Jupiler Pro League
As expected, the outcome between Westerlo and Racing Genk on the last match day in the Jupiler Pro League will continue. The Federal Public Prosecutor’s Office published a press release on Monday stating that it wants to call up both teams. In addition, fines of more than 20,000 euros are being demanded for both clubs.
Monday, March 25, 2024 at 4:32 PM
The last minutes in the Westelse Kuipje have been eagerly talked about since last week. Both teams stopped playing football quite ostentatiously at the start of extra time, after it was already known that both Westerlo and Racing Genk ‘had what they wanted’: the Gamecocks a place in the Europe play-offs and the Limburgers one in the Champions’ playoffs.
“The match was “frozen” by both teams in the last five minutes of the added time, which amounted to a total of six minutes,” said the Federal Public Prosecutor’s Office, which condemned the scenes.
“What happened during the last five minutes of added time is classified by the Federal Public Prosecutor’s Office as (a form of) blatant game cheating in which spectators, other teams in the series and neutral football fans were simply cheated. The game of football was not played fairly and it goes without saying that this shabby display did not benefit the image of Belgian football and by extension the Royal Belgian Football Association and the Pro League.”
That is why both teams, both coaches and the clubs themselves are summoned to the session of the Professional Football Disciplinary Committee on April 5. The Federal Public Prosecutor’s Office demands a three-match suspension for Wouter Vrancken (Genk coach), as well as for Rik De Mil (now Charleroi coach). The players from both clubs are fined 1,000 euros each.
A heavier sentence is being demanded for Nicolas Madsen (Westerlo) and Joris Kayembe (Genk). The two players ostentatiously passed the ball to each other in the slot, while Madsen had the opportunity to deposit the ball into an empty goal. They are being asked to suspend for two matches plus a fine of 2,000 euros. The clubs themselves would have to donate 10,000 euros each.
