Switzerland captain Granit Xhaka has withdrawn from his country’s games for the upcoming international break after admitting to using fake vaccination documents during the Covid-19 pandemic.
Sunderland midfielder Xhaka apologised and acknowledged he had made a “mistake” in an Instagram post on Monday as the Switzerland team confirmed their most-capped player would not be involved for the start of the team’s Nations League campaign.
It was reported in Switzerland over the weekend that Xhaka, 33, obtained a fake vaccination certificate during the pandemic from a doctor who is now under investigation from authorities.
Swiss outlet Blick reported that the Lucerne public prosecutor's office had opened proceedings against the former Arsenal skipper and that he was expected to be questioned by authorities next month.
In his statement, Xhaka said he felt a “deep mistrust of the vaccine” and “obtained a vaccination certificate instead of addressing my unresolved questions through the proper channels”.
“I now clearly see that this was the wrong course of action,” Xhaka said. “It was a mistake. I am sorry. I accept responsibility for this decision, am facing the process of addressing the facts, and am cooperating fully with the relevant authorities.”
The Swiss Football Association (SFV) confirmed that Xhaka, who captained Switzerland to the World Cup quarter-finals this summer, would not be involved in the upcoming Nations League games against North Macedonia, Scotland and Slovenia.
Swiss football president Peter Knabel said the decision was made jointly following a meeting between Xhaka and the SFV but added that Xhaka, who has played a record 152 games for his country, could be involved in November’s internationals.
“We welcome Granit taking this step and facing the consequences. At the same time, we jointly concluded that it is in the team’s best interest to complete this training camp without him,” Knabel said. “After the conclusion of this international match window, we will reassess the situation together with Granit and discuss the next steps.”
