Vanzeir red, Anderlecht defender spared amid referee inconsistency

Dante Vanzeir of Genk was shown a red card, while Léo Petrot of Cercle received only a yellow, sparking fresh criticism of Belgian refereeing. The contrasting decisions also involved Anderlecht, whose defender struck Tibe De Vlieger during a Gent counter‑attack. The incidents have reignited calls for consistency.

Referee decisions under the microscope

Vanzeir’s dismissal was described as logical given the severity of his challenge on Denzel De Roeve. By contrast, Petrot’s high‑footed tackle on the young Buffalo midfielder earned only a caution, a decision many deemed strange when measured against Daan Heymans’s earlier incident with Genk. Heymans had struck Adnane Abid’s knee and was initially shown a yellow before VAR intervened.

The Anderlecht defender planted his studs into the chest of Tibe De Vlieger as the latter launched a Gent counter‑attack from sixty metres out. Referee Erik Lambrechts allowed play to continue, although a red card could have been justified after twenty minutes of the match. A request for VAR review at KAA Gent was denied, leaving the defender unpunished.

Sporting Anderlecht were thrashed 4‑0 on Sunday at the KAA Gent stadium. For the Brussels side the cost could have been higher had Lambrechts sent off Petrot early in the game. The heavy loss amplified scrutiny of the officiating standards.

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Weekend incidents fuel the debate

Later that evening, a Cercle attacker received a straight red after a dangerous, uncontrolled foot‑forward tackle on Denzel De Roeve, some dozens of kilometres from the Gent venue. The referee deemed the challenge sufficiently hazardous to merit dismissal, unlike Petrot’s earlier incident.

In the same weekend, Daan Heymans of Racing Genk struck Adnane Abid’s knee and was first shown a yellow. VAR summoned him to the review screen, prompting referee Jasper Vergoote to upgrade the sanction. Referee Gumienny later criticised the original whistle as ‘weak’, arguing the height of the tackle justified a red.

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The pattern of disparate punishments has become a long‑standing pain point in Belgian football. KAA Gent wanted a different colour on the board, but VAR did not intervene. Voor the Brussels side, the weekend underscored how inconsistent rulings can sway both match outcomes and public trust.