Japanese referee Araki Yusuke impresses in Belgian league debut: VAR lessons for Vietnamese football

In the 76th minute, the stadium in Belgium fell silent for a moment. Japanese referee Araki Yusuke stood about ten meters from the Cercle Brugge penalty area. The ball struck a home player's hand inside the box. There was no whistle. Araki waved his hands to let play continue. In the stands, KAA Gent fans were furious. On the touchline, the away team's coaching staff held their heads in frustration. But then, the VAR team outside the stadium intervened. Araki Yusuke walked toward the monitor, put on headphones, and reviewed the incident. Within two minutes, he sprinted back onto the pitch and pointed to the penalty spot. KAA Gent were awarded a penalty. That 76th-minute moment defined the debut of an Asian referee in the Belgian top flight. When the entire commentary room says "Asian referees are sent to Europe just to make up numbers," I hear a faint whisper: "opportunities are given to those who are ready." Araki Yusuke is not an unfamiliar name in Asian refereeing circles. He is part of the international referee exchange program between the Japan Football Association and the Belgian Football Association. The Cercle Brugge – KAA Gent match in round 5 of the Jupiler Pro League was his first official game on Belgian soil. Before stepping onto the pitch, Araki underwent special VAR training, covering handball situations and on-field review protocols. That training was not like ordinary pre-match meetings. It simulated the most controversial situations in Belgian football, where referees had to learn to keep the game flowing while fully trusting technology when needed. I have followed European football for nearly four decades. I have seen hundreds of referees from different football cultures, and I know one truth: a great referee is not someone who never makes mistakes, but someone who corrects them at the right moment. Araki Yusuke just proved that in the clearest possible way. In the 31st minute of the second half, a Cercle Brugge defender handled the ball with his left arm inside the penalty area. The player's arm was away from his body, pointing outward, and there was a pulling movement toward the ball. Under IFAB Law, this was a clear handball offense. But Araki did not blow his whistle immediately. For a less experienced or less confident referee, the natural instinct would be to whistle right away to avoid risk. Araki did the opposite. He let the moment pass because he recognized his viewing angle had been blocked. He respected a fundamental principle: do not guess when in doubt — let technology assist. When VAR called him over, Araki showed no hesitation. He put on his glasses, studied each slow-motion replay, and then awarded the penalty. Jonathan Lalor, the referee technical director of the Belgian Football Association, appeared on the DAZN program of Voetbal Focus right after the match. He said: "The player's left arm was away from the body with a pulling movement, it should have been a penalty, and it was definitely the right decision." Praise from a senior official like Lalor is not superficial. It shows that Belgian experts appreciate how a foreign referee followed VAR procedures with discipline. Araki did not lose face by allowing VAR to correct his call. Instead, he demonstrated maturity in accepting that technology can sometimes see more clearly than human eyes in a decisive moment. I always tell my young students that old match footage stays there, while I put on my glasses and see the future. Here, the future is not about who wins or loses this match. The future lies in how Asian referees are expanding into the world. More than two decades ago, when I was working in television in Shanghai, I witnessed Chinese referees being fiercely criticized for poor decisions in city derbies. The problem was not that they ignored the laws, but that they lacked systematic training on VAR. Araki Yusuke embodies a different model. The referee exchange program took him from Japan to Belgium and gave him the chance to referee in a league full of physicality and pressure. And he seized that opportunity with a correct expert decision, validated by the league's own technical director. But I could be wrong. This is only one match, one incident, one decision confirmed by VAR. It would be premature to claim Araki Yusuke will become a top European referee after just 90 minutes in Belgium. I understand that. Skeptics will argue that any referee with VAR support could make the right call and that there is nothing special to praise. But they miss a crucial detail: Araki did not rush in to blow his whistle when uncertain. He had enough composure to withstand pressure from the stands and players, waiting for precise intervention from VAR. In a football world where referees are often seen as the ones ruining matches, that calmness is worth more than any perfect offside trap. Look at Vietnamese football. We have many experienced referees, but their opportunities to officiate overseas are almost nonexistent. We talk a lot about VAR technology, yet investment in the people who operate VAR remains limited. We can install the most modern camera systems at My Dinh Stadium, but if referees are not trained systematically and have not experienced high-pressure environments like the Jupiler Pro League, VAR becomes just an expensive screen. Araki Yusuke comes from a country whose football, thirty years ago, was not much better than Vietnam's. Japan sent referees to learn across Europe, allowed them to stumble and correct their mistakes in foreign leagues. As a result, today a Japanese referee is receiving praise from the technical director of referees in the Belgian league. Araki Yusuke's story is not about him being Japanese or Asian. It is about preparation. I understand that before the match, he spent hours reviewing the most controversial handball situations of last season's Jupiler Pro League. He made detailed notes on how Belgian players usually position their arms during aerial duels. He studied how to distinguish between natural ball-to-hand contact and deliberate arm movement that enlarges the body area. When he walked onto the pitch, he had a complete reference framework. That is why, when the ball struck the Cercle Brugge player's hand, Araki did not hurry or panic. He knew that if he was not clear, VAR would be a trusted companion. And when VAR called him to the monitor, he knew exactly what to look for. At the age of 55, I still believe in what you call a fantasy — until it becomes reality. In 2026, I said live on television that France would win the World Cup despite their unconvincing performances. People laughed. On July 15, I was right. Today, I continue to believe in something many view as fantasy: Vietnamese referees can absolutely officiate in Europe's top leagues if we dare to invest in systems rather than just buying technology. Araki Yusuke just opened a door for Asian referees. He does not have to be an exception. He can be the first of a generation of Asian referees welcomed into Europe through genuine competence. So my final question is not directed at Belgium, but at ourselves: when a Japanese referee is given an opportunity in the Jupiler Pro League and seizes it with a precise VAR decision, are Vietnamese referees ready for a similar opportunity when it knocks on the door?