Granit Xhaka has been withdrawn from Switzerland's squad after he admitted receiving a fake Covid vaccination certificate in 2022. The Sunderland and Switzerland captain – who was an Arsenal player at the time – has apologised for this "mistake" and will sit out his country's forthcoming four Nations League matches, as reported by The Guardian Football. Xhaka will now miss the impending Nations League matches away to North Macedonia and Scotland and at home against Slovenia and North Macedonia.
Xhaka is poised to be questioned by the prosecutor's office in Lucerne next week as it decides whether any criminal proceedings will be initiated regarding the alleged issue of a series of false Covid certificates by a doctor based in the Swiss city during the pandemic. The doctor, who was first investigated in 2023, has denied the allegations. In a statement issued via Instagram, Xhaka acknowledged he had decided not to be inoculated against the virus and obtained a vaccination certificate instead of clarifying his open questions through the proper channels.
Xhaka could face a heavy fine if charges are brought, but the imposition of a custodial punishment is understood to be extremely unlikely. The midfielder left north London to join Bayer Leverkusen in 2023 and arrived at the Stadium of Light two years later.