Xhaka given suspended 150,000 Swiss franc fine over forged Covid-19 certificate

Sunderland and Switzerland captain Granit Xhaka says he has received a suspended fine of 150,000 Swiss francs (£136,000) for obtaining a forged Covid-19 vaccination certificate in Switzerland in 2022, and that the fine is suspended for two years provided he does not commit any further offences; he has already paid the court costs, he added in an Instagram post.

The 34-year-old, a former Arsenal midfielder who joined Sunderland from Bayer Leverkusen in July 2025, is Switzerland's record appearance holder with 152 caps. Xhaka posted a separate statement on social media on 21 September saying he had a "mistrust" towards the vaccine and that he had been "influenced by worries and uncertainty", and subsequently withdrew from his country's camp for Nations League matches against Scotland, North Macedonia and Slovenia during the international break that has just concluded.

Xhaka wrote in German on Instagram: "A few weeks ago, I spoke personally here and said that I would take responsibility for my decision. I stand by that." He added: "I was sentenced by summary judgment for obtaining a false certification to a suspended fine of 50 daily rates of CHF 3,000 [£2,726] each. I accept the decision and take responsibility for my actions. Thank you for the many messages of support over the past few weeks. They mean a lot to me."

The Swiss office of public health confirmed that, while there was never a general legal requirement to obtain or hold such a certificate, it was needed for access to various activities, venues and travel, meaning that participation was restricted for anyone who did not possess one. Those measures were in place until the spring of 2022, after which Covid-19 certificates continued to be issued primarily to enable members of the public to meet entry requirements when travelling abroad.

Xhaka captained Switzerland at the World Cup earlier this year; the team were knocked out in the quarter-finals by eventual runners-up Argentina. Following his initial social media statement and the subsequent legal development, he missed the recent national team camp.

Sunderland boss Regis le Bris commented on the situation but declined to discuss external matters in detail: "No comment on external topics but [from] what I've seen during the international break, he has trained really well. It's positive. He's in a good place football-wise and for me that is the most important."

Xhaka is expected to return to action when Sunderland host Brighton on Saturday (15:00 BST).