Fake Vaccine Document Case: Granit Xhaka Admits Error, Withdraws From Switzerland Duty

Switzerland captain Granit Xhaka has admitted making a mistake over fake COVID-19 vaccination documents and withdrawn from the national team squad as authorities investigate the case.

Xhaka, 33, said he had used a fake vaccination certificate during the COVID-19 pandemic, acknowledging that the decision was wrong. The Switzerland midfielder was reportedly suspected of obtaining the certificate in 2022 from a doctor who was under investigation by prosecutors in Lucerne.

“It was a mistake. I am sorry,” Xhaka said in a statement posted on Instagram on Monday. He said he had felt a “deep distrust” of COVID-19 vaccines at the time and added that he would cooperate with the authorities to clarify the matter.

The decision comes as Switzerland prepares for four Nations League matches. Xhaka, the country's most-capped men's footballer with 152 international appearances, will not join the squad for the upcoming fixtures.

Swiss Football Federation president Peter Knäbel said the federation welcomed Xhaka's decision to take responsibility and cooperate fully in resolving the matter.

“At the same time, we have agreed together that it's in the team's best interest to play these matches without him,” Knäbel said.

Switzerland, a World Cup quarterfinalist, is scheduled to travel to face North Macedonia and Scotland before hosting Slovenia and North Macedonia in Lucerne in its Nations League second-tier group.

Xhaka's absence also raises questions about the captaincy, although Knäbel said there had been no discussion about removing him as captain.

Speaking at the team's training camp in Turkey, Knäbel also declined to compare Xhaka's case with that of former Switzerland men's ice hockey coach Patrick Fischer, who was dismissed earlier this year after reports that he had obtained a fake vaccination certificate to travel to China for the 2022 Beijing Olympics.

Knäbel stressed that the circumstances were different. The Beijing Olympics had a vaccination requirement for entry, while Swiss football authorities had only recommended vaccination for players during the pandemic.

The investigation into Xhaka's documents comes years after the pandemic but has now put one of Switzerland's most prominent footballers under renewed scrutiny.