Xhaka dropped from Switzerland squad over fake Covid vaccine certificate
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Neutral summary
Granit Xhaka, captain of both Switzerland and English club Sunderland, has been excluded from the national team for the September international break, which includes Nations League fixtures against Scotland, North Macedonia and Slovenia. The decision came after the 33-year-old midfielder admitted that in 2022, during his time at Arsenal, he obtained a fraudulent Covid-19 vaccination certificate. In a statement on Instagram, Xhaka apologised and said he had made a mistake. The Swiss Football Association confirmed his removal and said it would reassess the situation after the international window. The public prosecutor's office in Lucerne is investigating the case, including the role of a doctor suspected of issuing the certificate without vaccinating him. Reports suggest Xhaka could face up to five years in prison and is expected to testify in October. Outlets differ on details: some say he will miss four matches, others three, and the potential penalty is described variously as a fine or imprisonment.
How it was framed
Outlets: 20. Countries: 11. Facts in the shared core: 5.
Publication timeline
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Channel NewsAsia (outlet profile)
Swiss captain Xhaka sidelined over fake COVID certificate
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Clarín (outlet profile)
Escándalo en la Selección de Suiza, rival de Argentina en el Mundial 2026: apartaron al capitán por truchar un certificado de vacunación y podría ir preso. Se trata de Granit Xhaka, una de las estrellas del equipo, que…
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Morning Star (outlet profile)
Xhaka misses Switzerland camp after admitting to fake vaccine certificate. SUNDERLAND’S Granit Xhaka has lost his place in the Switzerland squad after admitting to possessing a fake Covid-19 vaccination certificate. Inv…
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GB News (outlet profile)
Premier League captain at risk of jail time after confessing to Covid vaccine certificate fraud. Sunderland captain Granit Xhaka is at risk of jail time after confessing to obtaining a fraudulent Covid vaccination certi…
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The Independent (outlet profile)
Granit Xhaka apologises for ‘mistake’ after using fake Covid vaccination certificate
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BBC News (outlet profile)
Xhaka under investigation over Covid-19 certificate. Switzerland captain Granit Xhaka is being investigated over an issue with his Covid-19 vaccination certificate.
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Metropoles (outlet profile)
Xhaka admite ter falsificado carteira de vacinação contra Covid-19. Camisa 10 e capitão da Suíça na Copa do Mundo de 2026, Granit Xhaka deve ser julgado em outubro por falsificação de documento
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Al Jazeera (outlet profile)
Swiss captain Xhaka sidelined over fake COVID-19 vaccination certificate. Switzerland's football association will reassess the situation with Xhaka after the international window closes.
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Le Parisien (outlet profile)
« C’était une erreur » : privé de sélection pour un faux certificat de vaccination Covid, le capitaine de la Suisse risque 5 ans de prison
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ТАСС (outlet profile)
Джака исключен из состава сборной Швейцарии за подделку справки о вакцинации. По словам главы Швейцарского футбольного союза, полузащитник пропустит ближайшие матчи команды
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BBC News na srpskom (outlet profile)
Granit Džaka pod istragom zbog potvrde o vakcinaciji protiv kovida-19. Kapiten švajcarske reprezentacije suočava se sa optužbama da je nabavio lažnu potvrdu o vakcinaciji.
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Danas (outlet profile)
Granit Džaka pod istragom zbog potvrde o vakcinaciji protiv kovida-19. Kapiten švajcarske reprezentacije suočava se sa optužbama da je nabavio lažnu potvrdu o vakcinaciji.
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Blic (outlet profile)
Granit Džaka pod istragom zbog potvrde o vakcinaciji protiv kovida-19. Granit Džaka, kapiten švajcarske fudbalske reprezentacije, pod istragom je tužilaštva te zemlje zbog optužbi da je nabavio falsifikovanu potvrdu o v…
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El Comercio (Perú) (outlet profile)
Xhaka podría ir a la cárcel por cinco años por falsificar un certificado de COVID-19 durante pandemia. El capitán de Suiza reconoció que obtuvo un certificado de vacunación sin haberse inoculado. La Fiscalía de Lucerna…
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Jovem Pan (outlet profile)
Jogador da última Copa admite ter falsificado carteira de vacinação contra a Covid-19. Segundo a imprensa local, o atleta que joga na Premier League obteve o documento falso com um médico investigado por promotores em L…
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CNews (outlet profile)
Football : le capitaine de la Suisse risque cinq ans de prison après l'utilisation d'un faux certificat Covid. En raison de démêlés judiciaires à cause de l'utilisation d'un faux certificat de vaccination au Covid-19, G…
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Terra (outlet profile)
Capitão da Premier League admite fraude em certificado de vacinação e fica fora da seleção. Granit Xhaka, capitão da Suíça e do Sunderland, foi cortado da Data FIFA de setembro após ter ...
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Lenta.ru (outlet profile)
Джака исключен из сборной Швейцарии из-за расследования
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Semana (outlet profile)
Escándalo en Suiza: jugador clave para eliminar a Colombia será investigado por la fiscalía
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ANSA Sport (outlet profile)
Svizzera: falso certificato Covid, niente Nations League per capitan Xhaka. Il centrocampista indagato a Lucerna: "ero turbato, ho fatto un errore"
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Terra (outlet profile)
Xhaka admite vacina falsa de Covid-19 e pede perdão: "Foi um erro". O meio-campista Granit Xhaka admitiu publicamente que comprou um certificado falso de vacinação ...
Factual core
- Granit Xhaka admitted to possessing a fake Covid-19 vaccination certificate.
- Granit Xhaka has been excluded from the Swiss national team.
- Xhaka is at risk of jail time after confessing to the fraud.
- Xhaka apologized, saying 'It was a mistake. I apologize.'
- The fake certificate was related to Covid vaccination.