Evap clarifies Empoli's expulsion decision
The International Football Association Board (IFAB) has settled the controversy over the expulsion of Swiss striker Breel Embolo during the Argentina match in the 2026 World Cup, clarifying that Video Assistant Referee (VAR) technology was improperly used in that incident. The explanations indicated that the protocol for the technology did not permit the change of the original yellow card issued to Leandro Parades into a sending-off for Embolo on the grounds of simulation, meaning the player continued the game with ten men illegally. The incident occurred in the second half when Embolo was shown a yellow card after a VAR review, despite the technology being solely intended to verify the identity of the offending player, not to alter the nature of the foul or to penalize a different player. IFAB pointed out that the referee should have rescinded Parades’ yellow card rather than sending off Embolo, emphasizing that altering decisions through video review was not authorized by protocol. This confirms that the decision to send off Embolo was a refereeing mistake, and this incident will not affect the match results or lead to a replay. Additionally, IFAB has decided to suspend the use of the video review of simulation cases until a future review of VAR policies is completed, stressing that intervention should be limited to clear and significant errors only.
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