Now, Swiss national team assistant coach Callà speaks about the deeply saddened Embolo

Here's what it's all about

• Breel Embolo was sent off with a yellow-red card in the World Cup quarterfinal against Argentina after a VAR review determined he had dived.
• Although the Swiss managed to hold on and force overtime while shorthanded, they conceded two more goals in overtime and were eliminated.
• In “Heimspiel bei der Nati,” assistant coach Davide Callà describes how he viewed the team—and Breel Embolo in particular—after their World Cup exit.

Summary created with

In the World Cup quarterfinal against Argentina, Dan Ndoye scores in the 67th minute to tie the game at 1-1. At this point, the Swiss are looking stronger than the Argentines—a major upset seems possible. But just five minutes later, the Swiss national team suffered a bitter setback. Breel Embolo was sent off with a yellow-red card following a VAR review for diving. The Swiss players couldn’t believe it, and coach Murat Yakin subsequently leveled harsh criticism at the officiating crew.

Whether the referee's performance was worthy of a quarterfinal is a matter of debate. Even among refereeing experts, opinions are sharply divided. However, from a rules perspective, everything was done correctly regarding Embolo's ejection.

Breel Embolo takes off and, while in the air, lightly kicks Leandro Paredes in the shin. Shortly afterward, the Swiss player is sent off after receiving a second yellow card.

Keystone

Embolo’s bad luck—if you can call it that—is that the referee shows Leandro Paredes a yellow card for the alleged foul on him. But because the Argentine didn’t even touch Embolo, the VAR alerts referee Joao Pinheiro to Paredes’s action. After that, the Portuguese referee has no choice but to rescind the caution against Paredes and instead show Embolo a yellow card for his blatant dive. Since the striker had already received a yellow card in the first half, he is consequently sent off with a second yellow.

Erst Flugverbot, dann hebt er ab

WM startet und endet mit Embolo-Drama

The rest is history: Switzerland put up a heroic fight, managed to force overtime, but then conceded two more goals there. The dream of reaching the semifinals is over. Whether Switzerland would have won the game with eleven players is a question that will never be answered. But there are also many other questions that remain unanswered as well.

Embolo is still silent

What was Embolo thinking when he suddenly took off at the sideline and began writhing dramatically on the ground? Did he already suspect, while still in the air, that he would be sent off immediately for his theatrics? How did his teammates react? And how did all of this affect him?

Since Embolo is still keeping quiet, it’s once again others who are talking about him. On the soccer talk show “Heimspiel bei der Nati,” assistant coach Davide Callà describes what happened after the team’s elimination. “It was almost eerily quiet in the locker room.” There was hardly any conversation on the bus ride afterward or at the hotel either. But that’s completely normal, he says, because it had been a very intense period, and then suddenly there was this sense of emptiness. Everyone just needs some time to themselves first.

A visibly distraught Breel Embolo is comforted by his teammates as he leaves the field.

Keystone

This is especially true for Breel Embolo, who, after being sent off, disappeared into the tunnel in tears—accompanied by the injured rising star Johan Manzambi. How was he doing in the locker room? Callà describes how Embolo still had his face buried in his hands. “At that moment—and I know this from my own experience—you just have to leave him alone. But of course, within reason, I tried to cheer him up a little. It really hurt me to see him like that, because I know what he’s usually like.”

You can tell that Embolo hasn’t quite come to terms with it all yet at the Swiss national team reception on Tuesday afternoon at Turbinenplatz in Zurich. When he takes the stage, the fans cheer him on especially loudly. He just waves back shyly, and despite his cap and sunglasses, you can tell he’s fighting back tears again. At least, that’s how it appears. Callà simply says, “It’s completely human and understandable that Breel isn’t exactly in a celebratory mood.”

Breel Embolo waves to fans at the Swiss national team's reception in Zurich.

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