It might seem a little easy to point the finger at the referee’s interruption of the match to explain the Zebras’ lack of concentration in the second half. But it does seem to have had a serious impact.
Was Sporting Charleroi “sabotaged” – unintentionally, it goes without saying – by its own supporters this Saturday against Union Saint-Gilloise? We did not hesitate to write it at the time in our summary of the match, but after all, this single interruption of the match should not be able to explain such a sudden difference in level.
“No, I don’t think it played such a big role. Maybe it allowed the Union to regroup and get back on the pitch better, yes. But on our side, we already felt coming back after half-time that there was a bit of slack, less energy”, estimated in any case Aiham Daredone of the Zebras of the match.
Mehdi Bayat does not hesitate to blame the interruption
Obviously, the Syrian mainly wants to put things into perspective, perhaps to avoid hiding behind excuses, and that is to his credit. But there were other concerns: neo-Zèbre Quentin Benaets, in particular, recognized that this could have had an impact on the team. And Mehdi Bayat openly confirmed to the press a little later.
The managing director of Sporting Charleroi took a short detour through the mixed zone to express his frustration. “Yes, there is a big frustration and we have to draw several conclusions. We had this match well in hand, and there was a first interruption in the first period after which we were already worse,” says Bayat.
“And again, in the second half, this second interruption takes us completely out of the match,” he then breathes. “I went down to the dressing room at that moment and the boys were just talking about that. That was the only topic of conversation. They were remembering what happened against Mechelen last season, and maybe that’s it. was in the heads when going back onto the lawn.
This is not going to patch up the Storm Ultras and their leader, with whom they have been at loggerheads for many months now. But this time, we know which side is at fault…
