Granit Xhaka, the unflinching heartbeat of Switzerland’s national team for more than a decade, now finds himself at the centre of an off-field storm that cuts far beyond football.
The 33-year-old captain is under investigation by prosecutors in Lucerne over allegations he obtained a forged Covid-19 vaccination certificate in 2022, at a time when such documentation was still required in Switzerland for certain forms of travel and access.
A captain under scrutiny
The public prosecutor’s office in Lucerne has confirmed that an investigation is under way to establish whether any criminal behaviour was involved in acquiring what it described as a “false or forged” certificate. No verdict, no charge yet – but the stakes are clear. This is no minor administrative quibble; it goes to the heart of public trust at a time when the country was still navigating the final stages of the pandemic.
At the time of the alleged offence, Xhaka was playing for Arsenal. He has since moved to Sunderland, but it is his role as Switzerland’s captain and record appearance holder that gives this case its particular weight. With 152 caps, he is the face of the national team, its on-field general and emotional reference point.
Now his judgment, not his passing range, is under the microscope.
Xhaka’s public admission
On Monday, Xhaka took the unusual step of addressing the issue head-on with a statement on social media. He did not deny obtaining the certificate. Instead, he tried to explain how he arrived at that decision.
He spoke of a “mistrust” of the vaccine, saying he had been “influenced by worries and uncertainty”. In that “troubled state of mind”, as he put it, he chose to acquire a certificate rather than seek proper answers to his concerns.
“Today I see clearly, that this way was not correct. It was a mistake. I'm sorry,” he wrote, adding that he would take responsibility, engage with the process of establishing the facts and fully co-operate with the authorities.
It was a rare moment of public contrition from a player known on the pitch for his defiance and refusal to back down.
The legal and public health backdrop
The Swiss office of public health has confirmed that there was never a blanket legal requirement for every citizen to hold a Covid-19 certificate. Even so, the document became a powerful gatekeeper.
Certificates were needed for access to various activities, venues and travel. Those without one saw their participation in parts of public and social life restricted. The measures remained in place until spring 2022, after which certificates were still issued, largely to help people meet entry rules abroad.
In that context, the allegation against Xhaka is stark. A forged certificate would not just be a personal shortcut. It would represent a breach of a system designed to manage risk and protect public health while trying to keep society functioning.
That is what the Lucerne prosecutors are now sifting through.
Fallout for the national team
The immediate sporting consequences have already begun. The Swiss Football Association announced that Xhaka has withdrawn from the national squad for the upcoming Nations League fixtures against Scotland, North Macedonia and Slovenia.
The decision, the association stressed, was made jointly by the player and the national team management after his public statement. Switzerland will now head into a demanding international window without their captain, organiser and emotional anchor.
Away trips to North Macedonia and Scotland on 26 and 29 September will be followed by home matches against Slovenia and North Macedonia in early October. These are not friendlies to be treated lightly; they shape form, confidence and, in some cases, future seeding.
The federation has made it clear that Xhaka’s long-term role will not be discussed in the heat of the moment. Conversations about his future with the team are scheduled for after the international window. Still, the question hangs in the air: can the man who has led his country out 152 times simply walk back into the armband once the legal dust settles?
Club silence, national noise
At club level, Sunderland have moved carefully. After the Black Cats’ defeat at Manchester City on Sunday, head coach Regis le Bris refused to be drawn into the controversy.
“It is not my area to speak about those problems or situations,” he said. “My area is football. About football, he is really good.”
It was a tight, controlled response, and a reminder of the delicate line clubs often walk when off-field issues spill into the public arena. Sunderland need Xhaka the midfielder. Switzerland must decide what to do with Xhaka the captain under investigation.
Legacy in the balance
Earlier this year, Xhaka led Switzerland at the World Cup, where they reached the quarter-finals before being knocked out by eventual runners-up Argentina. It felt like another step in a distinguished international career: a leader who had grown from the volatility of his early years into a mature, central figure.
Now, that legacy is being tested in a very different way.
The investigation in Lucerne will run its course. The legal outcome will shape what comes next. The Swiss FA will weigh sporting value against reputational risk. Supporters will decide how much they can forgive.
For a player who has built a career on standing firm in the fiercest moments, the real question now is whether Granit Xhaka can withstand the pressure of a battle that cannot be settled on the pitch.
