HIBAPRESS – Sports
A match in the Belgian league between Standard Liège and Royal Antwerp was stopped after a fan threw a plastic cup that hit the referee in the back, leading to the suspension of the match a few minutes before its end.
The incident occurred in the 87th minute, while Standard was leading with one goal to nil, when referee Lothar D'Hont was standing on the touchline, directing the players to stay away from the assistant referee, before being injured by a cup thrown from the stands at the Maurice Dufrasne Stadium, according to The Athletic website. Immediately, the referee blew his whistle and announced the suspension of the match, amid a state of frustration visible on the players of both teams. Later, Standard Liège confirmed that the identity of the responsible fan had been identified, and that he would be punished by being banned from entering the stadium in the future. The remaining minutes of the match are expected to be completed without an audience, next Monday or Tuesday, according to the club's statement. According to the regulations of the Belgian league, clubs are not considered losers if the match is stopped due to fan behavior, but the match is resumed from the minute and place where it stopped, behind closed doors, under a rule that has been adopted since the 2022-2023 season to ensure a sporting outcome on the field. It is worth noting that Standard was leading with a goal scored by Rafiki Saïd in the first minute, before completing the match with ten players from the 39th minute after the expulsion of Adnan Abid following a dangerous tackle confirmed via video technology (VAR).
