Switzerland manager Murat Yakin could not hide his fury over the highly controversial refereeing decisions during his side’s World Cup 2026 quarterfinal clash against Argentina. Yakin firmly believes these pivotal calls were the main reason behind the Red Crosses’ agonizing defeat at the hands of Lionel Messi and his teammates.
The Swiss camp was left absolutely furious after forward Breel Embolo was sent off in the second half. Following a video review, the referee found Embolo guilty of simulation, ultimately leading to Switzerland’s 3-1 defeat against Argentina after extra time.
Initially, Leandro Paredes was shown a yellow card for a tackle, but VAR footage revealed that Embolo began falling before making contact with the Argentine midfielder. Because Embolo had already received a yellow card earlier in the game, he was handed a red card, forcing Switzerland to play out the remainder of the 1-1 tie with just 10 men.
“After the equalizer, we had the momentum on our side, and I wanted to make substitutions there as well, to bring on fresh attacking players,” a furious Yakin said after the match.
He added: “We were dominant. We controlled the game. But the red card, we are punished because of a rule that is, to me, absolutely incomprehensible. Of course, it hurts enormously that we were eliminated in this way. We didn’t deserve that today.”
Yakin continued: “For a situation where beforehand there should have been yellow cards several times, he gave a yellow card in a situation that, to me, was a harmless foul—if it was even a foul at all. They protect their referee over a rule that destroyed our game today. That hurts enormously.”
“To blame Embolo now is absolutely absurd,” the Swiss coach concluded. “He always works for the team, he always had good moments in our game. Of course, he’s devastated that he couldn’t help the team.”
