Daniel Striani is being represented by Jean-Louis Dupont, the lawyer who in 1995 secured the Bosman ruling that allowed players to move on a free transfer at the end of their contract.

Dupont believes the 'break-even rule', which prohibits clubs in European competition spending more than their income, "infringes EU fundamental freedoms" such as free movement of capital, of workers (players) and of services (agents).

"Consequently, such restriction of competition and violation of EU fundamental freedoms cannot be justified by the objectives put forward by UEFA," read a statement from Dupont.

He is claiming that overspending should be allowed so long as it is fully guaranteed, such as by bank guarantees.

"In short, the current prohibition... is in practice illegal because the rule is not proportionate, since it can be replaced by another measure, equally efficient but less damaging as far as EU freedoms are concerned," it reads.

UEFA believes it has already tested the break-even rule's legality with the EU.

"UEFA believes that financial fair play is fully in line with EU law and is confident that the European Commission will reject this complaint," the organisation said in a statement.

"The rules encourage clubs to 'live within their own means,' which is a sound economic principle aiming to guarantee the long-term sustainability and viability of European football."

Despite having failed to properly test goalkeeper Vyacheslav Malafeev with a number of chances the Reds seemed to be managing to hold on in the sub-zero Petrovsky Stadium.

But with 20 minutes remaining Hulk powered home a brilliant 30-yard strike before substitute Sergei Semak converted from close range moments later.

Viktoria Plzen confirmed itself as one of the dark horses in this year's competition after shocking Napoli 3-0 at San Paolo.

Plzen beat defending champion Atletico Madrid to top its group and is now a heavy favourite to progress past the high-flying Italian side after late goals from Stanislav Tecl and Frantisek Rajtoral built on Vladimar Darida's first-half opener.

Anzhi Makhachkala recovered from a goal down to defeat Hannover 3-1 although the Russian side will hope it will not be made to rue Samuel Eto'o's missed second-half penalty.

Hannover took a 22nd-minute lead through Szabolcs Huszti but Eto'o drew Anzhi level soon after and Odil Ahmedov put the host ahead immediately after half-time.

Eto'o then spurned the chance to make it 3-1 in the 57th minute when his spot-kick was saved by Ron-Robert Zieler, but Anzhi was still able to secure a two-goal lead to take to Germany for the second leg thanks to Mbark Boussoufa.

Levante put aside its poor domestic form to claim an impressive 3-0 victory over 10-man Olympiacos that leaves it within touching distance of a place in the last 16.

The Spanish outfit had lost five of its last six in league and cup prior to this but goals from Pedro Rios, Jose Barkero and Obafemi Martins earned Juan Ignacio Martinez's men a notable scalp against a side which was playing in the UEFA Champions League group stages before Christmas.

Oleg Gusev missed a second-half penalty as wasteful Dynamo Kiev played out a 1-1 draw with Bordeaux.

The Ukrainian host dominated the contest and took a deserved lead through Lukman Haruna, but that was cancelled out within minutes by Ludovic Obraniak.

Goals by Toby Alderweireld and Ricardo Van Rhijn guided Ajax to a 2-0 victory over 10-man Steaua Bucharest at the Amsterdam ArenA.

Oscar saved Chelsea, interim boss Rafael Benitez and striker Fernando Torres from embarrassment with an 82nd-minute winner at Sparta Prague in a 1-0 win.

Oscar Cardozo's second-half strike was enough to ensure Benfica will take a slender advantage back to the Estadio da Luz against Bayer Leverkusen.

Meanwhile, Fenerbahce held BATE Borisov to a goalless draw in Belarus despite playing all bar the first three minutes with 10 men after Raul Meireles was sent off early on.

Two goals for Lazio from Libor Kozak as well as three penalties for Borussia Monchengladbach saw a breathless match end with the 10-man Italian club in pole position ahead of the second leg.

Martin Stranzl's penalty put the Bundesliga side ahead before Sergio Floccari and Kozak turned the pendulum Lazio's way.

Stranzl then missed his second penalty, which also saw Andre Dias dismissed after his second yellow card, before three goals in six minutes brought a pulsating 3-3 draw to an end.

Atletico Madrid looks to be heading out after it was beaten 2-0 at home by Rubin Kazan.

Gokdeniz Karadeniz put the Russian side ahead after six minutes before Pablo Orbaiz doubled the advantage in stoppage-time.

Juande Ramos' chances of becoming only the second coach to win the Europa League for a third time may have to wait another year after his Dnipro side was beaten 2-0 by Basel at St. Jakob-Park.

Ramos had won the trophy twice before at Sevilla and a third triumph would put him level with Republic of Ireland boss Giovanni Trapattoni.

However a first-half goal from Valentin Stocker and a second-half strike from Marco Streller ensured the Swiss side head into next week's second leg at the Dnipro Stadium in control.

Gareth Bale scored two sensational free-kicks as Tottenham Hotspur gained the advantage over Lyon with a thrilling last-gasp 2-1 win at White Hart Lane.

Samuel Umtiti looked like he had earned a draw for Lyon when he smashed home a stunning half-volley equaliser in the 55th minute, but once again Bale came to the rescue for Spurs.

Striker Papiss Cisse saw two goals disallowed as Newcastle United failed to claim the first-leg lead over Metalist Kharkiv, instead settling for a goalless draw.

A last-minute goal from Glynor Plet gave Genk a precious away goal as it held Stuttgart 1-1 at the Mercedes-Benz Arena.

Christian Gentner had fired the host ahead before half-time, but Plet struck in stoppage-time to level the scores and give his team the advantage heading into the return match in Belgium next week.

Rodrigo Palacio scored twice after his early entrance as a substitute to put Inter Milan in control of its tie against Cluj.

Palacio, a 10th-minute replacement after a serious-looking injury to Diego Milito, scored 10 minutes after that and added a late second in a 2-0 win.

Belgian secretary general Steven Martens said the mass hiring of players from Egyptian top flight club Wadi Degla creates "a totally distorted situation" in a division regarded as a breeding ground for local talent.

Third-tier clubs have on average fewer than three non-EU players.

Turnhout was linked to Wadi Degla and, since the Egyptian league is suspended, it was possible to hire the players.

Chairman Marcel Hendrix said on Turnhout's website that he realised "that fans are asking a lot of questions and that many don't share the choice."

He added that the move was necessary for the club's survival.

Malaga twice took the lead thanks to goals from captain Sergio Duda but was twice pegged back, first by Milan Jovanovic then by Mbokani.

It did not matter, as Manuel Pellegrini's side had already sealed its progression to the last 16 of the competition, with its place as group leader confirmed after Zenit's 1-0 win over Milan in Italy.

Malaga dominated proceedings in the first half and finally broke the deadlock on the stroke of half-time thanks to Duda.

The Malaga skipper found himself with time and space on the edge of the area to pick his spot in the top left corner of Silvio Proto's goal to give the Spanish side the lead.

