Yusuke Araki refereed three Belgian Pro League matches in September 2026

Japanese referee Yusuke Araki officiated three matches in the Belgian Jupiler Pro League during September 2026 as part of an independent referee exchange program between national football associations.

Cercle Brugge and KAA Gent Opening Assignment

The 40-year-old FIFA and AFC-affiliated official made his debut in Belgium on September 6, 2026, taking charge of the fixture between Cercle Brugge K.S.V. and K.A.A. Gent at the Jan Breydelstadion. The match ended in a 3-0 victory for Gent. The assignment marked the first time an international referee worked a Jupiler Pro League fixture this season, following an announcement by the Professional Refereeing Department. Habitué de l’élite japonaise, la J-League, Yusuke Araki has also officiated in the U21 Premier League in England, and served as an assistant at the World Cup after managing several qualifying matches in the Asian zone.

Three Pro League Fixtures on the Schedule

Following his debut in Bruges, Araki handled two additional encounters in the Belgian top flight before concluding his assignment. On September 12, 2026, he refereed Union’s 5-0 win over Lommel, and on September 20, 2026, he took charge of Courtrai’s 1-0 victory against Beveren. Observers noted that these fixtures matched leagues of comparable competitive levels, avoiding high-stakes matches such as Standard – Anderlecht or Gand – Club Bruges. In Belgium, Monsieur Araki notably discovered the cunningness of Christian Burgess.

Independent Exchange Framework Between Associations

The referee swap operated entirely through direct agreements between national federations without intervention from FIFA or UEFA. The host federation covered travel, accommodation, and match fees while ensuring that local playing rules matched those familiar to the visiting official. A similar reciprocal initiative took place in early 2025 when Belgian referee Nathan Verboomen traveled to Japan to officiate four matches in the J-League, later praising the high levels of sportsmanship and effective playing time observed in Japanese stadiums. En avant-match, lorsque j’inspectais le terrain avec mes assistants, nous avons été applaudis par tout le stade, he testified in Het Nieuwsblad.

Next Scheduled Referee Assignments

The Professional Refereeing Department announced domestic referee appointments for subsequent Pro League matchdays following the conclusion of Araki’s three-game stint, with regular league fixtures continuing under the supervision of the Belgian federation’s primary roster. These included assignments for the fifth championship matchday featuring officials such as Simon Bourdeaud’hui for Lommel SK against Club Brugge K.V., Nicolas Laforge for Sporting du Pays de Charleroi against R. Union St-Gilloise, Lothar D’Hondt for Yellow Red K.V. Mechelen against K.V.C. Westerlo, Lawrence Visser for R. Standard de Liège against R. Antwerp F.C., and Bert Verbeke for K. St.-Truidense V.V. against RAAL La Louvière.