Switzerland Head Coach after game against Argentina: ‘Football wasn’t the winner today’

3 min readJul 12, 2026 06:55 PM IST

Switzerland head coach Murat Yakin watches from the sidelines during the World Cup quarterfinal soccer match against Argentina in Kansas City, Mo., Saturday, July 11, 2026. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)

Switzerland’s head coach, Murat Yakin, slammed the VAR after their quarter-final game against Argentina. Swiss team forward Breel Embolo, who initially received a yellow card in the game, was later given another, resulting in a red card. Embolo’s subsequent absence affected Switzerland’s balance, and Yakin stated there was no need for that red card.

“We were punished because of a mistake. There was no reason for that red card. I don’t understand it. It was an innocent situation; there was nothing malicious about it. The refereeing error punished us and completely disrupted our game plan,” he said.

“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.

Although the coach clarified that Argentina was not favoured in the game and said the referee did a fair job, he ultimately claimed football was not the winner.

“I wouldn’t say they were being favored. We had fair and open match. Both teams played football. Football wasn’t the winner today. We were punished by a mistake, not on our side. It was a decisive moment that determined the outcome of the match. We can complain now — but I congratulate Argentina,” Yakin said.

“He was fouled many times and he had a few very good moments in this game, but then he couldn’t help the team any more. I don’t blame him. Obviously, he is shattered because he could not help ⁠the team. It was a refereeing mistake,” he added.

Argentina vs Egypt controversy

The Egyptian Football Association (EFA) criticized VAR after they were eliminated by Argentina who came back from 0-2 down to win the Round of 16 match 3-2. The EFA said several decisions during the game had directly affected the outcome.

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“The Egyptian Football Association cannot remain silent regarding the refereeing decisions witnessed during the match against Argentina as well as the failure to make appropriate use of the Video Assistant Referee (VAR) system. Several key incidents raised serious concerns and left profound questions about the consistency and fairness of decisions that directly influenced the course of the game,” it said in a statement posted on social media.

“A number of football experts and specialist analysts, both locally and internationally, have highlighted controversial and influential refereeing incidents during the match. This underlines the importance of maintaining the highest standards of integrity, fairness, and transparency in match officiating, particularly in a competition of the stature and significance of the FIFA World Cup 2026,” it added.

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