Jovanovic levelled for Anderlecht five minutes after the break before Duda edged the Primera Division side ahead again just after the hour mark.

It looked as if unbeaten Malaga had earned its fourth win in the group stages before Mbokani had the final word, although the result in Milan meant it was not enough to ensure further European action for his side this season.

Both sides had a few chances in the first half but there was nothing to trouble either goalkeeper, with Silvio Proto dealing with the home side's threat fairly comfortably.

Malaga goalkeeper Carlos Kameni had one real chance to save in the first period when he tipped Massimo Bruno's shot round the post from Behrang Safari's corner.

However, it was the home side which took the lead just before the break when Duda found the back of the net in the 45th minute.

The advantage was short-lived, though, as Jovanovic levelled the score five minutes into the second half.

The striker lobbed the ball over Kameni and into the net as the visitor looked to keep its Europa League hopes alive.

Jovanovic almost put Anderlecht in front five minutes later when he forced a good save from the Malaga keeper, and he was left to rue his missed chance as Duda put the home side ahead again soon after.

The midfielder linked up with Diego Buonanotte to drill the ball home just after the hour mark, with Mbokani's late strike proving not to be enough for the Belgian side as its European campaign drew to an end.

The in-form Stephan El Shaarawy gave Milan the lead in the 47th minute before Mexes doubled the advantage in the 72nd minute with his magnificent effort which rivalled former club-mate Zlatan Ibrahimovic's recent effort for Sweden against England for pure audacity.

The free-kick that led to Mexes' goal also saw Anderlecht lose Bram Nuytinck to a red card as Milan took a complete stranglehold on the match.

Anderlecht, which would have moved above Milan into second place in Group C with a win, pulled a goal back through substitute Tom De Sutter but it could not get back on level terms and Alexandre Pato sealed the Italian side's triumph and spot in the last 16 with a stoppage-time third.

The Belgian side, which must now battle it out with Zenit St Petersburg for a place in the UEFA Europa League, had the best chance of a closely-fought first half but Milan Jovanovic saw his 12th-minute effort saved by the feet of visiting goalkeeper Christian Abbiati.

Milan did not produce much to worry Anderlecht keeper Silvio Proto in the first period but it needed just two minutes of the second half to create a clear-cut chance, and El Shaarawy made the most of it.

The 20-year-old coolly brought down a deep cross that had just cleared the head of Anderlecht defender Cheikhou Kouyate and then curled a right-footed shot into the far side of the net from the edge of the six-yard box.

That was El Shaarawy's 13th goal in his last 16 appearances for club and country, but it was Mexes' goal that really took the breathe away.

Nuytinck's professional foul on substitute Pato proved doubly costly, as not only did it result in him receiving a red card as last man, but from the resulting free-kick Mexes scored his wonder goal.

Riccardo Montolivo's ball in from deep was chested up into the air on the edge of the area by Mexes before the Frenchman sent an acrobatic looping overhead kick into the far top corner of the net with Proto rooted to his line.

De Sutter gave Anderlecht renewed hope when he pulled a goal back in the 79th minute with a close-range finish, but aside from a Olivier Deschacht effort it could not create much to worry Abbiati before Pato made it 3-1 late on after an El Shaarawy pass.

Defeat in St Petersburg two weeks ago had left the Belgian champion bottom of the group and needing victory at the Stadium Constant Vanden Stock to have any realistic chance of reaching the last 16.

And Mbokani's neat finish coupled with a solid defensive showing lifted it ahead of its opponent to third in the standings, a point behind second-placed AC Milan after the Italian side drew with Malaga.

Zenit's top scorer Hulk missed the match due to injury, while Anderlecht was without the suspended Marcin Wasilewski.

Belgium defender Nicolas Lombaerts, keen to make an impression in his homeland, volleyed goalwards in the fifth minute but Silvio Proto parried.

Sergei Semak then fired wide before Mbokani, playing in a mask to protect a broken nose, had Anderlecht's first chance but saw his header saved by Viacheslav Malafeev.

And it was Mbokani who opened the scoring in the 17th minute, exchanging passes with Sacha Kljestan and finishing with a deft right-footed chip.

It was Anderlecht's first goal in the group, and Malafeev dived to tip Milan Jovanovic's 20-yard left-foot drive around the post midway through the half as the home side began to take control of the match.

Zenit's second Belgian, midfielder Axel Witsel, was booked before half-time for a foul on Cheikhou Kouyate.

Searching for inspiration, the visitor sent on Portugal playmaker Danny - who only returned to action on Friday after a cruciate ligament injury - in place of Semak at half-time.

Proto denied Witsel an equaliser when the tall midfielder volleyed goalwards from 12 yards.

Lucas Biglia tried to create a second goal for Anderlecht with an excellent run into the box, but his cross was cleared behind by Tomas Hubocan.

It came close to killing the game off in the 82nd minute when Mbokani flicked on Jovanovic's pass and Oleksandr Yakovenko fired past Malafeev but saw his effort rebound to safety off the crossbar.

Anderlecht held on at 1-0, though, to record its first-ever win in the group stage and keep itself in contention for the knockout stages.

The visitor had completely dominated the opening period but had to wait until first-half stoppage-time to break the deadlock as Eliseu seized on a loose ball on the edge of the area and cannoned a volley into the top corner.

Joaquin then made the game safe from the spot after Nacho Monreal had been clipped by Cheikhou Kouyate inside the area and Eliseu rounded off a perfect night for Manuel Pellegrini's side as he raced onto Isco's pass and coolly chipped the ball over Silvio Proto.

Both sides had enjoyed positive results on matchday one as Malaga thrashed Zenit St Petersburg 3-0 on its Champions League bow whilst Anderlecht had taken a point away at AC Milan, but it was the Spanish side which showed it has the class to progress further in the competition as its passing and movement proved far too good for the Belgian champion.

Joaquin was twice denied by smart saves from Proto in the opening quarter before Martin Demichelis really ought to have put the visitor in front when he headed Joaquin's corner wide from close range.

Proto then made a world-class save to deny Javier Saviola the finishing touch to what would have been a wonderful team goal as Eliseu played a free-kick short to Isco and his backheel freed the Argentinian inside the area but Proto got a strong left hand to his poked finish to turn the ball over the bar.

Joaquin was then denied a certain goal again, this time by a brave block from Olivier Deschacht on the stroke of half-time, but when the resulting corner was only cleared to the edge of the area Eliseu was waiting to send a rocket of a shot into the top corner.

Anderlecht started the second period in a more positive manner and had its first shot on target when Sacha Kljestan fired straight at Willy Caballero a minute after the break, but any hope it had of a comeback disappeared on 55 minutes when Kouyate unnecessarily dived in on Monreal and Joaquin gave Proto no chance from the spot.

