Granit Xhaka says he received suspended fine over forged Covid certificate

Granit Xhaka says he has received a suspended fine of 150,000 Swiss francs for obtaining a forged Covid-19 vaccination certificate.

The Sunderland and Switzerland captain, 34, announced the sentence in a German-language post on Instagram. The BBC reports the fine equates to £136,000.

Xhaka said he was sentenced by summary judgment. That is a decision made by a judge on the papers, without a full trial in court.

The penalty was set at 50 daily rates of 3,000 francs each. Switzerland uses daily rates to link the size of a fine to a person's means. Xhaka said the fine is suspended for two years provided he commits no further offences. In plain terms, he only pays that money if he reoffends in that period. He added that he has already paid the court costs.

The case dates to 2022. Xhaka is alleged to have obtained the certificate in that year, when proof of vaccination was still a requirement in Switzerland for some travel abroad. At the time he was playing for Arsenal. Prosecutors were reported to have been investigating the doctor linked to the document.

Xhaka addressed the case publicly on 21 September. In a social media statement, he said he had “mistrust” towards the vaccine and had been “influenced by worries and uncertainty”. He has now admitted obtaining the fake certificate, according to Channel News Asia’s reporting of his latest post.

Following that first statement, he withdrew from Switzerland’s squad for Nations League matches against Scotland, North Macedonia and Slovenia. Switzerland’s record appearance holder with 152 caps, Xhaka remains a central figure for club and country.

For fans, this means the legal process has reached a clear outcome without an immediate absence. A suspended fine does not carry a playing ban. The question now is when the captain returns to the Switzerland camp.