR and disallowed the goal. Unjustified, as the Referee Department also admitted on Monday. “The goal should have been allowed and VAR intervention was not necessary,” it said.
Both Laforge and Smet made a mistake, but they will not receive any real punishment for it. After all, clubs can no longer officially challenge referees. After a mistake by a referee, the Referee Department ensures that the same ref no longer referees matches for the teams he has injured. But actually putting the referees in question on the penalty bench does not happen.
Wim Smet will be in action again on Wednesday in the semi-final of the cup between Club Brugge and Union. He will act as the fourth official. On Friday he will even be head referee during STVV-KV Kortrijk and during KV Mechelen-Racing Genk next weekend, Smet will again be VAR. Nicolas Laforge is VAR again during Club Brugge-KAS Eupen this weekend.
