"I accept the decision and take responsibility." That's Granit Xhaka, writing on Instagram after Swiss prosecutors confirmed he obtained a fake COVID-19 vaccination certificate during the pandemic.
The 34-year-old Sunderland and Switzerland captain was handed two years' probation by public prosecutors in Lucerne, along with a suspended fine of 150,000 Swiss francs — roughly $180,000. He also paid the court costs himself. This wasn't a quiet administrative matter. It was a criminal case, and Xhaka is now a convicted man, even if the fine won't land unless he reoffends during the probationary period.
The timing and the absence
The case explains why Xhaka withdrew from Switzerland's four Nations League fixtures over the past fortnight. He was giving a statement to the Lucerne prosecutors, who were primarily investigating a doctor in the canton suspected of issuing fraudulent certificates. Xhaka was caught in the net.
Switzerland, to their credit, didn't miss a beat. They won all four games without him — a minor detail that will quietly sting for a player who has appeared a men's record 152 times for his country. His absence was barely felt on the pitch.
Back at club level, Sunderland's most high-profile signing now carries legal baggage into what is already a pressure-filled campaign. The club made him captain. That captaincy just got more complicated to defend in the boardroom, even if supporters are unlikely to abandon him over it.
What this actually means
Xhaka's on-field value isn't in question — his reading of the game and experience are exactly what a side pushing for promotion needs. But the reputational shadow matters. Sponsors notice. The FA notices. And anyone pricing up Sunderland's season should factor in that their captain is now managing a legal overhang alongside pre-season.
The suspended fine keeps real financial pain at bay for now. Whether the probation period passes without incident is another matter entirely — but that's Xhaka's problem, not the prosecutor's.
