Kansas City, July 12: Switzerland head coach Murat Yakin strongly criticised the decision to send off Breel Embolo during his side’s 3-1 FIFA World Cup quarter-final defeat to Argentina, calling the booking “unacceptable” and the decisive moment of the match.
Embolo, who was shown a second yellow card after VAR ruled that he had simulated a foul, became the first player at the tournament to be sent off under the new mistaken identity law.“We were punished because of a mistake. There was no reason for that booking. I don’t understand it. It was an innocent situation; there was nothing malicious about it,” Yakin said after the match.The Swiss coach insisted there was contact between the players and questioned both the referee and the VAR’s interpretation of the incident.“That decision was simply unbelievable. I completely disagree with it. There was clear contact, and I don’t understand how the referee and the VAR came to that conclusion,” he added.While refusing to suggest Argentina received favourable treatment, Yakin maintained that the dismissal changed the course of the contest.“I wouldn’t say they were being favoured. We had a fair and open match. Football wasn’t the winner today. We were punished by a mistake. It was a decisive moment that determined the outcome of the match. We can complain now, but I have to congratulate Argentina,” he said. (IANS)
