Granit Xhaka was out of Switzerland’s call after acknowledging that she obtained a false certificate of vaccination against Covid-19 during the pandemic.
The 33-year-old Sunderland footballer has confirmed that he is already in contact with the competent authorities, as the investigations on the charges against a Swiss doctor allegedly producing fake certificates for people who were not vaccinated continue.
Xhaka explained that at the time he had doubts and fears about the vaccination, but acknowledged that he made a wrong decision by getting false documentation.
“In the last few days, a lot has been about a matter from my past. I would like to address it personally,” Xhaka said. “At that time I was deeply anxious and had serious reservations about vaccination against Covid-19. He felt a deep distrust towards the vaccine and was dominated by fear and uncertainty. In that state of emotional confusion, I got a vaccination certificate instead of solving my doubts by the right channels," he said in a statement.
“Today I see clearly that this was not the right way to act. It was an error. I am sorry. I assume responsibility for this decision, I am facing the process to clarify the situation and I fully cooperate with the competent authorities,” he concluded.
Granit Xhaka admitted that he FALSIFIED OR PROVED VACINATION CONTRA COVID-19 and apologized.He was EXCLUDED from the Switzerland convocation for this date-fifa! ? pic.twitter.com/jyifjJv6Sm
The admission of the player resulted in his absence from the call for the matches of Switzerland against Scotland, North Macedonia and Slovenia during the current FIFA date.
The president of the Swiss Football Federation (SFV), Peter Knabel, explained that the decision was made in common agreement and that the national team’s priority is to maintain concentration on its upcoming commitments:
“We appreciate that Granit takes this step and addresses the matter directly. At the same time, we agreed that the best thing for the team is to do this concentration without him. Our priority now is to bring calm to the situation and focus entirely on the team and the upcoming UEFA Nations League matches. Once this date is over, we will re-evaluate the situation with Granit and talk about the next steps,” Nabel said.
Investigations into counterfeit vaccination certificates continue in Switzerland. According to various reports, Xhaka could face legal consequences from what happened.
The footballer confirmed that he is already in contact with the authorities in charge of clarifying the case and expressed his willingness to collaborate during the process.
The Swiss Federation, for its part, said it will re-evaluate the situation with the player once the FIFA date ends and will determine the next steps.
Despite being out of this call, Xhaka is the footballer with the most matches in the history of the Swiss national team, with 152 appearances.
The midfielder has also been active with the Sunderland during the current season. He has played six matches with the English club, including Sunday's match against Manchester City, which ended with a 5-3.
