Granit Xhaka given probation over fake Covid vaccination certificate

Granit Xhaka, the Switzerland and Sunderland captain, has been placed on two years’ probation and handed a hefty suspended fine after admitting he obtained a fake Covid-19 vaccination certificate.

The 34-year-old midfielder confirmed his sentence on Thursday, bringing to light the legal resolution of a case that has recently overshadowed his international career. Xhaka was handed a suspended fine of 150,000 Swiss francs (about £136,000), structured as 50 daily rates of 3,000 francs, and was ordered to pay court costs.

"I accept the decision and take responsibility," Xhaka wrote in an Instagram post detailing the verdict delivered by the Lucerne Public Prosecutor’s Office. Because the fine is suspended, the former Arsenal star will not have to pay the six-figure sum unless he commits another offence during his two-year probationary window.

The midfielder missed Switzerland’s last four Nations League matches to cooperate with investigators. During the international break, Xhaka gave a formal statement to public prosecutors in the Swiss canton of Lucerne, who have been investigating a local doctor suspected of distributing fraudulent medical documents.

Switzerland managed to win all four of those fixtures in their second-tier Nations League group without their captain, who holds his country’s men's appearance record with 152 caps.

The fraudulent certificate was obtained during the 2022 season, a time when Xhaka was still playing in the Premier League for Arsenal. He later moved to German club Bayer Leverkusen before joining Sunderland in 2025. His current employers have kept their distance from the controversy, noting that the events in question took place years before he arrived at the Stadium of Light.

Xhaka has since opened up about his decision to bypass the vaccine protocols. He admitted to experiencing deep anxiety and distrust regarding the medical requirements during the 2022 season. Describing himself as being in a "turbulent emotional state" at the time, he acknowledged he took a shortcut rather than seeking clarity from medical professionals, calling the decision a major mistake that he now deeply regrets.

The scandal is part of a broader vaccine affair that has hit Swiss football. Xhaka is not the only high-profile international player caught up in the fallout. Atlanta United striker Breel Embolo was also dropped from the national squad after it emerged he had obtained forged Covid documents through different channels. Embolo’s case involved allegations of interacting with members of the Hells Angels gang to secure his own fake documents back in 2021, leading to a court order against him in late 2025.