Sunderland and Switzerland captain Granit Xhaka has confirmed he received a suspended fine of 150,000 Swiss francs (£136,000) related to a forged Covid-19 vaccination certificate. The 34-year-old midfielder alleges the document was obtained in 2022, a period when such certificates were necessary for certain international travel from Switzerland.
Xhaka, who joined Sunderland from Bayer Leverkusen in July 2025, addressed the legal ruling via an Instagram post written in German. He stated that he accepts the verdict and stands by his previous commitment to take responsibility for his actions.
“I was sentenced by summary judgment for obtaining a false certification to a suspended fine of 50 daily rates of CHF 3,000 each,” Xhaka wrote. “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 fine is suspended for two years on the condition that he does not commit any further offences, and he has already settled the associated court costs.
The controversy initially surfaced on 21 September when Xhaka posted a statement expressing his “mistrust” towards vaccines, citing personal worries and uncertainty. Following that disclosure, he withdrew from the Switzerland squad ahead of their Nations League fixtures against Scotland, North Macedonia, and Slovenia. At the time, Xhaka was an Arsenal player.
Swiss public health authorities clarified that while there was no blanket legal mandate to hold a certificate, possession was required to access various venues and travel options before restrictions were lifted in the spring of 2022. Certificates continued to be issued thereafter primarily to satisfy foreign entry requirements.
Xhaka, Switzerland’s all-time record appearance holder with 152 caps, recently captained his nation at the World Cup earlier this year before their quarter-final exit to Argentina. He is set to return to club action this Saturday when Sunderland host Brighton at 15:00 BST.
Sunderland manager Regis le Bris declined to comment on the external legal matters but praised the midfielder’s fitness. “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,” le Bris said.
Doesn’t this just prove how pointless the vaccine passport chaos actually was? Weird priorities there.
A quarter million quid fine is heavy, but I’m glad he’s owning it instead of making excuses.