In Lucerne, a difficult personal matter has taken Granit Xhaka away from Switzerland’s Nations League programme. The 33-year-old midfielder, who captained the national side at the 2026 World Cup and now leads Sunderland, has acknowledged obtaining a forged Covid-19 vaccination certificate in 2022 and has been removed from the squad’s upcoming international fixtures.
Key takeaways
- Xhaka is under investigation by the Lucerne public prosecutor’s office over the falsified certificate.
- Swiss football officials and the player agreed that he should miss the next three Nations League matches.
- Authorities are expected to question the Switzerland captain in early October.
- Xhaka issued a public apology, accepting full responsibility and pledging to cooperate with investigators.
- Switzerland are due to face North Macedonia, Scotland and Slovenia between September and October.
An apology over a 2022 decision
Xhaka said the incident occurred while he was playing for Arsenal, during a period in which he had serious doubts about Covid-19 vaccination. He described himself as emotionally unsettled, distrustful of the vaccine and overwhelmed by fear and uncertainty.
Rather than pursuing answers through legitimate channels, Xhaka said he acquired a vaccination document. Looking back, he said he now recognises that choice as wrong and called it a mistake.
In his social-media statement, the midfielder apologised and said he would address the matter openly. He added that he accepted complete responsibility and would give the relevant authorities his full cooperation.
Switzerland reshuffle for Nations League window
The Swiss Football Association’s president said an agreement had been reached with Xhaka that his absence was in the team’s best interests. The decision rules the former Bayer Leverkusen player out of all three of Switzerland’s scheduled Nations League games across the September and October window.
Xhaka’s international standing makes the absence particularly significant. A central figure for Switzerland over recent tournaments, he wore the captain’s armband at the 2026 World Cup and has remained an experienced reference point after moving from Leverkusen to Sunderland, where he is also captain.
The legal process will now run alongside Switzerland’s autumn campaign, with the Lucerne authorities set to interview Xhaka at the beginning of October.
