Granit Xhaka admits obtaining fake Covid vaccine certificate and is withdrawn from Switzerland squad

Xhaka apologises and steps away from national team

Granit Xhaka has admitted receiving a fake Covid-19 vaccination certificate in 2022 and has been withdrawn from Switzerland’s upcoming Nations League fixtures as a criminal investigation continues.

The 33-year-old Sunderland midfielder, who captained Switzerland at the World Cup earlier this year, issued a statement via Instagram on Monday acknowledging he did not get vaccinated and instead obtained a certificate.

“In recent days there has been much reporting about a matter from my past. I would like to address this personally,” Xhaka wrote. “At the time, I was personally very uncertain and had serious concerns regarding the Covid-19 vaccination. I felt deep distrust of the vaccine and was plagued by fear and uncertainty.

“In this turbulent emotional state, I obtained a vaccination certificate instead of clarifying my open questions through the proper channels. Today I clearly see this was not the right course of action. It was a mistake. I am sorry. I take responsibility for this decision, am committed to investigating the matter and am co-operating with the relevant authorities”.

He added in his initial statement: “In this troubled state of mind I acquired a vaccine certificate, instead of clarifying my unanswered questions in the proper way. Today I see clearly, that this way was not correct. It was a mistake. I'm sorry. I take responsibility for this decision, will engage with the process of establishing the facts and fully co-operate with the relevant authorities.”

Investigation by Lucerne prosecutors

Switzerland’s public prosecutor’s office in Lucerne confirmed an investigation is underway to determine whether any criminal behaviour took place in obtaining a “false or forged” certificate. The probe relates to the alleged issue of a series of false Covid certificates by a doctor based in the Swiss city during the pandemic, first investigated in 2023. The doctor has denied the allegations.

A spokesperson for the Lucerne Cantonal Prosecutor’s Office said: “The aim [of the inquiries] is to clarify whether there has been conduct relevant under criminal law in connection with the possible fraudulent obtaining of a false certification and/or document forgery.”

Xhaka is poised to be questioned by prosecutors next week. If charges are brought, he could face a heavy fine or, theoretically, a five-year prison sentence, though custodial punishment is understood to be extremely unlikely.

The Swiss Office of Public Health said there was never a general legal requirement to hold a certificate, but it was needed for access to various activities, venues and travel in Switzerland until spring 2022. After that, certificates continued to be issued mainly to meet entry requirements abroad.

Withdrawal from Nations League

The Swiss Football Association said Xhaka, Switzerland’s record appearance holder with 152 caps, has withdrawn from the camp for Nations League matches against Scotland, North Macedonia and Slovenia. The decision was made jointly by the player and management, with a discussion on his future with the team planned after the international window.

Switzerland are due away to North Macedonia and Scotland on 26 and 29 September, before hosting Slovenia and North Macedonia in early October.

Sunderland boss Regis le Bris declined to comment on the allegations after the Black Cats’ defeat at Manchester City on Sunday. “It is not my area to speak about those problems or situations,” he said. “My area is football. About football, he is really good.”

Xhaka was with Arsenal at the time the certificate was allegedly obtained in 2022. He left north London to join Bayer Leverkusen in 2023 and arrived at Sunderland two years later. Xhaka tested positive for Covid in September 2022 and did not feature for Switzerland that month.