Granit Xhaka Under Investigation for Alleged Forged Covid Certificate

Granit Xhaka, the heartbeat of Switzerland’s national side for more than a decade, now finds himself at the centre of a criminal investigation that reaches far beyond football.

Swiss prosecutors in Lucerne have opened proceedings into allegations the 33-year-old obtained a forged Covid-19 vaccination certificate in 2022, at a time when proof of vaccination or recovery was still a key document for travel and access to certain venues.

The public prosecutor’s office in the city confirmed an investigation is under way to establish whether any criminal offence was committed in acquiring what it described as a “false or forged” certificate.

At the time, Xhaka was still at Arsenal. Now at Sunderland and still captain of his country, he chose to address the issue publicly on Monday, releasing a starkly worded statement on social media that laid bare his mindset during the pandemic.

The midfielder admitted he had harboured a “mistrust” of the vaccine and said he had been “influenced by worries and uncertainty”. Instead of seeking medical clarification, he conceded, he took a different route.

“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.”

Those authorities are now examining a case that cuts across public health, personal responsibility and the profile of one of the country’s most prominent athletes.

No general legal obligation to hold a Covid certificate ever existed in Switzerland. The Swiss office of public health stressed that point, while underlining how central the document became to everyday life. Certificates were required to enter certain venues, attend events and, crucially for an international footballer, to travel abroad. Those without one saw their participation in large parts of public life sharply restricted.

The stricter domestic measures were lifted in spring 2022, but certificates did not disappear. They continued to be issued, primarily to help people meet entry rules in other countries. It is within that context that the allegations around Xhaka’s conduct are now being examined.

Impact on the Swiss National Team

For the Swiss national team, the impact has been immediate.

The Swiss Football Association confirmed that Xhaka, the country’s record appearance holder with 152 caps, has withdrawn from the squad for the upcoming Nations League fixtures against Scotland, North Macedonia and Slovenia.

The decision, the association said, was taken jointly by the player and the national-team management after his statement went public. His future role with the side will not be addressed until after the current international window.

Switzerland travel to face North Macedonia and Scotland on 26 and 29 September, before hosting Slovenia and then North Macedonia in early October. They will do so without the man who has been their on-field reference point and emotional barometer for years.

On Wearside, Sunderland are keeping their distance from the storm.

Asked about the allegations in the wake of the Black Cats’ defeat at Manchester City on Sunday, head coach Regis le Bris drew a clear line between legal matters and sporting performance.

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

That last point is not in dispute. Xhaka captained Switzerland at the World Cup earlier this year, leading them to the quarter-finals before they fell to eventual runners-up Argentina. His influence on the pitch has rarely been questioned, even when his combative style and outspoken nature have attracted controversy.

Now the challenge is of a very different kind. A captain used to dictating the tempo in midfield must instead navigate legal scrutiny and public judgment, while his national team learns, at least temporarily, to live without him.

How long that separation lasts – and what it means for the era he has defined in Swiss colours – will be decided not on the grass, but in the offices and courtrooms of Lucerne.