A six-minute VAR review for an Anderlecht goal has ignited a debate over the rules. Marten Winkler's strike in the 3-0 win over Zulte Waregem was only validated after a lengthy interruption, drawing criticism from head of referees Jonathan Lardot.
Lardot reacted sharply to the duration of the check. "This absolutely had to happen faster. That decision can be made in ten seconds," he said. The incident occurred in the 53rd minute when Tawfik Bentayeb played in Winkler. Referee Simon Bourdeaud'hui initially whistled for an attacking foul, but VAR Ken Vermeiren began a review that ultimately took six minutes.
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Analyst Wesley Sonck echoed the criticism. "That took ten seconds. Nobody knew what was going on." he asked. He argued the long break disrupted the match's flow. Former player Sam Kerkhofs also advocated for a rule change to limit the maximum duration of a VAR review.
The controversy comes as Anderlecht sit fifth in the Jupiler Pro League with 13 points from 7 games. Brian Riemer's team has had an inconsistent run with one win, two draws, and two defeats in their last five league matches. Their next assignment is an away fixture against league leaders Gent on October 25th, a key test in a title race where Anderlecht trail leaders Union SG by six points. The current standings show how tight it is at the top.
Ahead of the match against Gent, Riemer will still be without the injured Lucas Hey. The full fitness status of the squad can be followed on our injuries page. Saturday's long VAR delay is another chapter in a season where Anderlecht are still searching for consistency. The team's last home game was on May 21st, a 3-1 victory over STVV.
This story first appeared at Sporza
