Granit Xhaka has accepted a suspended fine of 150,000 Swiss francs, around €160,000, after admitting he used a forged Covid-19 vaccination certificate during the pandemic.
The Sunderland midfielder, who captains Switzerland, said the Lucerne public prosecutor’s office had suspended the penalty. In practical terms, the fine will not be collected provided he commits no further offence during the relevant period.
“I accept the decision and take responsibility,” Xhaka wrote on Instagram. The 33-year-old also acknowledged that he had held a “deep distrust” of the Covid vaccine at the time.
The circumstances in which the false certificate was used, and the length of time for which it may have been used, have not been made public.
International absence
The matter led to Xhaka being left out of Switzerland’s squad for their four most recent Nations League fixtures. The Swiss won all four matches without their regular skipper, though his absence inevitably left a sizeable gap in the midfield leadership group.
Xhaka, a Basel native, is now with Sunderland after prominent spells in English football with Arsenal and in Germany with Bayer Leverkusen. He had been a key figure for both clubs and remains one of Switzerland’s most experienced international players.
His statement brings an end to the immediate disciplinary process, but the suspended sanction leaves little room for another error. For a player long accustomed to operating at the sharp end of the game, the next task is simpler: return to football and keep the matter there.
