January 29 – In what is believed to be the first move of its kind, a top-flight European domestic game is to be replayed in full because of an error made by the video assistant referee.
The Belgian Pro League match between Anderlecht and Genk last month saw the system disallow a goal by Genk’s Yira Sor because he had encroached in the area after scoring a rebound from a missed penalty – yet ignored encroachment by two Anderlecht players just as the spot-kick was being taken.
A Genk appeal based on the rules being “misapplied” by VAR was upheld and an initial ruling by the refereeing body that there would be no replay was overturned, setting a potential precedent.
In October, the Premier League refused to countenance a replay of Liverpool’s defeat at Tottenham despite VAR mistakenly failing to overturn an on-field decision to rule out a Luis Díaz goal for offside.
“The disciplinary council for professional football has ruled that the Anderlecht – KRC Genk match at the end of last year should be replayed,” read a Genk statement.
“The Council followed Genk’s argument that the match officials misapplied the rules at the penalty phase in question.”
A date for the match to be replayed has not yet been agreed. Genk are fifth in Belgium’s top flight, while record 34-times champions Anderlecht sit second.
In October, after the errors made by VAR at Tottenham, Liverpool manager Jürgen Klopp commented: “I think the only outcome should be a replay. That’s how it is. It probably will not happen. The argument against that will probably be if you open that gate then everybody will ask for it. I think the situation is that unprecedented that a replay would be the right thing.”
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