Xhaka Withdraws From Switzerland Squad Over Certificate Probe

Granit Xhaka has withdrawn from Switzerland's squad for the upcoming UEFA Nations League fixtures after prosecutors opened proceedings over an allegedly forged Covid-19 vaccination certificate. The Sunderland midfielder, who holds his country's all-time appearance record with 152 caps, stepped away jointly with the Swiss Football Association on Monday after admitting publicly that obtaining the document was a mistake and saying he was sorry.

The case was first reported by Swiss outlet Blick, which said the public prosecutor's office in Lucerne had opened proceedings against the 33-year-old after he allegedly obtained false Covid certificates. According to the report, Xhaka acquired the certificate in 2022, when many countries required proof of vaccination for travel, and he is expected to be questioned by the authorities in October. TNT Sports confirmed the details in its own reporting.

In a statement posted to his Instagram story on Monday, Xhaka said he had felt a "deep mistrust" of the vaccine and had been overcome by fear and uncertainty at the time. He said he obtained the certificate instead of answering his unresolved questions through the proper channels, and described the decision as "a mistake," adding that he takes full responsibility and will cooperate fully with the relevant authorities.

Swiss FA backs the player, sidelines him for the window

Swiss Football Association president Peter Knabel said in a statement that Xhaka had informed the federation about the situation the previous night and said he would address it publicly and take responsibility. The federation welcomed that step, but the two sides jointly concluded that it was in the team's best interest to complete the training camp without him. The statement said the priority now was "to calm the situation and focus entirely on the team" ahead of the Nations League fixtures.

The federation added that it will reassess the situation together with the player after the international window and discuss next steps then.

Switzerland opens an extended international break with away trips to North Macedonia and Scotland before hosting Slovenia and North Macedonia, and manager Murat Yakin must now plan without his captain. Aurele Amenda and Denis Zakaria have also withdrawn from the squad, and Yakin has called up Isaac Schmidt, Vincent Sierro and Joel Monteiro as replacements.

What the law says, and what it means for his club career

The Lucerne prosecutor's office confirmed that proceedings are under way to determine whether any criminal behaviour took place in obtaining what it described as a false or forged certificate. Under Swiss law, document forgery can carry a substantial fine or a prison sentence of up to five years, although legal analysts consider custodial time unlikely for this category of offence.

The Swiss Federal Office of Public Health has confirmed there was never a general legal requirement for people to possess a Covid certificate, although certificates were required to access certain activities, venues and forms of travel under the pandemic measures. Those restrictions remained in place until the spring of that year, with certificates still issued afterwards for people who needed them to satisfy entry requirements when travelling abroad.

At club level, Xhaka is expected to face no disciplinary consequences. English football authorities never mandated vaccination during the pandemic, so neither Sunderland nor the Premier League has a case to answer. Sunderland manager Régis Le Bris declined to comment on the allegations after Sunday's defeat to Manchester City, telling reporters the matter was not his area and that his area was football, where Xhaka was "really good."

Xhaka captained Switzerland at the 2026 FIFA World Cup, where the team went out in the quarter-finals to Argentina. His absence removes one of European football's most experienced midfielders from a decisive stretch of Nations League fixtures, and it leaves open whether the record appearance maker will wear the red shirt again once the legal process runs its course.

For now, the federation's position is procedural: cooperate with the authorities, get through the window, and revisit everything in October. Xhaka has said he will do exactly that.