And with the host having to push forward in search of a way back into the game Malaga exposed the space in behind the defence to score the third just after the hour as Isco released Eliseu and he showed how high his confidence is at the moment as he flicked the ball over Proto and into the far corner.

Manuel Iturra should then have added his first Malaga goal as he exchanged passes with Isco but the Chilean's weak effort was straight at Proto.

However, it matter little as Malaga saw the game out comfortably to take its place at the top of Group C.

Gilbert Bodert was also ordered to pay a fine of 2,750 euros ($A3,431) by a court in the city of Liege.

The judges ruled that the 50-year-old played a role in a robbery targeting the tills at the Caves of Han-sur-Lesse in 2008.

Bodart played for Standard Liege in the 1980s and 1990s, during which time he also played for the national team.

He later coached, but had to resign from a position with the La Louviere club in 2006 amid a match-fixing scandal.

Standard was knocked down in numbers in the 47th minute as Imoh Ezekiel was sent off.

At that stage the teams were locked level at 1-1 after Jelle van Damme's 44th-minute own goal cancelled out Standard's 25th-minute opener from Yoni Buyens.

Arzo had the decisive say on the hour mark, when his shot took a deflection off Buyens and beat goalkeeper Eiji Kawashima.

A 1-0 home loss to Atalanta left Milan six points off the Serie A summit at the weekend and it was desperately hoping a European night could get its campaign going.

But instead it looked tentative and allowed Anderlecht the better of the chances on the night.

The visitor started the brighter, with Bram Nuytinck having a powerful shot charged down before a fine effort from Sacha Kljestan was parried away by Christian Abbiati.

Milan began to probe, earning a corner from which Kevin-Prince Boateng headed wide, while efforts from further afield by Mattia De Sciglio and Mathieu Flamini were dealt with by the Anderlecht defence.

Anderlecht was still enjoying plenty of the ball against its nervy host and Kanu, Dieumerci Mbokani and Guillaume Gillet all had further efforts blocked, the latter by another good save from Abbiati.

Nuytinck fired wide from a corner as Anderlecht kept Milan on the back foot.

Boateng was looking like the sharpest of Milan's players going forward. He headed wide from another corner but then brought a save out of Silvio Proto with a close-range volley.

Moments later, Urby Emanuelson tested the goalkeeper with an even better effort.

But it was not the start of any great period of Milan domination and it was again on the back foot before the break, with Massimo Bruno, Mbokani and Cheikhou Kouyate having chances for the visitor.

Anderlecht had its best chance to take the lead early in the second half.

Lucas Biglia, who had moments earlier seen a long-range effort blocked by Daniele Bonera, got into a great position only to slice wide on the volley.

Milan responded with Emanuelson flashing a shot wide before Boateng sent yet another header wide, this time from a free-kick.

Antonio Nocerino then stretched Proto with a shot across goal before Stephan El Shaarawi's header brought an excellent save from the Anderlecht goalkeeper.

Milan was in the ascendancy now, but could not do anything to make it count.

Emanuelson blazed over, Flamini headed wide, and El Shaarawi's effort was tame.

A powerful free-kick from Kevin Constant was straight at the wall.

Instead it was Anderlecht which had the final chance to win it, only for Mbokani to send his strike from the edge of the area over the crossbar.

The host - which had also started the season well, winning three of its six games - took a sixth-minute lead through Ervin Zukanovic.

But Carlos Bacca preserved the league leader's unbeaten record with a 64th-minute equaliser.

Gecov, 24, joined the Cottagers from Slovan Liberec on a two-year deal last northern summer, but failed to make an impact on the first team.

A statement from Fulham read: "FFC would like to thank Marcel for his efforts during his time in SW6 and wishes him all the best for the future."

Anderlecht had already sealed the title and ended the campaign in style with a 3-0 win over Standard Liege thanks to goals from Dieudonne Mbokani (28), Matias Suarez (67) and Fernando Canesin (80).

Club Brugge, which had clinched a place in the qualifying stages of the UEFA Champions League in mid-week, also ended with a home win, beating KV Kortrijk 3-2.

Maxime Lestienne (21) and Carlos Bacca (50) gave Brugge a 2-0 lead and although Peter Czvitkovics (61) pulled a goal back, Bacca's second three minutes later restored the home side's two-goal cushion. Brecht Capon pulled a goal back for the visitor with 14 minutes remaining.

Genk had secured a Europa League place and remained third in the standings despite losing 3-1 at Gent, which claimed a Europa League play-off place.

Ilombe M'Boyo (10) and Mamatou N'Diaye (22) put Gent in command before an own goal from Elimane Coulibaly (66) gave Genk hope.

That hope only lasted three minutes however, with M'Boyo (69) grabbing his second of the game.

Beyond Matthias Suarez and Lucas Biglia of Argentina and Brazil's Kanu, Anderlecht also relied on steady US midfielder Sacha Kljestan to dominate the league for most of the season and win the playoffs with two games to spare.

Under the league's complicated rules, the points of all clubs were halved at the end of the regular season and the top six clubs entered a playoff competition. Last year's champion Racing Genk finished third.

Anderlecht had to wait until the fourth minute of injury time, when Guillaume Gillet converted a penalty, to cancel out a 70th minute strike by Maxime Lestienne.

The visitor, which is all but out of contention for European football next season, cruised for much of the encounter, establishing a 3-0 lead before a late fightback from Gent gave the scoreline a misleading look.

Steven Monrose put Kortrijk ahead after 25 minutes and Mustapha Oussalah made it 2-0 with 20 minutes to go.

Substitute Peter Czvitkovics added a third before Zlatan Ljubijankic and Jesper Jorgensen scored late on for the host.

Gent remains in the UEFA Europa League playoff spot, a point behind third-placed Genk.

The result maintained Cercle's two-point lead over Lierse in Playoffs II Group A, with the winner of the group taking on the top side from Group B - currently Mons - in a playoff for a place in next season's Europa League.

Lierse had Karim Saidi sent off eight minutes from time.

The league leader after the regular season, Anderlecht failed to beat sixth-placed Kortrijk in its opening playoff game and was desperate to respond.

But it could not find a way past Standard keeper Sinan Bolat and was forced to settle for another point, meaning Club Brugge can overhaul them at the league summit if it beats Kortrijk on Monday (AEST).

The German side was favourite to claim the victory it needed to guarantee top spot in the pool away to the group minnow, but found itself battling to avoid defeat.

Jelle Vossen opened the scoring for Genk on the half-hour and the home side fought hard to hang onto its lead before Derdiyok's continued probing finally paid off with a 79th-minute equaliser.

It had started promisingly for Leverkusen with Gonzalo Castro having a dangerous cross booted clear inside the opening 40 seconds, then Andre Schurrle forcing Genk goalkeeper Laszlo Koteles to parry his free-kick.

Derdiyok was next to chance his luck from long range with a 30-yard free-kick which flashed over the bar, and in the 22nd minute the same player fired a shot from 18 yards which was comfortably saved.

