7 August 1999 - A Bad Day To Be A Goalkeeper

On 7 August 1999, defending Belgian top flight champions KRC Genk opened their new season by drawing away with Westerlo. The 6-6 scoreline equaled the record for the highest-scoring draw in a professional match.

The match included four red cards and five penalty kicks which, like the goals, were evenly distributed between both teams. The first penalty kick was scored by Genk striker Branko Strupar, who put his side ahead in the 8th minute. But Westerlo equalized with a 19th-minute penalty kick of their own from striker Toni Brogno (pictured). Strupar again gave Genk the lead with another penalty kick in the 24th minute, but Westerlo center forward Vedran Pelic scored goals on both sides of the break to put the hosts up 3-2.

Brogno scored again in the 56th minute to extend the lead, but another Strupar penalty kick (66') and goals from forwards Soulaymane Oulare (72') and Ngoy N'Sumbu (80') put the defending champions back in front, 5-4. An 83rd-minute Brogno penalty kick leveled the teams at 5-5, then they exchanged goals once more, with Jóhannes Gudjonsson netting for Genk (86'), then Brogno scoring his fourth in the 90th minute to end the match at 6-6.

The 6-6 draw record was set in England in April 1930 between Arsenal and Leicester, then matched by Charlton and Middlesbrough in October 1960. It was reached again by Hibernian and Motherwell in the Scottish Premier League on 5 May 2010.