Switzerland captain Xhaka gets probation in fake COVID-19 vaccination document case

By: The Associated Press Posted: 8:26 AM CDT Thursday, Oct. 8, 2026

SUNDERLAND, England (AP) — Switzerland and Sunderland captain Granit Xhaka said on Thursday he was put on two years’ probation after he admitted obtaining a fake vaccination certificate during the COVID-19 pandemic.

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“I accept the decision and take responsibility,” the 34-year-old Xhaka wrote in an Instagram post explaining the details of a case revealed in Swiss media reports last month.

The conviction also included a suspended fine of 150,000 Swiss francs ($180,000), he wrote, adding he paid the court costs.

A fan on the stands holds a banner and a picture of Switzerland's player Granit Xhaka before the Nations League soccer match between Scotland and Switzerland in Glasgow, Scotland, Tuesday, Sept. 29, 2026. (AP Photo/Scott Heppell)

Xhaka, who has played a men’s record 152 games for Switzerland, withdrew from the squad for four Nations League games in the past two weeks. In that time he gave a statement to public prosecutors in Lucerne who were investigating a doctor in the canton (state).

Switzerland won all four games in its second-tier Nations League group without Xhaka.