Pierluigi Collina on Breel Embolo’s second yellow card for simulation.
🗣️ “I’ve refereed World Cup finals, Champions League finals and some of the biggest matches in football history, and one thing every top referee must understand is this: you do not accuse a player of simulation unless you’re absolutely certain. If there is even the slightest doubt, you keep the cards in your pocket.”
“Giving a second yellow for diving in a World Cup knockout match is one of the biggest decisions a referee can make. That decision ends a player’s game, changes the tactical balance and can decide an entire tournament. It demands absolute certainty not assumptions.”
“What disappoints me most is VAR. The referee may only have one real-time view, but the VAR officials have every camera angle available. Their responsibility is to protect the match from a major officiating error. If they fail to do that, then the system has failed the game.”
“A referee’s ego should never be bigger than the match itself. The objective is to officiate with calmness, consistency and accuracy not to become the centre of attention. Tonight, the officials have become the biggest talking point, and that’s never a good sign.”
“Whether people believe Embolo dived or not, this incident will be debated for a long time because the punishment was so severe. A second yellow card for simulation at this stage of the World Cup is a decision that must be beyond all reasonable doubt. If you cannot honestly say that, then you should not make that call.”
“The best referees are remembered for allowing football to decide matches. The worst are remembered for decisions that overshadow them. This is the kind of controversy that every experienced referee works hard to avoid.”
🚨 VAR-GENTINA BACK AT IT AGAIN! 🇦🇷🤯
According to FIFA's own rulebook, VAR cannot intervene in cases of mistaken identity when the wrong opposing player is booked following a dive.
There should never have been a VAR review, and Embolo should never have been sent off! ❌🟥
Zürich erupted in celebration as Switzerland booked their place in the quarter-finals for the first time in 72 years! 🇨🇭🎉
What a historic night for Swiss football! 🤩