Switzerland captain Granit Xhaka admits buying a fake COVID certificate
One of Switzerland’s most-capped players stepped away from the national-team camp after publicly admitting a serious off-field mistake.
Switzerland captain Granit Xhaka admitted that he acquired a fake COVID-19 vaccination certificate. The Swiss federation and Xhaka agreed that he would sit out the current international camp while authorities review the matter.
Why it mattered
Xhaka is Switzerland's all-time appearance leader with 152 caps, so the admission immediately became both a sports and accountability story.
What he said
Xhaka publicly called the decision a mistake and said he is cooperating with authorities.