Freuler: “I don’t know what this referee is doing here.”

Remo Freuler, did the red card change everything?

"Yes, of course. When you have to play 50 minutes with one less player against Argentina, you could say that's the deciding factor. I don't understand how VAR can intervene in a situation like that, in a game like that."

What is your position?

"This is just a disaster. To be honest, I don't know what this referee is doing here. There are so many minor fouls that aren’t being called. The referee looks at it for two seconds, but the play lasts at least ten seconds. In the first half, the Argentines also went down in several situations. Why isn’t he intervening in those cases? I really don’t understand it.”

You guys did a great job. What would have happened if Switzerland had played the whole game with eleven players?

"That's exactly why it's even harder to take. When the opponent is better, you tell yourself, ‘Okay, you deserved the win.’ But I think all of Switzerland saw today that we played very well, with passion and technical skill. That’s why it hurts all the more to be eliminated after putting on a performance like that.”

It seemed as though the semifinals were within reach.

"Before the tournament, we said we wanted to play the best World Cup in our history. In the end, we earned our spot in the quarterfinals and showed that we could very well have reached the semifinals."

Are you still proud of how far you've come?

"Right after the game, disappointment is the overwhelming feeling. And even a little anger, if I may say so, given how the game went. With a little perspective, we’ll probably be able to look at this World Cup a little differently. But right now, we’re mostly disappointed."