World Cup
Frustration in Swiss camp after new VAR rule sends Embolo off
In the quarter‑final against Argentina, the Swiss side expressed clear frustration after Breel Embolo received a red card in the 72nd minute under a newly‑introduced VAR rule. The incident was captured in a © AP Photo/Ashley Landismet video that circulated after the 3‑1 defeat.
The red card stemmed from a mistaken‑identity error: Leandro Paredes was initially shown a yellow for a challenge on the striker, but the VAR later confirmed the midfielder had not touched Embolo, prompting a second yellow for the Swiss forward.
Embolo, visibly upset after being sent off, became the victim of the "Google-favorietEmbolo" label used by the article’s author, MatenSportredacteur12, highlighting the novelty of the rule.
Swiss coach Murat Yakin told Blick, "I don’t know who invented this rule, but we cannot change it. If you give Embolo a yellow for that, you should have given him one earlier for other offences. In the end we were punished and it is incomprehensible."
Defender Manuel Akanji added, "Normally I don’t complain about the referee, but today everything went against us. I have never played in such a one‑sided match. No opponent received a yellow in the first 90 minutes, then Breel got one."
Midfielder Remo Freuler said, "We were in control until the red card. I still cannot understand how VAR can intervene in a situation like this, and losing because of such a decision hurts."
Danny Makkelie, who had previously applied the same rule in the United States‑Paraguay match, was mentioned as the official who first used the new VAR‑rule, though questions remain about its correct application.
The episode adds to the growing debate ahead of upcoming World Cup videos, with fans also watching WK‑video highlights, while discussions about France and a Haaland’ comment continue to dominate broader conversations.