The home fans at the Cristal Arena were willing their side to finish its campaign with a first win and it gave itself a great chance on the half-hour when it scored the opener out of nothing.

Burundi international Dugary Ndabashinze sent in a cross from the right wing which Vossen met in the box with a right-footed volley which flew past Leverkusen keeper Bernd Leno into the bottom corner.

It was Genk's first chance of the match and it almost doubled the lead with a second two minutes later, Fabien Camus side-footing wide from six yards from an Anthony Limbombe cross.

Suddenly Genk looked in complete control and it came even closer two minutes later when Jeroen Simaeys got his head on Daniel Tozser's far-post corner and forced Leno to tip over the bar.

The visitor recovered its poise and won a series of corners before the break, Derdiyok firing wide from 12 yards and Sidney Sam also forcing a good save out of Genk keeper Koteles.

Derdiyok missed with a clear header seven minutes into the second half and had an even better chance on the hour when he met Castro's free-kick into the box but could only head over from six yards.

Derdiyok was guilty of shooting wide again in the 67th minute but he finally broke his duck 11 minutes from time when he was fed by Sam on the right side of the penalty area and smashed a low shot into the net.

Leverkusen predictably laid siege to the Genk goal in search of the winner it needed to finish as group winner, with Koteles saving well from Sam and Stefan Kiessling in quick succession.

As the game opened up Thomas Buffel and Elyaniv Barda both forced saves out of Leverkusen keeper Leno, while at the other end Derdiyok blazed wide again from six yards.

Buffel had the last chance for the home side in stoppage-time when his shot was superbly tipped round the post by Leno as the Belgian side held on for a deserved point and Leverkusen had to settle for second spot after Chelsea's 3-0 win over Valencia.

The Spanish side's Mestalla goal glut was enough to put it level on points with Chelsea and it will head to London next month knowing a draw will be enough to go through.

The home side needed just 10 minutes to open the scoring against the winless Belgian side, Brazilian Jonas applying his head to an Tino Costa free-kick to nod home from six yards.

Kevin De Bruyne had a rare shot blocked for Genk before Valencia went further ahead in the 13th minute, Soldado netting his first from 12 yards after Jonas threaded the ball in from the right channel.

Anxious to erase the memory of last weekend's La Liga loss to Real Madrid, the host continued pressing with Costa forcing Genk goalkeeper Laszlo Koteles to tip his 21st-minute effort round the post.

Koteles performed similar heroics to deny Mehmet Topal two minutes later, before Genk forced a rare shot on target in the 32nd minute when Thomas Buffel's 20 yard effort was held comfortably by Diego Alves.

Soldado grabbed his second and Valencia's third in the 37th minutes when Costa nudged his free-kick to the striker, who blasted the ball past a helpless Koteles from the edge of the box.

And it was 4-0 two minutes later after another rising strike from Soldado, who was played in on the edge of the six-yard box by a short pass from Pablo Hernandez.

Valencia continued to dominate in the second half with Koteles tipping over a drive from Topal and a 20-yard shot from Hernandez before the fifth arrived in the 68th minute, Hernandez sweeping home from a Jonas pass.

Two minutes later Aritz Aduriz made it six when he drilled home a left-foot shot from the right side of the six yard box after a ball in from Miguel on the right wing.

And after Aduriz and Jonas both came close, Genk's misery was complete 10 minutes from time when Costa followed up to poke home after Jonas' initial shot had been parried into his path by the hapless Koteles.

The 20-year-old striker was accused of theft with violence after an incident on Saturday.

Benteke was arrested with two other individuals on suspicion of beating up a man before making off in his car.

The victim had to be treated in hospital for injuries suffered in the attack.

After his court appearance in handcuffs in Liege, Benteke was released from custody.

On Tuesday the player denied 'formally these allegations' in a statement released by his club, claiming he had been interviewed by police purely as a 'witness'.

Benteke has three international caps to his name and began his career with Standard Liege before joining reigning Belgian champion Genk.

His name does not figure in Belgium's squad for the coming friendlies against Romania and France.

The Blues supporters repeatedly chanted about Queens Park Rangers defender Ferdinand in response to the John Terry racism inquiry during the 1-1 draw at the Cristal Arena.

The chants came shortly after the Metropolitan Police launched a formal investigation into allegations Terry racially abused Ferdinand during the west London derby nine days earlier, something denied by the Chelsea captain.

A club spokesman said in a statement: "The chanting was wholly inappropriate and we don't condone it."

Manager Andre Villas-Boas insisted he had not heard the chanting, which was at its loudest shortly before and shortly after half-time.

He added: "I was concentrating on the game."

It is unclear whether Chelsea could face any action over the chanting - but what is more obvious is that this result provided no respite for Villas-Boas and his players.

The visitor blew a half-time lead and missed a penalty to waste the chance to put one foot in the Champions League last 16.

Indeed, Group E is now wide open going into the final two rounds of matches, with Chelsea only three points clear of third-placed Valencia.

Villas-Boas said: "It gets a little bit tighter.

"We go away and it's a bit tighter, but we have responsibilities that we don't escape.

"Our job is to qualify first and that's what we'd like to do."

The Portuguese denied his side had lost control in the second half.

"We were quite organised in the first half and, in the second half, you are confusing losing control of the game with the emotions coming from the stadium," he said.

"But we created enough opportunities to win the game.

"It's just not happening for us in terms of efficiency.

"We hit the post, missed a penalty, had chances in front of the posts.

"It seems we need to focus, in terms of efficiency.

"At 1-0, the game is always close. They created a few chances, and one went into the net to make it 1-1.

"It's not a bad result away from home, but it's a game we expected to win. We have to react."

After Ramires opened the scoring, Luiz strangely took on penalty duties and duly saw his spot-kick saved by Laszlo Koteles.

Villas-Boas insisted Luiz had not broken ranks.

He said: "They decide out on the pitch and today it went with David, but the goalkeeper made the save."

Villas-Boas also defended right-back Jose Bosingwa, who had another nightmare after his error-strewn display in last weekend's 5-3 Premier League defeat to Arsenal.

He said: "I would never discuss any particular player in public, but I have faith in all of my squad.

"That's the squad that we have for the season, and hopefully it's the squad that will take us to titles.

"The team suffers when we make a mistake, not individuals."

Genk boss Mario Been was delighted with his side's fightback, especially after its 5-0 thrashing at Stamford Bridge two weeks earlier.

"I'm very pleased with the result," said Been after watching Jelle Vossen score the Belgian side's first goal of the competition.

"We saw also the game in London - this was completely different.

"We started very well. Then, when we lost the ball, it was right away 1-0.

"At that moment, the goalkeeper kept us in the game by stopping the penalty.

"But, in the second half, we kept on believing in our chances and we created some chances. We played even better than Chelsea in the second half.

