Xhaka Sidelined From Swiss Squad Over Fake Vaccine Certificate

Switzerland captain Granit Xhaka will sit out the current international camp after telling the Swiss Football Association (SFV) that he obtained a fake COVID-19 vaccination certificate, the federation said Monday. Xhaka, 33, remains on the squad list; he is not with the team in Turkiye.

What did Xhaka admit to doing?

Xhaka posted a statement acknowledging he acquired a false certificate rather than working through official channels to resolve what he described as "open questions." "In this agitated emotional state, I acquired a vaccination certificate instead of clarifying my open questions through the intended path," he wrote, according to Al Jazeera's report. "Today I see clearly that this path was not right. It was a mistake. I am sorry." He said he is cooperating with the relevant authorities, though neither he nor the SFV specified which agency is reviewing the matter or what certification requirement prompted the search for a document in the first place.

How did the federation decide to sideline him?

The SFV frames the outcome as a joint decision, not a formal suspension. Xhaka told the federation about the situation "yesterday evening" and said he would address it publicly, SFV president Peter Knaebel said in a statement. "We welcome Granit taking this step," Knaebel said. "At the same time, we came to the joint conclusion that it is in the best interest of the team to complete this gathering without him." That wording matters: the SFV is not citing a specific bylaw or disciplinary code provision. Instead, the mechanism is a mutual agreement between player and leadership, reached after self-disclosure rather than after an investigation produced findings. The federation has not released a timeline for when it learned Xhaka held the certificate or how the discrepancy surfaced.

Why isn't this a longer ban or a squad cut?

Because the SFV has explicitly deferred that question. Knaebel said the association "will reassess the situation with Xhaka after the conclusion of the international window," leaving open whether any further sanction — internal discipline, a longer absence from camps, or no action beyond this window — will follow. For now, the sidelining applies only to this gathering. Xhaka keeps his captaincy and his place on the roster; he simply is not training or traveling with the squad in Belek.

What matches is Switzerland missing him for?

Switzerland assembled in Belek on Monday ahead of a stretch of UEFA Nations League fixtures: away matches against North Macedonia and Scotland, followed by home games against Slovenia and North Macedonia. Knaebel said the federation's immediate priority is "maintaining calm before the team's" Nations League matches, signaling the SFV wants the roster story contained before kickoff rather than litigated mid-camp.

What happens to Xhaka's record and next call-up?

Nothing in the SFV's statement changes Xhaka's standing as Switzerland's all-time appearance leader. He debuted for the national team in 2011 and has made 152 caps, a mark unaffected by this camp's absence. Whether he returns for the next set of fixtures depends on the post-window review the SFV has promised but not scheduled. Xhaka currently plays for Sunderland in the Premier League, and his club situation is unaffected by the international matter as reported.

What isn't yet public

The Al Jazeera report, sourced to Reuters, does not specify which country's certificate system was falsified, what penalty Swiss authorities could impose for the underlying conduct, or what "open questions" Xhaka was trying to resolve when he sought the document. The SFV's statement likewise does not name an investigating body beyond Xhaka's own reference to "relevant authorities." Those gaps mean the disciplinary and legal exposure — separate from the federation's camp decision — remains unresolved pending further disclosure from Xhaka, the SFV, or Swiss officials.

For now, the operative fact is procedural: a national-team captain self-reported, the federation and player agreed he would skip one camp, and a fuller judgment on his status waits until after Switzerland's Nations League window closes.

Artiglio is A coming-soon iPhone chief of staff for briefings and drafts. Not on the App Store yet.