A Belgian football referee has broken his silence following a violent altercation during a women’s provincial league match between Stokkem VV and Lommel SK in Dilsen-Stokkem, stating he is “glad I came out unharmed” after being attacked by players.
The incident occurred on Friday evening after the final whistle of the match, which ended in a 13-2 victory for Lommel SK. According to the referee’s account, tensions escalated when a Stokkem VV player applauded following the conclusion of the game.
“After the final whistle, a player from Stokkem VV applauded. I felt targeted and asked if the applause was meant for me,” the referee said, as reported by Nieuwsblad. “She said yes, it was for me. Then I gave her a second yellow card.”
The referee claims the situation quickly deteriorated after the card was shown. “Then she pushed me away. I stood there, nose to nose with her. I pushed her back due to the fact that she was in my personal space,” he stated. “After that, she started hitting me. I received seven blows to the face, and my pants were pulled down.”
Wendy Mees, the Stokkem VV captain and the player involved in the initial exchange, provided a differing account to VRT. She said the referee approached her aggressively after she applauded. “He came nose to nose with me. I pushed him away because he was in my personal space,” Mees said. “Then he lashed out twice, including on my left temple. I even fainted for a moment.”
The referee maintains he was the victim of sustained violence. “According to the referee, the Stokkem VV players started hitting him,” the VRT report summarized. “He says he only defended himself after being attacked first.”
The violence extended beyond the initial confrontation. Trainer Brent Beckers of Stokkem VV intervened to separate the parties and suffered a broken shinbone in the process. “Three people tried to pull the referee away from the player. One of them was the club’s integrity officer, Brent Beckers, who sustained a shinbone fracture in the melee,” according to the VRT article.
Beckers later confirmed the injury to Het Laatste Nieuws, stating he missed the Leuven Marathon as a result. “I broke my shinbone and therefore missed the Leuven Marathon,” Beckers said. “I’ve started crying.”
Stokkem VV trainer Roel Ramaekers expressed shock at the referee’s conduct. “I’ve seen how referees needed protection from spectators in the past, but I’ve never seen a referee hit players before,” Ramaekers told VRT. “This is unprecedented.”
The incident has prompted multiple investigations. Voetbal Vlaanderen, the governing body for football in Flanders, has launched an inquiry into the events. Local police in Dilsen-Stokkem are also conducting a criminal investigation into the alleged assault.
The referee emphasized his willingness to cooperate with authorities. “I am fully assisting the police investigation,” he said. “I am glad I came out of this physically unharmed, though the experience was traumatic.”
As of Wednesday, April 22, 2026, no disciplinary sanctions have been announced by Voetbal Vlaanderen regarding the referee or any players involved. The police investigation remains ongoing, with officials reviewing witness statements and any available video evidence from the match.
The match took place at Stokkem VV’s home grounds in Dilsen-Stokkem, a municipality in the Belgian province of Limburg. The fixture was part of the Eerste Provinciale women’s league competition.
This incident adds to growing concerns about referee safety and matchday violence in amateur football across Belgium. Voetbal Vlaanderen has previously implemented respect campaigns targeting player and spectator conduct, though Friday’s events highlight ongoing challenges in enforcing behavioral standards at the grassroots level.
Both clubs have issued statements condemning violence while defending their respective positions. Stokkem VV has supported Mees’ account of the events, while Lommel SK has not publicly commented on the incident involving their opponents.
The referee, whose identity has not been formally disclosed in Belgian media reports, continues to officiate matches pending the outcome of the investigations. He has requested privacy during this difficult period.
For updates on this developing story, readers are encouraged to follow official communications from Voetbal Vlaanderen and local law enforcement in Dilsen-Stokkem.
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