"The goal was really good, so we can be very pleased to take a point against a big club like Chelsea. You can imagine how happy we are."

He added: "I know how they talked about us in England. Maybe we'll buy the papers tomorrow and see if they talk about us a little bit better."

The Blues threw away a half-time lead at the Cristal Arena, with Ramires putting them ahead and David Luiz missing a penalty before Jelle Vossen exposed more bad defending by netting Genk's first goal of the competition.

That threw Group E wide open with two matches remaining but of far more concern to Chelsea will be the behaviour of its fans, who repeatedly chanted about Queens Park Rangers defender Anton Ferdinand in response to the John Terry racism inquiry.

This result and Valencia's victory over Bayer Leverkusen meant the top three sides are now separated by only three points, piling on the misery for Chelsea which had been hoping to put a nightmare week behind it.

That plan was scuppered even before kick-off after the Metropolitan Police announced it had launched a formal investigation into allegations Terry racially abused QPR defender Ferdinand, something the Blues and England captain denies.

Terry played no part in the game, which saw manager Andre Villas-Boas stick to his promise to keep playing a high defensive line after last weekend's 5-3 Premier League defeat to Arsenal.

But Chelsea was exposed again by a Genk side which was much improved from its 5-0 thrashing at Stamford Bridge two weeks earlier.

After getting in behind early on, the host almost caught its opponent out from a corner when an unmarked Khaleem Hyland sent a weak header at Petr Cech.

Genk was soon in again but, unlike Arsenal, lacked the quality to punish its opponent.

The same could not be said for Chelsea, which finally pounced in the 25th minute when Ramires played a lovely one-two with Fernando Torres, burst into the box and drilled the ball underneath Laszlo Koteles from a tight angle.

The visitor's defence briefly wobbled again before Torres went close to making it 2-0 with a 25-yard screamer.

Ramires should have doubled his own tally 10 minutes before the break when he nodded Ashley Cole's back-post cross wide after more good work from Torres, while Anthony Vanden Borre almost put the ball in his own net from Florent Malouda's cutback.

That was set up by a brilliant reverse pass from Raul Meireles, who rattled the crossbar with an even better 25-yard blast.

A second goal appeared inevitable and looked to have arrived six minutes from the break when Thomas Buffel handled Malouda's cross in the box. David Luiz strangely took the penalty but Koteles guessed right and pushed the ball to safety.

Just before that, the Chelsea fans began chanting about Ferdinand, something they repeated again before Daniel Tozser bent over a free-kick on the stroke of half-time.

The chanting continued at the restart as Genk tried to get back in the game, but once again fluffed its lines in the final third.

It should have equalised in the 54th minute when Vanden Borre carried the ball 40 yards before threading in Kennedy Nwanganga, but the striker's finish was too close to Cech.

Kevin De Bruyne, who has long been linked with Chelsea, was giving a better account of himself than he had two weeks earlier and he was involved as Genk levelled just past the hour mark.

As against Arsenal, it was Chelsea's right-hand side that was exposed, De Bruyne playing the ball to Fabien Camus whose cutback was swept home all too easily by Vossen.

Villas-Boas quickly responded by withdrawing Nicolas Anelka and Ramires for Daniel Sturridge and Frank Lampard, with Genk soon taking off Buffel for Dugary Ndabshinze.

Meireles should have restored Chelsea's lead 16 minutes from time when he sent a free header straight at Koteles after a marauding run and cross from Malouda.

De Bruyne was booked for felling Jose Bosingwa and Juan Mata came on for Oriol Romeu before Lampard missed an absolute sitter with 11 minutes remaining when he somehow failed to connect properly with Sturridge's cross four yards from goal.

Chelsea might have been even more embarrassed late on when Genk substitute Anthony Limbombe forced a sprawling save from Cech but it almost scored an extraordinary winner in stoppage-time.

Lampard played in Malouda, who lifted the ball over Koteles only to see a combination of Anele Ngongca and Nadson clear the danger, narrowly avoiding an own goal.

The visitor trailed for much of the match to a 33rd-minute goal from Steven De Petter, but Roland Juhasz equalised eight minutes from time before a last-minute winner from Guillaume Gillet snatched the points.

The win takes Anderlecht four points clear of a group of three teams which includes Club Brugge, which was beaten 2-1 at KV Kortrijk.

A 79th-minute own goal from goalkeeper Kristof Van Hout gave Brugge a fortunate lead, but goals in the last seven minutes from substitutes Pablo Chavarria and Peter Czvitkovics turned the result on its head.

Gohi Cyriac's goal 10 minutes before the break earned Standard Liege a 1-0 win at home to Zulte-Waregem which moved it up to fifth.

De Bruyne has long been linked with the London club and revealed during the transfer window that the two clubs were in talks over his signature.

The 20-year-old ended up staying in Belgium, unlike team-mate Thibaut Courtois, who did move to Chelsea before being loaned out to Atletico Madrid.

De Bruyne will have a chance to impress Chelsea manager Andre Villas-Boas at close quarters during tomorrow night's Champions League Group E game at Stamford Bridge and the return match two weeks later.

Been, who succeeded Frank Vercauteren as Genk's head coach at the end of August, said: "I know that Kevin is a really great player and that Chelsea already talked about him.

"Chelsea look and want to buy all the big talents so, for me, it wouldn't be a surprise if Kevin went to Chelsea. Everyone's got his price."

Captain Daniel Tozser added of his team-mate: "I think every game is a chance for him to show himself.

"Of course, he's a great talent. It's not surprising that Chelsea watched him.

"I hope personally he will show Chelsea tomorrow that they made a mistake in that he stayed with us."

Been added, jokingly: "I hope he makes five goals.

"I think he will be sold then."

Genk arrived at Stamford Bridge ravaged by injuries, particularly in defence.

"It's a pity we have this bad luck," said midfielder Tozser, who insisted the visitors were confident of shocking their opponents tomorrow.

"If not then we would not go out to the pitch," he said.

"We will do everything to make it as difficult for them as possible."

Genk has lost its last three matches and have failed to score in its opening two Champions League games against Valencia and Bayer Leverkusen.

Been admitted his side's recent form was a "problem" but added: "If I tell my players, 'We cannot achieve anything in this game', then it's better to stay home.

"A Dutchman is always positive and that is I what to give to my team.

"Losing against a team like Chelsea wouldn't be a great problem.

"First, we have to give 100% and you never know what happens during 90 minutes.

"As a coach and as a player, these are things that you train for and play for.

"We know that we have to have a really good night to get a really good result against this Chelsea.

"They have a big selection with a lot of great players, so it's difficult for me to know who's playing tomorrow."

Fernando Torres is likely to be unleashed on Genk, with the Spain striker currently serving a three-match domestic ban.

Been said: "They can play (Nicolas) Anelka, they can play (Didier) Drogba, they can play Torres, they can play everybody.

