Suspended fine for Xhaka over Covid-19 certificate

Sunderland and Switzerland captain Granit Xhaka says he has received a suspended fine of 150,000 Swiss francs (£136,000) for obtaining a forged Covid-19 vaccination certificate.

The 34-year-old, who is alleged to have obtained the certificate in 2022 when it was a requirement in Switzerland for some travel abroad, says the fine is suspended for two years provided he does not commit any further offences, and that he has already paid the court costs.

“A few weeks ago, I spoke personally here and said that I would take responsibility for my decision. I stand by that,” the midfielder wrote in German on Instagram.

“I was sentenced by summary judgment for obtaining a false certification to a suspended fine of 50 daily rates of CHF 3,000 [£2,726] each.

“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.”

Xhaka was playing for Arsenal in 2022 and posted a statement on social media on 21 September saying he had a “mistrust” towards the vaccine and that he had been “influenced by worries and uncertainty”.

He is Switzerland’s record appearance holder with 152 caps and, following his initial statement, withdrew from his country’s camp for their Nations League matches against Scotland, North Macedonia and Slovenia in the international break that has just concluded.

The Swiss office of public health had confirmed that while there was never a general legal requirement to obtain or hold such a certificate, it was needed for access to various activities, venues and travel, meaning that participation was restricted for anyone who did not possess one.

These measures in Switzerland were in place until the spring of 2022. After that point, Covid-19 certificates continued to be issued, primarily to enable members of the public to meet entry requirements when travelling abroad.

Xhaka captained Switzerland at the World Cup earlier this year, where they were knocked out in the quarter-finals by eventual runners-up Argentina.

He is expected to return to action when Sunderland host Brighton on Saturday (15:00 BST).

Black Cats boss Regis le Bris said: “No comment on external topics but [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.”