Switzerland head coach Murat Yakin has launched a scathing attack on video assistant referee technology after Breel Embolo was sent off during Saturday’s World Cup quarter-final defeat to Argentina. The Swiss were forced to play with ten men for 67 minutes before eventually losing 3-1 after extra time, with Yakin insisting the decision “destroyed the game.”
The controversy erupted in the 72nd minute when Embolo was initially fouled by Argentina midfielder Leandro Paredes. Portuguese referee João Pinheiro showed Paredes a yellow card for the challenge, which appeared to catch the Swiss forward’s leg.
However, VAR official Guillermo Pacheco Larios recommended a review for “mistaken identity” after footage showed Embolo beginning his fall before contact was made. The offence was reclassified from reckless play to simulation, resulting in a second yellow card for Embolo and his dismissal from the match.
Expanded Rule Causes Confusion
The incident marked only the second application of a newly expanded “mistaken identity” protocol introduced by the International Football Association Board (Ifab) specifically for the 2026 World Cup. Previously limited to cases where officials punished the wrong player from the same team, the revised rule now covers situations where a player is booked but the offence was actually committed by an opponent.
The first use of this expanded interpretation came during the United States’ opening match against Paraguay, when American defender Tim Ream had his yellow card rescinded after VAR determined that Paraguay’s Miguel Almirón had dived instead.
Swiss Fury
Yakin admitted he was unaware of the rule change prior to the match but did not spare his criticism of its application. “It’s completely not understandable,” he said. “This is a rule that in my opinion has nothing to do with football. The fact that they introduced such a rule is just unnecessary. It is just extremely hurtful.”
The Switzerland boss also defended Embolo’s character and noted the forward’s devastation after the incident. “You can imagine how he’s doing,” Yakin said. “He is shattered. He couldn’t help the team today. It hurts us and it hurts him. It was a referee mistake.”
Midfielder Remo Freuler echoed his manager’s frustration, describing the decision as “just a disaster.” He added: “I don’t understand how can VAR change a game with this situation. Just let the referee do this thing, you know?”
Switzerland had equalised through Dan Ndoye shortly before the dismissal and appeared to be growing into the contest. Despite heroic defending, they conceded twice in the final period of extra time to exit the tournament.
Fifa confirmed that the rule was applied correctly in both the Switzerland and United States matches, though the governing body faces mounting questions about the expansion of VAR powers at the sport’s highest level.