Sunderland’s Granit Xhaka admits forging Covid vaccination certificate, withdrawn from Switzerland squad | OneFootball

Granit Xhaka, Sunderland’s captain and Switzerland’s skipper, has admitted forging a Covid vaccination certificate and apologised, and he has been omitted from the national squad for the upcoming internationals.

Blick reports that the Lucerne public prosecutor’s office has opened proceedings, with the 33-year-old expected to be questioned in early October, and that the forgery occurred in 2022 while he was at Arsenal.

In a post on Monday, Xhaka said he had been deeply unsettled and mistrustful of the vaccine at the time, and that he obtained a certificate amid emotional turmoil instead of seeking proper answers. He called it a mistake, expressed remorse and said he would take responsibility and cooperate fully with the authorities.

The Swiss FA and Xhaka agreed he will sit out Nations League fixtures against North Macedonia, Scotland and Slovenia during this 3-week international break, with the situation to be reassessed after the window. Their stated priority is to calm matters and focus on the team.

Xhaka represented Switzerland at the World Cup in North America this summer and is the country’s most-capped men’s player. He left Arsenal in 2023 for Bayer Leverkusen, spent two seasons there, then joined Sunderland in 2025. Arsenal and Sunderland have been contacted for comment.

Source: NY Times

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