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10 hours ago
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A Belgian referee abandoned a Pro League match in the 87th minute after being struck by a plastic cup thrown from the stands.
Standard Liège were leading Royal Antwerp 1-0 when the object hit Lothar D’Hondt at the Stade Maurice Dufrasne on Friday. The match official then surprised the players and dugout staff by blowing his whistle to end the game with three minutes left to play.
Those remaining moments will now be played without any fans in attendance on Monday afternoon, as per a ruling by the league in 2022.
The Belgian Pro League said: “This new rule was introduced because we are pro-football and pro-competition. Fans can no longer take control. The sporting principle prevails: the outcome of a match is decided on the pitch, not on the court.”
Standard Liège’s sporting director, Marc Wilmots, a former manager of the Belgium national team, was incensed by D’Hondt’s decision to abandon the match, telling the broadcaster Dazn: “The players fight all match, and because someone throws something, you blow the whistle? I’m disappointed, especially for Belgian football. Now the referees are the stars. It’s starting to get on my nerves.”
Standard Liège have identified the supporter who threw the cup and said in a statement they “will initiate civil stadium ban proceedings against him, as well as an action for compensation”.
D’Hondt had already drawn the match to a halt for 10 minutes in the first half and directed the stadium announcer to urge fans to stop throwing cups on to the pitch. The official, who oversaw Crystal Palace’s Conference League win over Dynamo Kyiv, was stood on the touchline a supporter threw the object at his back.
Standard, who were leading through an early goal from Rafiki Saïd but were reduced to 10 men after Adnane Abid was sent off for a dangerous tackle, are ninth in the Belgian Pro League, while Antwerp are in 13th.
