Sunderland captain Granit Xhaka is under investigation by Swiss authorities for admitting to receiving a fraudulent COVID-19 vaccine certificate, an offense that could result in a significant fine or up to five years in prison. Xhaka, who was playing for Arsenal at the time of the incident, made a statement on Instagram acknowledging his actions, citing personal uncertainty and distrust of the vaccine as reasons for his decision. He stated that he obtained the certificate instead of addressing his concerns through proper channels and expressed remorse for his mistake.
Xhaka is expected to provide his account to authorities next month. Following his confession, the Swiss Football Association (SFV) agreed with Xhaka that he would not participate in the national team's upcoming Nations League matches against North Macedonia, Scotland, and Slovenia. "Following his personal statement regarding vaccination confirmation, Granit Xhaka will not take part in the upcoming gathering of the men's national team," the SFV said in a statement. "This decision was jointly made in a conversation between Xhaka and the SFV association leadership."
The SFV stated that the situation will be re-evaluated with Xhaka after the international break. The doctor accused of providing the certificate has maintained her innocence. Swiss authorities confirmed an investigation is underway to determine if Xhaka's actions constitute legally relevant behavior related to document forgery or false notarization. He is presumed innocent until proven otherwise.
This is not the first time Xhaka has faced scrutiny. In 2023, he was cleared of involvement in a potential betting scam related to a yellow card received during a match while he was with Arsenal. Investigations by the FA, Gambling Commission, and National Crime Agency concluded there was no case to answer regarding suspicious betting patterns surrounding the booking.
Xhaka, who has 152 appearances for the Swiss national team and is its all-time record appearance maker, left Arsenal in 2023 to join Bayer Leverkusen before transferring to Sunderland for £17 million in 2025.