Sunderland captain Granit Xhaka has admitted buying fake Covid vaccination certificates, with the situation now also affecting his international career with Switzerland and being dated back to his time at Arsenal.
The midfielder will sit out the upcoming international break after offering to withdraw from the squad himself. Local newspaper Blick explains what happened behind the scenes over the weekend and what comes next for the 33-year-old.
As you may know, Xhaka already released a statement admitting he had made a “mistake” and apologising for his actions.
“I take responsibility for this decision, will face the investigation into the matter and am fully cooperating with the relevant authorities,” he said.
Questions over Xhaka’s Arsenal timeline
When it was first revealed on Friday that authorities in Lucerne were investigating Xhaka, his camp denied wrongdoing.
They said there was confirmation from the doctor treating him that he had received Covid vaccinations on January 25th and November 8th, 2022.
Xhaka had also publicly said in spring 2022 that he had been vaccinated. According to Blick, that was “apparently a lie”.
The dates themselves also attracted attention. The second supposed vaccination came during a busy period for Arsenal, where Xhaka was playing at the time.
That would have required a trip from London to Lucerne and back between two Arsenal matches. The Gunners faced Chelsea on Sunday November 6th 2022 and then Brighton on Wednesday November 9th.
Blick makes clear that this isn’t evidence of anything by itself. However, they say it provided another detail for investigators to look at.
Xhaka has now explained that he had serious concerns about the Covid vaccine at the time.
“I felt a deep distrust of the vaccine and was characterised by fear and uncertainty,” he said. “In this highly emotional state, I purchased a vaccination certificate instead of addressing my unanswered questions through the proper channels.”
Sunderland captain wants to keep Switzerland armband
Xhaka still played for Sunderland in Sunday’s 5-3 defeat at Manchester City. Asked about the investigation afterwards, he initially declined to discuss it. He said he had “played football today” and that was what mattered to him at that moment.
Behind the scenes, things were already moving quickly. Blick says Xhaka informed his representatives on Sunday that he wanted to come clean. Only a small group of senior figures at the Swiss Football Association knew what was happening.
Xhaka then proposed missing Switzerland’s four Nations League matches during the three-week international break. His reasoning was that his presence would currently create an unwanted distraction for the rest of the squad. The Swiss FA accepted that proposal.
That doesn’t mean Xhaka plans to step away permanently. Someone close to the Sunderland midfielder tells Blick he wants to remain Switzerland captain.
For now, his intention is to deal with the investigation and keep it away from the national team as much as possible. But Swiss FA president Peter Knäbel has left the door open for his return.
“With his behaviour, he has shown how a captain should react to something like this,” Knäbel said. “We will discuss everything else.”
Blick also raises the possibility that Xhaka obtained the fake certificate because of uncertainty around entry requirements for the 2022 World Cup in Qatar. They present that as speculation, though, and there is currently no confirmed explanation connecting the certificate to the tournament.
So the immediate consequence for Sunderland is straightforward. Xhaka won’t be going away with Switzerland this time, while the legal process continues in his homeland.
