Xhaka: We Came to Play Football, Not to Fight the Referees

Switzerland was forced to "pay the price for a new mistaken identity rule" during their World Cup quarter-final clash with Argentina, as Breel Embolo's dismissal, aided by the Video Assistant Referee (VAR) system, became a major talking point after the match. Argentina secured a 3-1 victory after extra time, with Embolo leaving his team a man down in the 71st minute after receiving a second yellow card in a controversial incident for simulating a foul.

The perceived favoritism shown by referees towards the reigning world champions has become a recurring theme this World Cup, turning into a noticeable trend. The Egyptians were furious after their Round of 16 match, and the Swiss were no less incensed. The entire team's sentiment was voiced by captain Granit Xhaka, who held nothing back in his criticism of referee João Pinheiro.

"I won't take anything away from Argentina's quality, but tonight the referee ensured they had every possible advantage. Every crucial decision went their way. We came here to play football, not to battle the officials. If Argentina is going to reach the World Cup semi-finals like this, then something is fundamentally wrong. Rules are rules, and we can't change them, but this decision killed the game. That's my opinion; I don't know what else the referee could have done. If it had remained 11 against 11, I believe we would have won. It's hard to find the right words after a match like this. To lose because of a referee's decision hurts, and no one can dull that pain," Granit Xhaka stated after the game.