Switzerland expressed its confusion after Breel Embolo was sent off on Saturday in the World Cup 2026 quarter-final against Argentina (3-1 a.
Switzerland expressed its confusion after Breel Embolo was sent off on Saturday in the World Cup 2026 quarter-final against Argentina (3-1 after extra time), with midfielder Fabian Rieder even calling the decision “catastrophic.”
Argentinian Leandro Paredes got a yellow card for an alleged foul on Embolo in the second half. But the referee, called over by his video assistants, spotted a dive by the Rennes striker and gave him a warning, his second of the match, which meant he was sent off.
“It’s just catastrophic, I don’t know what that referee was doing there. I don’t know, I don’t understand why they call him for something like that,” Rieder complained to journalists in the mixed zone.”I don’t understand how VAR can change a match with a situation like that, you just have to let the referee do his job,” said the Augsburg midfielder.
His coach, Murat Yakin, was surprised by the yellow card initially given to Paredes, and the cascade of consequences it triggered.
“There was no reason to give that yellow card, I don’t understand, it was a harmless situation. I don’t understand why that decision was made and that in the end, our player was sent off,” he said at a press conference.
He insists he doesn’t blame Embolo: “Throwing blame at him would have been absurd. He is totally devastated that he couldn’t help the team.”
His counterpart, Lionel Scaloni, ‘was relieved, it also shows that Argentina took us seriously,’ he said. ‘Even with ten men, we fought a lot. We did a remarkable job and we would have liked to go all the way to penalties because the momentum would have been on our side.’
‘I wouldn’t say they (the Argentinians) were favored. We had a fair and open match. Both teams played football and, unfortunately, we didn’t come out as winners today. It’s very clear: I think football wasn’t the winner here.’
