Granit Xhaka has publicly admitted that he bought a Covid vaccination certificate during the pandemic. It is a shocking confession from the Switzerland captain, which comes on the day the long international break begins, during which the new edition of the Nations League will be held in Europe. The confession came after days of noise about the investigation opened by the Lucerne Prosecutor's Office, which is investigating the matter. The Sunderland midfielder has taken full responsibility and has withdrawn from the national team, pending questioning that will take place in early October.
Xhaka's shocking confession
The admission that has shocked all his fans, incredulous in the face of this situation, came via social media. Xhaka explained that he had gone through a difficult period during Covid, with a phase of distrust towards the vaccine: “In this emotional state of turmoil, I bought a vaccination certificate, instead of clarifying my doubts through the foreseen channels.”
He admitted that he had obtained a forged certificate, recognizing the serious mistake he had made. For this reason, he decided not to respond to the gathering with Switzerland, which is currently in the gathering to prepare for the next four matches, and expressed his desire to cooperate with the authorities who are investigating the matter.
The midfielder's case is closely linked to what happened to Patrick Fischer, the coach of the Swiss national hockey team: he also confessed to having obtained a fake Covid-19 certificate via Telegram in order to participate in the 2022 Olympic Games and, following the accusations of the Lucerne Public Prosecutor's Office, was fined more than 40,000 euros. Three years later, he was also suspended for four years, until 2030, by his federation.
What is the risk for the Albanian midfielder?
In a few weeks, the first interrogation with the prosecutors dealing with his case will take place and fans want to understand specifically what Xhaka risks after his admission. The Albanian midfielder is at the center of a procedure for falsifying documents and fraudulently obtaining false certificates, and could face a financial penalty.
There is also the possibility of a prison sentence, provided for by Swiss legislation for certain cases of forgery, of up to five years, but this will depend on the outcome of the procedure and is not considered a concrete hypothesis at the moment.
In criminal terms, Xhaka will be held accountable as a private citizen, most likely with a fine, while in sporting terms it is not yet possible to predict the consequences: Fischer was suspended for four years due to the scandal of the false certificate, which he had used to participate in the Olympic Games and World Championships.
It will be necessary to understand whether the case presents similarities and whether Xhaka used his certificate to travel and play matches in which he would not have been able to participate without that document.
The precedent in Switzerland is clear and now the questioning is expected to understand whether the 33-year-old midfielder will also face a suspension that could end his career. The two sanctions could come at different times, since, always taking the Fischer case as a reference, the fine was imposed in 2023, while the suspension only a few weeks ago, three years later.
