Unclear vaccination certificate casts a shadow over Xhaka in Luzern
The Lucerne public prosecutor's office is investigating the Swiss national team captain Granit Xhaka for allegedly forged Covid vaccination certificates. Did Granit Xhaka really receive a vaccination confirmation without being vaccinated? Authorities are examining explosive details while the 33‑year‑old player is active in the Premier League for Sunderland.
Allegation of forged certificates
The Lucerne police confirmed that the public prosecutor's office has opened an investigation due to allegedly forged Covid vaccination certificates. Earlier, the Swiss newspaper "Blick" and the news agency Keystone‑SDA had reported on the case. Xhaka, former player of Borussia Mönchengladbach and Bayer Leverkusen, is at the focus of the investigation.
Reaction from Xhaka and his spokesperson
Andreas Bantel, spokesperson for Granit Xhaka, explained on request that Xhaka has a medical confirmation that he was vaccinated against Covid for the first time on 25 January 2022 and a second time on 8 November 2022. "Xhaka is fully available to the authorities without restriction and with complete transparency," Bantel emphasized. The presumption of innocence remains in effect.
Inconsistencies in the vaccination dates
While the "Blick" cites the second vaccination date as 8 November 2022, another report lists the date as 11 November 2022. Both sources uniformly give the date of the first vaccine dose as 25 January 2022. The discrepancy is still being examined by investigators.
Previous Covid controversies and sporting background
In September 2021 Xhaka was diagnosed after a Covid infection because he had previously refused the vaccine, even though the Swiss health authorities had recommended it. At that time he was playing for Arsenal and missed two international matches. In January 2022 a further diagnosis followed before he received the first dose. Xhaka is Switzerland's record national player with 152 caps and took part in the last three World Cups. Coach Murat Yakin has selected him for the first four Nations League games between the end of the month and early October.
Further proceedings and next steps
The investigation includes a police raid in 2023, during which evidence from a medical network was seized. Xhaka is expected to be questioned by the Swiss judiciary in early October and stresses that he will contest the allegations. Until then, he remains refraining from any public comment due to the ongoing investigation.