Xhaka admits presenting fake COVID-19 certificate during pandemic

On Monday, Swiss midfielder Granit Xhaka admitted on his social media channels that he had presented a fake COVID-19 vaccination certificate to avoid mandatory vaccination during the pandemic.

On Monday, Swiss midfielder Granit Xhaka admitted on his social media channels that he had presented a fake COVID-19 vaccination certificate to avoid mandatory vaccination during the pandemic.

Xhaka is a Swiss professional footballer who plays as a defensive midfielder and captains both Premier League club Sunderland and the Switzerland national team.

“At the time, I was very worried about the issue of COVID-19 vaccination. I felt deep mistrust regarding the vaccine and was gripped by anxiety and doubt,” he said on Instagram.

“Today I clearly see that I made the wrong choice. It was a mistake. I am sorry,” he wrote, adding that he was “cooperating fully with the relevant authorities.”

The Lucerne public prosecutor’s office is currently investigating the matter.

The Swiss Football Association announced that, in agreement with the player, Xhaka would not join the Swiss national team in Belek, Turkey, for a training camp starting Monday.

“Following his personal statement regarding his vaccination status, Granit Xhaka will not participate in the men’s national team’s upcoming gathering,” the association said in a statement.

Swiss FA president Peter Knäbel said, “We welcome the fact that Granit is taking this step and is prepared to fully clarify the situation.”

“At the same time, we mutually concluded that it was in the team’s best interest to proceed with this gathering without him,” he added.

“Our priority now is to calm the situation and focus entirely on the team and the upcoming UEFA Nations League fixtures.”

Switzerland will begin their campaign on Saturday against North Macedonia before travelling to face Scotland on September 29.

On October 3 and 6, Switzerland will host Slovenia and North Macedonia, respectively, in Lucerne.

“At the end of this international window, we will reassess the situation with Granit and discuss the next steps,” Knäbel said.

Switzerland are subsequently scheduled to face Slovenia on November 13 and Scotland on November 16, also as part of the Nations League.