Xhaka dropped by Switzerland after admitting he faked Covid vaccination certificate

Granit Xhaka will miss Switzerland’s upcoming Nations League fixtures after admitting he used fraudulent Covid-19 vaccination documents during the pandemic. The Swiss Football Association (SFV) confirmed on Monday that the 33-year-old, the country’s most-capped player, would not feature in games against North Macedonia, Scotland and Slovenia.

Xhaka, who captained Switzerland to the World Cup quarter-finals this summer, issued an apology on Instagram in which he acknowledged obtaining a fake vaccination certificate from a doctor now under investigation by Swiss authorities. He said he had felt a “deep mistrust of the vaccine” and had “obtained a vaccination certificate instead of addressing my unresolved questions through the proper channels”.

“I now clearly see that this was the wrong course of action,” Xhaka wrote. “It was a mistake. I am sorry. I accept responsibility for this decision, am facing the process of addressing the facts, and am cooperating fully with the relevant authorities.”

Swiss football president Peter Knabel said the decision to stand Xhaka down was reached jointly following a meeting between the player and the SFV. Knabel left the door open for the Sunderland midfielder — who holds the Swiss record of 152 international appearances — to return for November’s fixtures once the current window has concluded.

“We welcome Granit taking this step and facing the consequences,” Knabel said. “At the same time, we jointly concluded that it is in the team’s best interest to complete this training camp without him. After the conclusion of this international match window, we will reassess the situation together with Granit and discuss the next steps.”

The story first emerged over the weekend when Swiss media reported that Xhaka had procured the fraudulent certificate from a doctor who is now subject to an official investigation. The revelation places one of European football’s most experienced captains under significant scrutiny at a time when he had been central to Switzerland’s recent international success.