Granit Xhaka Under Criminal Investigation Over Forged Covid Certificate

Granit Xhaka, the heartbeat of Switzerland’s national team and their record appearance maker, is under criminal investigation in his home country over allegations he obtained a forged Covid-19 vaccination certificate.

Prosecutors in Lucerne have confirmed they are examining whether the Sunderland midfielder, 33, committed an offence in 2022 by acquiring what they describe as a “false or forged” certificate at a time when proof of vaccination opened doors that stayed shut to others.

Prosecutors move, Xhaka admits “mistake”

The inquiry centres on a period when Switzerland required Covid certificates for access to certain venues, events and, crucially for an international footballer, some forms of travel abroad. There was no blanket legal obligation to hold one, the Swiss office of public health stressed, but life without it was heavily restricted. The measures remained in place until spring 2022, with certificates still issued afterwards mainly to satisfy foreign entry rules.

Xhaka, then at Arsenal and now at Sunderland, chose to speak publicly before the legal process fully unfolds. In a statement posted on social media on Monday, the Switzerland captain admitted he had turned to a certificate while wrestling with doubts about the vaccine.

He said he had a “mistrust” towards it and had been “influenced by worries and uncertainty”.

“In this troubled state of mind I acquired a vaccine certificate, instead of clarifying my unanswered questions in the proper way,” he wrote. “Today I see clearly, that this way was not correct. It was a mistake. I'm sorry.

“I take responsibility for this decision, will engage with the process of establishing the facts and fully co-operate with the relevant authorities.”

The Lucerne public prosecutor’s office, for now, is focused on whether any criminal behaviour took place in the acquisition of the certificate. No outcome has been signalled and no charges have been announced.

Switzerland lose their captain on the eve of key games

The fallout has already hit the national team. The Swiss Football Association confirmed that Xhaka has withdrawn from the squad ahead of their upcoming Nations League fixtures against Scotland, North Macedonia and Slovenia.

Xhaka, who has amassed 152 caps and is the country’s record appearance holder, stepped back after issuing his statement. The association said the decision was taken jointly by player and management, and made clear that conversations about his long-term role with the team will wait until after this international window.

Switzerland face North Macedonia and Scotland away on 26 and 29 September, then host Slovenia and North Macedonia in early October. They will do so without the man who captained them at the World Cup earlier this year, when they reached the quarter-finals before losing to eventual runners-up Argentina.

On the pitch, his absence strips Murat Yakin’s side of their on-field organiser and emotional reference point. Off it, the situation leaves a cloud over the country’s most-capped player at a time when the Nations League is shaping form and hierarchy ahead of future major tournaments.

Club keeps distance as legal process begins

Back in England, Sunderland are keeping their distance from the storm. Asked about the investigation after the Black Cats’ defeat at Manchester City on Sunday, head coach Regis le Bris shut down any attempt to draw him into the controversy.

“It is not my area to speak about those problems or situations,” he said. “My area is football. About football, he is really good.”

For now, the lines are clear. Prosecutors in Lucerne will sift the evidence. Xhaka has admitted wrongdoing in moral terms and promised full cooperation. His federation has removed him from the firing line while it waits for clarity.

What remains far less clear is what this means for a player who has come to define a generation of Swiss football. Does the captaincy survive this? Does his place in the dressing room? Or will the Nations League window that Switzerland play without him mark the start of a new era they never expected to begin this way?