Jonathan Lardot defends Belgian refereeing decisions

Refereeing expert Jonathan Lardot has commented on recent controversial officiating decisions in Belgian football, specifically regarding a red card for Carlos Forbs and a VAR-assisted penalty for KRC Genk.

Regarding the match between KAA Gent and Club Brugge, Lardot defended referee Erik Lambrechts' decision to issue a red card to Carlos Forbs following an altercation with Siebe Van der Heyden. While acknowledging that frame-by-frame analysis might lead to debates over a yellow card, Lardot emphasized that the aggressiveness of the reaction justified the dismissal, stating, “This had nothing to do with football.”

Lardot also supported a VAR intervention during the KRC Genk versus SK Beveren match. After referee Bert Verbeke initially declined to award a penalty, the VAR prompted a review. Lardot concluded the decision to award the penalty was correct, noting that video evidence clearly showed the defender striking Zakaria El Ouahdi’s shin without playing the ball.