Murat Yakin, the head coach of the Swiss national team, changed his stance on the refereeing performance after his team's 3-1 extra-time loss to Argentina in the quarter-finals of the 2026 World Cup, criticizing the decision that led to the sending off of his striker Breel Embolo.

The match saw Embolo sent off after receiving a second yellow card, following a review by the Video Assistant Referee (VAR), after the referee considered that the player had dived inside the penalty area.

Yakin said after the match: "There was no justification for that yellow card. We were punished due to an unacceptable law that led to our elimination in this way, and I don't know how the referee and the video technology reached that conclusion."

He added that the decision ruined the match, considering that play should have continued without a foul or a warning.

Related News

Yakin had earlier defended the integrity of refereeing, commenting on the controversy sparked by the head coach of the Egyptian national team, Hossam Hassan, after the match against Argentina, stressing that the presence of video technology makes refereeing decisions more accurate, and that match results are decided on the pitch and not through statements after the match.

However, the Switzerland coach harshly criticized the refereeing after his team's elimination from the tournament, considering that the decision to send off Embolo was the turning point that paved the way for Argentina's victory and qualification to the semi-finals.