"They have a lot of players who I will say can come to Genk and help us every week to get a better result."

Milan Jovanovic netted the only goal of the first half before second-half strikes from Guillaume Gillet, Dieudonne Mbokani, Matias Suarez and a Marcin Wasilewski penalty sealed the rout.

The triumph kept Anderlecht a point clear of second-placed Club Brugge, which saw off Gent 2-0 courtesy of a goal in each half from Thomas Meunier and Bjorn Vleminckx.

Having already qualified for next northern summer's championships in style, Germany could have been forgiven for taking it easy in Dusseldorf tonight (northern).

But there was no evidence of that as it tore Belgium apart with another impressive victory, much to Low's satisfaction.

"It was important that we finished it off like this, simply to show that the Germans never let up," he told reporters.

"We never wanted to be open to criticism that we could influence the competition with a poor performance.

"We did not want to win this game for Turkey, but for us."

Germany's win meant Turkey needed just a draw from its match against Azerbaijan to clinch a place in the play-offs for Poland and the Ukraine.

For Germany goalscorer Mesut Ozil, whose family is Turkish, there was therefore two reasons to celebrate.

"Of course I am delighted for my Turkish friends," he told ZDF television after discovering that Turkey had beaten Azerbaijan 1-0.

"I hope that they now qualify for the European Championships via the play-offs.

"We desperately wanted to win our last game. We had a few difficulties to start with, but after going 1-0 up, we settled down and deserved to win."

N'Zolo interrupted the Belgian league match between Racing Genk of Dutch-speaking Flanders and Standard Liege, the biggest club in Wallonia, when the Flemish fans started insulting their opposing supporters in French, calling them 'poo'.

A few weeks earlier, a game between Lierse and Beerschot was suspended when fans taunted Lierse goalkeeper and Japan native Eiji Kawashima with cries of 'Fukushima, Fukushima' - referring to the disaster at the nuclear power plant after the tsunami and earthquake in March.

After years of working to contain hooliganism at games, football and Belgian national authorities now want to do more to crack down on racial insults and insensitive taunts that rain down from the stands and infect the game through much of Europe.

On Monday, the Belgian government and football authorities launched Respect United, the latest initiative aimed at stamping out insulting behavior in European football.

Despite the list of ambassadors, charter for equality, general goodwill and banner waving, officials realise that, in itself, will not do the trick.

As many years as it took to push hooliganism to the fringes, it is likewise for insults and taunts.

"We won't eradicate this by tomorrow, but if we reduce it bit by bit, that's already something," N'Zolo said.

For the government the goal is clear.

"I want to reach a situation where we can go to a match just like we go to the theatre," Belgian Interior Minister Annemie Turtelboom said.

"If I take my two daughter to a game, I want to be sure that other people, or language groups, or your mother, are not insulted at will."

Next month, the Football Against Racism in Europe group plans a two-week campaign throughout the continent, seeking to highlight the seriousness of the issue ahead of the 2012 European championship in Poland and Ukraine.

Two anti-racism groups investigated an 18-month period from September 2009 to March 2011 in the two nations and found 195 individual incidents.

Last year, UEFA fined Macedonian club Rabotnicki 10,000 euros ($13,739) after its fans aimed racist abuse at Liverpool's black players during a Europa League match.

Two years earlier, UEFA ruled that Atletico Madrid had to play a Champions League match in an empty stadium because of racist behaviour by its fans against French club Marseille.

Also in 2008, FIFA fined the Croatia Football Federation 30,000 Swiss francs ($33,757) after fans directed racist chants at an England player during a World Cup qualifier.

The list goes on, with countless incidents in European leagues across the continent.

Racism in sports still goes beyond Europe, too. Last Thursday, a banana was thrown from the crowd in London, Ontario, as Philadelphia Flyers winger Wayne Simmonds, who is black, was skating toward the Detroit goal during a shootout. NHL commissioner Gary Bettman called it 'stupid and ignorant'.

Such taunts have happened all over Europe for decades.

N'Zolo, who is black, still vividly remembers when he refereed a lower division game and heard someone shout at him to 'go back to Congo', referring to Belgium's former African colony.

He smiled, sought out the fan afterward and said his ancestry was in Gabon, about 800km from Congo.

So when the Genk fans shouted 'Les Wallons, c'est du caca', or 'Walloons are poo', N'Zolo followed the regulations and sent everybody off the field. After an interruption of about 10 minutes, the players came back and the taunting stopped.

"I achieved my goal because the insults stopped," N'Zolo said.

When the Belgian federation gave Genk a 600 euro ($824.35) fine, Turtelboom was not happy.

"You can make a much bigger statements than ask for 600 euros," she said. "That, in fact, is peanuts."

Turtelboom said the government asked for video evidence and hopes to identify individuals responsible for the incident and slap them with at least a three-month stadium ban.

Beyond racism and xenophobia, many fans insist on just being hateful.

Last week, Belgian league club Beerschot formally apologised to Kawashima and the Japanese embassy after some of its fans taunted the goalkeeper with 'Fukushima' chants.

The referee interrupted the match until the taunts stopped. When the player went to confront the fans where the taunting started he was pelted with coins and beer.

"The Fukushima incident really gave our game a bad image," Turtelboom said.

It is hardly an isolated incident.

At a Manchester United-Leeds United Carling Cup match in England last week, United fans chanted 'Istanbul' in reference to two Leeds fans stabbed to death there.

Leeds fans retorted, chanting 'Munich' in reference to the 1958 plane crash in Germany, which killed the prime of United's team at the time.

"It is off the scale," FARE executive director Piara Powar said in a telephone interview.

He said that even if clearcut racism may be declining slightly, it is quickly replaced by general insults that may hide the same sympathies.

"It is this mindset we need to overcome," Powar said.

Heavy fines may help, but Belgian minister Turtelboom was looking abroad for inspiration.

Turkey came up with a radical solution for unruly behavior - ban the men and let only women and children in.

Last week, more than 41,000 women and children filled the Fenerbahce stadium to watch the Istanbul side draw 1-1 with Manisapor.

It had taken a 65th-minute lead through Mohamed El Gabbas and looked well set for a first success of the campaign.

But Hernan Losada ensured Germinal went home with a 1-1 draw, scoring with three minutes to go.

The Bundesliga side, which reached the final of the competition in 2010, went ahead through Bastian Schweinsteiger's eighth-minute strike.

Arjen Robben doubled the advantage in the 72nd minute to put Jupp Heynckes' side in the driving seat ahead of the season leg.

The visitor had Mathieu Beda sent off in the 90th minute.

Dinamo Zagreb scored three second-half goals to beat Malmo 4-1.

The Swedish side, which knocked out Rangers in the last round, was well placed at half-time with the score at 1-1, Agon Mehmeti cancelling out Jorge Sammir's early goal for the Croatian side.

