Romelu Lukaku's Goal Celebrations Derailed by VAR Anxiety

Belgium striker Romelu Lukaku is hesitant to celebrate his goals due to multiple VAR rejections at Euro 2024. Teammate Jérémy Doku revealed Lukaku, despite his misfortunes, maintains a positive attitude and values his contributions to the team. Belgium faces Ukraine in a critical Group E match on Wednesday.

Belgium striker Romelu Lukaku is grappling with a newfound hesitation to celebrate his goals after experiencing three disallowed goals through video review at Euro 2024, teammate Jérémy Doku disclosed on Monday.

VAR decisions nullified two of Lukaku’s goals in Belgium's recent 1-0 upset against Slovakia due to offside and a preceding handball by Loïs Openda. Another offside spotted by VAR took away a goal in the 2-0 victory over Romania.

While he has yet to score a valid goal in the tournament, Lukaku remains optimistic. “He would have liked to have the goals because, now when he scores, I think he's scared to celebrate,” Doku said. Despite his lack of luck, Lukaku remains happy due to the team's last-game win.

“He didn’t score, but he gave an assist, and that’s important as well,” Doku noted. Belgium's upcoming match against Ukraine in Group E is set to be a high-stakes encounter with all four teams tied at three points each. “The pressure is there, but we just want to win the game,” Doku said, emphasizing the squad’s focus.