In Sunderland, where Granit Xhaka now carries the captaincy, the Switzerland midfielder has addressed a legal case dating back to the COVID-19 pandemic. The 34-year-old said he has accepted a two-year probationary sentence after admitting that he obtained a fraudulent vaccination certificate.
Xhaka set out the outcome in an Instagram statement after the matter emerged in Swiss media reports last month. “I accept the decision and take responsibility,” he wrote. The sentence also carries a suspended fine of 150,000 Swiss francs, equivalent to around $180,000, while Xhaka said he has already met the court costs.
The case comes during an international window in which Switzerland have completed their UEFA Nations League group campaign without their long-serving captain. The Swiss won all four matches in their second-tier group despite Xhaka’s absence.
