Federal public prosecutor wants a two-match suspension for Christian Burgess after throw-in, Owen Wijndal also faces potential punishment after headbutt

The public prosecutor’s office of the Belgian Football Association (KBVB) demanded a two-match suspension on Tuesday afternoon for throwing in Christian Burgess (Union) to Tolu (Genk). One match suspension is requested for the “deliberate light headbutt” of Owen Wijndal (Antwerp).

In the last minutes of KRC Genk – Union (1-0), Christian Burgess was allowed to take a throw-in at the corner flag at his own goal and threw the ball from close range into the face of opponent Tolu Arokodare. Referee Nicolas Laforge gave him a straight red card, to the defender’s disbelief.

The national public prosecutor’s office assists the referee. “Such an action, regardless of the intensity, has no place on a football field,” writes the federal public prosecutor’s office, which also believes that Tolu’s physical integrity has been endangered. The public prosecutor’s office also wants one postponed match suspension and a 2,500 euro fine. Union has already announced that it will not agree to the suspension.

Wijndal also suspended

Wijndal was also excluded for “physical misconduct” in the 43rd minute of the match against Anderlecht (1-0). After a foul in Antwerp’s favor, Hazard and Wijndal came head to head in a skirmish and the latter gave “a (light) headbutt”, the federal public prosecutor’s office writes: “After a few seconds, the player Hazard then goes into a theatrical and completely exaggerated against the ground.”

For the federal public prosecutor’s office, the intensity of that action is of no importance and believes that Wijndal, despite the provocation, should have been able to control himself. Because Wijndal has no previous suspensions, the federal public prosecutor’s office saw the opportunity to grant more postponement. It therefore wants a three-match suspension, two of which will be postponed, and a 2,000 euro fine.