The law-making body for soccer has provided clarification regarding referee decisions, confirming that Breel Embolo, a Swiss forward, should not have received a red card in the World Cup quarterfinals against Argentina. This error occurred when Embolo was given a second yellow card after a video review for allegedly simulating a foul. The incident significantly impacted the game as Switzerland had just equalized, and Argentina ultimately triumphed 3-1 in extra time.
The International Football Association Board (IFAB), supported by FIFA, released a statement on Monday highlighting that the Video Assistant Referee (VAR) protocol does not cover such incidents under the “mistaken identity” category in the current framework. This could be a consideration for future competitions, but not at the recent World Cup.
“However, it may not be used as such until that review is concluded,” the Zurich-based IFAB stated.
Following a challenge by Argentina’s Leandro Paredes, Embolo fell, leading to Paredes receiving a yellow card. After reviewing the play, VAR officials alerted the referee that Paredes didn’t commit a foul, resulting in Embolo receiving a second yellow card and being dismissed. However, this application of “mistaken identity” was incorrect according to current guidelines. The rule is intended to correct situations where a card is misapplied to a player who did not commit the penalized foul.
Murat Yakin, Switzerland’s coach, criticized the decision stating, “The referee made the wrong decision,… this rule destroyed our game today, and it’s very painful.” He expressed disappointment at being eliminated in such a manner.
Updating the VAR Protocol
The VAR protocol review has been ongoing since March and incidents like Embolo’s are under examination. IFAB acknowledged these issues as part of the review process. The organization consists of FIFA officials and the four British soccer federations and meets annually to update The Laws of the Game.
European Soccer’s Stance on VAR
UEFA welcomed IFAB’s clarifications, emphasizing that VAR shouldn’t re-referee games but rather focus on clear, significant errors. The European body aims to ensure shorter, less intrusive video reviews and praised FIFA’s overall VAR approach during the World Cup, despite past frustrations in leagues like the Premier League.
UEFA stresses that interventions should be reserved for glaring mistakes or missed clear incidents. It also highlighted the need to address time-wasting, a point agreed upon by IFAB and enforced by FIFA during the World Cup.
This season, UEFA will manage various competitions, including the Champions League, Nations League, and qualifiers for the European Championship and Women’s World Cup.
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