But the host seized the initiative after the break. Ante Rukavina restored its lead in the 54th minute, Sammir got his second from the penalty spot and Milan Badelj made it four six minutes from time.

Odense claimed a 1-0 win at home to Villarreal thanks to Henrik Andreasen's 84th-minute effort.

Genk scored an important away goal in a 2-1 defeat to Maccabi Haifa.

The Israeli outfit was in the ascendancy when goals from Weam Amasha and Vladimir Dvalishvili put it 2-0 up before the half-hour mark, but Israel international Elyaniv Barda brought Genk right back into the tie by pulling one back in the 61st minute.

Wisla Krakow won 1-0 at home to Apoel Nicosia, Patryk Malecki on target 19 minutes from time.

Bernt Evens opened the scoring after 20 minutes, before a penalty from Dominic Foley five minutes after the break and Frederik Boi's 83rd-minute strike sealed the points.

To add insult to injury, the host had Naim Aarab sent off on the hour mark.

Chasing leader Anderlecht, Genk closed the gap to six points - with a game in hand - after Joao Carlos and Marwin Ogunjimi pegged the host side back following first-half strikes by Katuku Tshimanga and Ibrahima Gueye.

Gent also drew 2-2 away, against Zulte-Waregem, as Moussa Traore equalised in added time for the host side.

Khaleem Hyland had put Zulte-Waregem ahead in the eighth minute only for Zlatan Ljubijankic's strike and a Miguel Dachelet own goal to turn the game around.

St Truidense v Cercle Brugge was postponed due to bad weather.

The champion shared its goals between five different scorers with Roland Juhasz (4') and Romelu Lukaku (42') on target before the break.

Marcin Wasilewski added a third from the penalty spot after 60 minutes before Mbark Boussoufa struck twice either side of a goal from substitute Pablo Chavarria.

First-half goals from Ivan Perisic and Rostand Kouemaha helped Club Brugge to a 2-0 win at third-placed AA Gent.

Club Brugge's win moved it up to fourth after 10-man Standard Liege was beaten 1-0 at Cercle Brugge.

Reynaldo scored the only goal on 34 minutes with Standard's hopes of a recovery undermined by Axel Witsel's dismissal three minutes later.

The Low Countries' lively and amusing presentation was to be followed by Spain/Portugal, England and finally Russia ahead of the vote by the 22-man FIFA executive committee.

Holland/Belgium bid president Ruud Gullit, the former Chelsea player and manager, said: "We have a great offer. It's a safe choice in every aspect.

"We are compact bid and our limited size is our real strength, it makes it easy for players, officials and of course the fans.

"Holland and Belgium were also among the founders of FIFA."

Michel D'Hooghe, FIFA's executive committee member from Belgium said: "We are not big countries but we have written great pages in the history of football."

Former Belgium goalkeeper Jean-Marie Pfaff stressed the Low Countries' bid was the "fun" bid.

He said: "Believe me it's fun in our countries. The bars, the terraces, the pubs - every host city has thousands of them. Between the matches people will want to have fun and enjoy themselves, really enjoy themselves."

Johan Cruyff, another legendary Dutch player, highlighted a legacy programme that aimed to tackle childhood obesity.

Cruyff said: "Children come home from school and both parents are working so what do they do - computers, Playstation or sport.

"Obesity is the next problem - children are overweight everywhere in the world because they do not do sport.

"What's also the easiest way to promote integration - sport.

"I think that our programme is fantastic in these sort of things, educating all kind of children."

Guus Hiddink, the much-travelled Dutch coach who is now manager of Turkey, was the last of the five speakers - meaning four of the five delegates were former players or coaches.

The leader got off to a flying start with a goal from Marwin Ogunjimi in the first minute before Joao Carlos made it two before 15 minutes had passed.

Mehdi Carcela-Gonzalez's 28th-minute strike brought Standard back into the game but hopes quickly receded when goalkeeper Sinan Bolat was dismissed following an angry confrontation with Genk striker Jelle Vossen on 32 minutes.

Vossen added Genk's third on the stroke of half-time before Mohammed Tchite's second for Standard after 55 minutes set up a grandstand finish.

Genk held on, however, with Daniel Tozser ensuring the win with his side's fourth in stoppage time.

In the day's other game, Cercle Brugge defeated Anderlecht 1-0, Oleg Iachtchouk grabbing the only goal after 62 minutes.

The Venezuela international opened the scoring inside three minutes and, though Moussa Traore equalised five minutes later, Rostand Kouemaha restored the visitor's lead and Vargas made it 3-1 two minutes before half-time.

The home team played the last 18 minutes with 10 men after Karel D'Haene received a straight red card, but it did pull another goal back in the 85th minute through substitute Habib Habibou.

Liege had led 1-0 at the break courtesy of M'Baye Leye (14) before two goals from striker Mohammed Tchite (54, 58) put it three to the good.

Mbark Boussoufa pulled one back for the defending champion but late strikes from substitute Erik Bokanga and Mehdi Carcela-Gonzalez sealed a famous win.

AA Gent dropped to fourth after suffering a 3-2 defeat at Club Brugge.

Goals from Dorge Kouemaha (14), Karel Geraerts (26) and Ronald Vargas (28) had put the hosts in total control, and efforts from Yassine El Ghanassy and substitute Bernd Thijs were not enough to salvage a point for Gent.

Eupen lost Jose Espinal after just seven minutes as he was dismissed for deliberate handball, and Guiseppe Rossini's 26th-minute penalty and a 42nd-minute strike from Ilombe M'Boyo set the host on its way to victory.

Kevin Vandenbergh pulled a goal back for the bottom-of-the-table visitor and Baptiste Martin was sent on his way to even up the numbers, but Sven Kums made it 3-1 with six minutes remaining.

Paulo Henrique's second-half brace earned Westerlo a 2-1 victory away to St Truidense, for whom Giel Deferm had opened the scoring after 14 minutes.

Koen Persoons' 89th-minute goal gave Lokeren a 1-0 home win over Germinal Beerschot, while Cercle Brugge won by the same scoreline at Lierse thanks to a first-half goal from Hans Cornelis.

Zulte-Waregem was held to a 1-1 home draw by Charleroi, Thomas Matton earning it a point with an 81st-minute equaliser after Hernan Losada had put the visitor ahead eight minutes earlier.

Kevin Geudens put the host in front in the 11th minute and Boris Pandza made it two 10 minutes before the break.

But Elyaniv Barda halved the deficit a minute later and Kenny Vanhoevelen's own goal four minutes after half-time earned Genk a share of the spoils.

The draw, only the second time in 10 matches Genk has failed to win this term, moved it five points clear of second-placed Anderlecht, who has a game in hand.

The Jupiler League champion had lead through Ondrej Mazuch's 31st-minute strike and looked set for the points when Lierse had Garry De Graef sent off with 54 minutes played.

But Wesley Sonck equalised for the hosts with 14 minutes to go to leave Anderlecht four points adrift of Genk.

