RBFA says goodbye to Herbert Fandel and appoints Peter Willems as director of refereeing

The RBFA has decided to make a change at the top of the Professional Refereeing Department (PRD). Peter Willems has been appointed as director, while Herbert Fandel is leaving the federation. The RBFA would like to thank Fandel for his work over the past two and a half years. At the end of the season, the RBFA and Bertrand Layec will also part ways. ​ 

Peter Willems becomes director of the PRD

As director, Peter Willems will be tasked with further professionalising the PRD, and further raising the level of refereeing in our country. He will be assisted in this by several experts. Stephanie Forde remains responsible for the operational part of Belgian refereeing, and Frank De Bleeckere for the guidance and promotion of young referees. Kevin Blom and Christophe Dierick are responsible for the VAR. Finally, Bertrand Layec remains in charge of technical support for the referees. Layec's contract expires in June this year, so he will leave the RBFA. ​ 

After a number of eventful months, CEO Piet Vandendriessche is counting on Peter Willems to restore calm in the PRD. Willems is in charge of organising day-to-day operations. Thus, he will oversee the referee designation process. ​ Those designations will be decided in team, and based on available data. Those data will allow for an objective monitoring of the quality of referees and assistant referees in professional football.

Furthermore, Willems will roll out, and further develop, the strategic plan for professional refereeing – launched at the start of the season. He is also looking into the structure and organisation of the PRD for the coming season. ​ 

"Our referees are in the eye of the storm, while they prefer to carry out their work with discretion. In the coming months, we want to help them do that. In the short term by providing the guidance they deserve, but also by building the future of refereeing in our country. Rather than looking for quick fixes, we are working on a broad-based plan of action that will take refereeing to the next level in the long term. Because the importance of quality refereeing and the VAR cannot be stressed enough."

– Piet Vandendriessche, CEO RBFA

"For personal reasons and because, as chairman of the Belgian referees, I take responsibility for the current unsatisfactory situation, I am resigning from office with immediate effect. I hope that this will also take the pressure off our referees, who face difficult tasks in the coming weeks and months. It has been an honour to be chairman in Belgium and I wish the referees in particular, but also the RBFA, all the best for the future."

– Herbert Fandel

Respect for the referees

On Monday 19 February, the RBFA Prosecutor's Office called for more respect for referees, CEO Piet Vandendriessche concurs. ​ 

"Our referees – sometimes in difficult circumstances – guide many matches every week with the utmost professionalism and therefore deserve everyone's respect. I therefore count on the support and serenity of all partners to do this in the best possible way. Referees are an essential part of our beloved sport, because without referees there is no football."

– Piet Vandendriessche, CEO RBFA

Professional referees serve as examples for the young generation of referees, profiles that both Voetbal Vlaanderen and ACFF are looking for. Because the Belgian referee corps is in need of reinforcement. Currently, some 4,500 are active in Belgium, while there should be 5,500. These people not only guide many youth and amateur matches in the right direction, but also have a chance to grow into the top of refereeing. ​ 

Piet Vandendriessche and Peter Willems therefore call on everyone to show respect for referees, at all levels. For professional football, they count in particular on the support of the players, coaches, board members, journalists, commentators, supporters and all other people who care about Belgian football.