Frank De Bleeckere makes a clear assessment of the penalty phase in the final minutes of Antwerp-Club Brugge: “One aspect is very important”

At Antwerp they were not happy with the match management after the lost match against Club Brugge (1-2). Trainer Mark van Bommel and captain Toby Alderweireld believed that Antwerp should have received a second penalty in the end. Franck De Bleeckere took a position on behalf of the Referee Department.

At the end of the match, with the score 1-2, Gyrano Kerk is sent deep. Maxim De Cuyper goes into the tackle, causing Kerk to fall. The Dutchman gets back to his feet and wants to put the ball in front of goal, but his pass is intercepted. At Antwerp they still want a penalty, but Jasper Vergoote sees no problem in the tackle. The VAR also does not intervene.

Frank De Bleeckere gave in on Monday evening UnderReview on behalf of the Referee Department his opinion about the phase. “One aspect is very important: does De Cuyper hit the ball? The camera behind the goal gives clear evidence that he definitely hits the ball. There is no discussion about that. And of course if you have a duel for the ball, it is always a kind of football contact. But in the eyes of Jasper (Vergoote, ed.) and us, not heavy enough for a penalty. So we go along with the story and certainly not to give a penalty for this. And the VAR does not have to intervene because it was very clear from the images that the ball had been touched and played by De Cuyper,” De Bleeckere is clear.