Third-placed Mechelen also threw away points as it let a two-goal lead slip to draw 2-2 at home to Cercle Brugge.

Jonathan Wilmet and Julien Gorius fired Mechelen into a 2-0 lead after just 12 minutes but Cercle grabbed a point thanks to goals from William Owusu (62) and Renato Neto (72).

Zulte-Waregem won a seven-goal thriller 4-3 at home to Germinal Beerschot.

The host led through Rene Sterckx's 10th-minute opener but a Junior Negrao hat-trick before half-time looked to have Beerschot out of sight.

Zulte-Waregem rallied with goals from Thomas Matton (58) and Ernest Webnje Nfor (82) before substitute Moussa Traore hit the winner three minutes from time.

Club Brugge recorded a thumping 4-0 win over bottom-placed Eupen, who finished with nine men.

Marko Obradovic was sent off after 37 minutes and while scores were level at half-time the floodgates opened thereafter.

Vadis Odjija Ofoe scored twice (53, 63) before Maxime Lestienne (83) added a third. Marcus Diniz was sent off three minutes from the end before Carl Hoefkens scored from the spot.

Goals from Laurent Ciman (44) and Steven Defour (60) helped Standard Liege to a 2-1 win over Charleroi, who replied with a 82nd-minute goal from Hernan Losada.

Lokeren beat 10-man Gent 3-2 with all five goals arriving after half-time.

Randall Azofeifa saw red just before the break but his side stayed in the contest as Tim Smolders (49) and Zlatan Ljubijankic (56) traded goals with Nill De Pauw (57) and Benjamin Mokulu (59). Donovan Deekman scored the decisive goal with three minutes to go.

Westerlo won 2-1 at Kortrijk.

Aleksandr Iakovenko (nine) and Wouter Cortjens (26) gave the visitors a two-goal lead they hung onto despite Guiseppe Rossini quickly pulling a goal back with a 28th-minute penalty.

Belgium striker Jelle Vossen scored both goals after 66 and 89 minutes to ensure his side's seventh win in eight games.

Genk now leads by five points from Anderlecht, although it has played a game more.

Boris Pandza scored the decisive goal in the 85th minute to move his side level on points with leaders Genk, who stays top by virtue of its better goal difference.

Defeat for Standard leaves it in sixth place, five points behind the leader.

Dutchman Rafael Van der Vaart steered home an 11th minute free-kick to give Mourinho's men the lead but it was cancelled out 12 minutes from time by a header from Christian Benteke.

Angel di Maria, Ricardo Carvalho and Sami Khedira were introduced as part of wholesale changes made by Mourinho at half-time, although new signing Mesut Ozil did not figure.

Harold Mayne-Nicholls says "everything seems to be very well prepared to receive the teams and the trophy in eight years".

The five-member inspection team already has toured three other countries bidding for the 2018 and 2022 World Cup - Japan, South Korea and Australia.

The United States, Russia, England and Qatar are also in the running, along with a joint bid by Spain and Portugal. Inspectors will visit them before the Dec. 2 decision.

During the four-day visit, inspectors toured stadiums in Antwerp, Brussels, Amsterdam, Rotterdam and Eindhoven.

The 27-year-old was a stand-out performer for the Blue Samurai at the FIFA World Cup and played in all four games in South Africa.

Kawashima follows in the footsteps of Yoshikatsu Kawaguchi, who is the only other Japan goalkeeper to play in Europe having had spells with Portsmouth and Denmark's FC Nordsjaelland.

''I want to play all games for my new club in Belgium,'' he said on Kyodo News. ''After I experienced the World Cup, I thought that putting myself in a more competitive environment is the only way I can get better.

"It's been difficult for Japanese goalkeepers to ply their trade in Europe. I'll try to succeed and pave the way for other Japanese goalkeepers.''

Thomasia was travelling with his girlfriend when four cars were involved in an accident which closed the road for four hours.

BV's Jupiler League fixture with Go Ahead Eagles Friday (Saturday AEST) will not be postponed, but a minute's silence will be observed.

The Belgian side took the lead after 31 minutes through Dieumerci Mbokani but Mladen Petric equalised from the spot for HSV three minutes before the interval and Ruud van Nistelrooy completed the turnaround on the stroke of half-time.

The return leg will be played next week in Belgium with the winner set to take on either Fulham or Wolfsburg in the last four.

The final will be played on 12 May at Hamburg's HSH Nordbank Arena.

The game started with a questionable decision in the first minute as Victor Ramos appeared to yank down Van Nistelrooy in the area but referee Martin Atkinson did not blow the whistle.

The visitor grabbed the lead in the 31st minute from a set-piece, Mbokani heading home Sebastien Pocognoli's corner from eight yards.

Hamburg responded well, Van Nistelrooy blasting a fierce attempt off the right-hand post after 36 minutes and shooting wide from 11 yards three minutes later.

The hosts finally equalised three minutes before the break from the spot.

Marcos Camozzato brought down Jonathan Pitroipa in the area and Petric stepped up to blast the ball right down the middle as Standard goalkeeper Sinan Bolat dived to his right.

There was still time before the interval for Hamburg to go ahead as Dennis Aogo's cross from the left side was met by Van Nistelrooy, whose first-time left-footed effort found its way under Bolat and in at the far post.

The first chance of the second half fell to Petric, but his left-footed attempt sailed just wide of the far post in the 64th minute.

Standard went within a whisker of levelling a minute later when Igor de Camargo looped a ball over the Hamburg back-line to Mbokani. His initial header hit the bar and his rebound attempt flew just wide.

Piotr Trochowski was close to doubling Hamburg's lead with 14 minutes left only to see his free-kick from 17 yards fly narrowly over the crossbar.

Bolat then made a fine save from Guy Demel's header with four minutes left to give Standard hope heading into next week's second leg.

Brugesmade a short statement, saying: "Club Brugge have be informed about the death of its player Francois Sterchele with alarm and consternation.

"The Board of Supervisory Directors of Club Bruggeshares the pain of the heavily distressed family and we give them our deepest condolences."

Bruges signed Sterchele to a five-year contract last summer after buying him from fellow Jupiler League side Germinal Beerschot.

Sterchele's former teammate at Germinal, Jurgen Cavens, had been in contact with the player just hours before the accident.

"I have no words for this. On Wednesday evening we were sending each other some text messages to make an appointment," he said.

"We always got on very well together. I took him under my wing when he joined GBA. The club liked him and he did not have a care in the world. He had fun a lot."

Germinal manager Marc Brys told Sporza: "I am in total shock. This is so senseless. It's a shame that this accident typifies how fast Francois lived his life off the pitch.

"Sterchele was the most talented guy that I ever trained. He was wily, fast and intelligent.

"The fans and board also loved him, despite his extrovert side. He enjoyed the limelight but he knew when it was time to concentrate as well. This is devastating for his family."