Switzerland's Granit Xhaka Pays the Price! Sunderland Captain Handed Two-Year Probation and Suspended Fine Over Fake Covid-19 Certificate
Legal resolution and public admission
Xhaka has officially broken his silence regarding the legal ramifications of the long-running investigation into his Covid-19 vaccination status. The 34-year-old, who currently captains both his club side Sunderland and the Switzerland national team, revealed that he has been handed a two-year probation sentence. The case stems from his decision to obtain a fraudulent vaccination document during the height of the pandemic, an action he has now fully admitted to the authorities in his home country.
Writing to his followers on Instagram, the former Arsenal star provided transparency regarding the verdict delivered by the Lucerne Public Prosecutor’s Office. "I accept the decision and take responsibility," the 34-year-old Xhaka wrote in an Instagram post explaining the details of a case revealed in Swiss media reports last month.
Details provided by Swissinfo report clarify that the fine was structured as 50 daily rates of 3,000 Swiss francs each. Crucially, the penalty remains suspended, meaning Xhaka will not be required to pay the six-figure sum or face further legal action provided he does not commit any other offences during his two-year probationary window. The player confirmed that he had provided a comprehensive statement to the investigators, assisting them in their broader inquiry into a local medical professional suspected of facilitating the distribution of these false documents across the region.
Impact on international and club commitments
The timing of the scandal proved disruptive for the Swiss national team during their most recent window of fixtures. Xhaka was a notable absentee from the squad for four Nations League matches over the last fortnight, a period he used to engage directly with the public prosecutors.
Despite the absence of their influential captain, Switzerland performed exceptionally well, securing victories in all four of their second-tier group games. The federation and the player reached a consensus that his withdrawal was necessary to allow him to focus on the legal proceedings, ensuring the team remained focused on the pitch while the investigation reached its conclusion in the background.
Xhaka’s current employers, Sunderland, have maintained a distance from the controversy, noting that the events in question took place years before he arrived at the Stadium of Light. The midfielder joined the Black Cats in 2025 following a successful spell in Germany with Bayer Leverkusen, but the fraudulent document was obtained during the 2022 season while he was still a mainstay in the Arsenal midfield.
Motivations and regret for the "mistake"
Xhaka has been candid about the reasons behind his decision to bypass official vaccination protocols. In previous statements, he admitted to feeling a sense of deep distrust and anxiety regarding the medical requirements during the 2022 season. He described himself as being in a "turbulent emotional state" at the time, which led to a lapse in judgment. By choosing to obtain a certificate rather than seeking clarity through medical professionals, he acknowledged that he took a shortcut that he now deeply regrets. He has characterized the entire episode as a significant mistake, for which he has now paid both a financial and legal price.
A wider scandal hitting Swiss football
The investigation into Xhaka’s conduct has not been an isolated incident within the Swiss national setup, as the "vaccine affair" has grown into a wider moral scandal for the football association. Shortly after Xhaka's involvement became public knowledge, a second key figure in the squad was also implicated in similar activities. Atlanta United striker Breel Embolo was also excluded from the national team camp after it was revealed he had obtained forged documents through different channels.
Embolo’s situation involved allegations of interacting with members of the Hells Angels gang to secure his own documents back in 2021, leading to a court order against the player in late 2025.
