Yusuke Araki officiates Cercle Brugge vs. Gent in referee exchange

Japanese referee Yusuke Araki officiated the Jupiler Pro League match between Cercle Brugge and KAA Gent at the Jan Breydel Stadium. Araki, a 40-year-old FIFA referee, participated in the match as part of a professional exchange program between Belgium and Japan designed to foster international cooperation and improve officiating standards.

Araki was supported by Belgian assistant referees Jo De Weirdt and Maarten Toeback, with Lawrence Visser serving as the fourth official and Bert Put acting as the VAR. This appointment follows a reciprocal arrangement; last year, Belgian referee Nathan Verboomen traveled to Japan to officiate four matches in the J1 League.

While Araki has international experience, including serving as an official during the Belgium versus Iran match at the recent World Cup, this marks his first time leading a match in the Belgian top flight.