Granit Xhaka Admits to Fake COVID Vaccine Certificate, Out of Switzerland Squad

Sunderland and Switzerland captain Granit Xhaka has admitted to receiving a fake COVID-19 vaccination certificate in 2022. The 33-year-old has been dropped from the Swiss squad for their upcoming Nations League games after apologizing for a "mistake" that he made while he was playing for Arsenal.

Public prosecutors in the city of Lucerne have confirmed that Xhaka is under investigation, one which will attempt to determine whether the certificate was obtained through criminal means. If convicted, Xhaka could face a range of punishments up to a five-year prison sentence, though in previous instances a fine has been deemed sufficient punishment.

"In recent days, there has been much reporting about a matter from my past," said Xhaka in a statement released Monday morning. "I would like to address this personally. Regarding the Covid-19 vaccination, I was personally very uncertain and had serious concerns at the time. I felt a deep distrust of the vaccine and was plagued by fear and uncertainty.

"In this turbulent emotional state, I obtained a vaccination certificate instead of clarifying my open questions through the proper channels. Today I clearly see that this was the wrong approach. It was a mistake. I am sorry.  I take responsibility for this decision, am committed to investigating the matter, and am fully cooperating with the relevant authorities."

A spokesperson for Xhaka said that the midfielder had been vaccinated in January 2022 and November of the same year, after he had tested positive while on international duty with the Swiss national side.

A veteran of a record 152 appearances for his country, Xhaka will play no part in the next four games, home and away matches against North Macedonia, either side of further Nations League fixtures with Scotland and Slovenia.

"Granit Xhaka informed us about the situation last night and told us that he will address it publicly and take responsibility," said Swiss Football Association President Peter Knabel.

"We welcome Granit taking this step and facing the consequences. At the same time, we jointly concluded that it is in the team's best interest to complete this training camp without him. Our priority now is to calm the situation and focus entirely on the team and the upcoming challenges in the UEFA Nations League."

In April 2026 Patrick Fischer, coach of the Switzerland ice hockey team, was fired following the revelation that he had paid for a certificate that falsely claimed he had been vaccinated, one which allowed him to take part in the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing. Fischer was fined nearly 39,000 Swiss francs (nearly $50,000 at the time) in 2023 though the forgery only came to light when Swiss public broadcaster SRF confronted Fischer several years later.

Speaking to Blick, Knabel said that the Xhaka case was "completely different" to Fischer's.

"Granit didn't need this vaccination certificate to participate in a major tournament or international matches. At the time, the Swiss Football Association had issued a vaccination recommendation, not a requirement," he said.

Addressing the investigations into the doctor at the heart of the Xhaka case, a spokesperson for the Lucerne cantonal prosecutor's office said, "The aim [of the inquiries] is to clarify whether there has been conduct relevant under criminal law in connection with the possible fraudulent obtaining of a false certification and/or document forgery."

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_Originally reported by [CBS Sports](https://www.cbssports.com/soccer/news/granit-xhaka-admits-fake-covid-vaccination-certificate-dropped-switzerland/)._