A form signed during the pandemic
A certificate Granit Xhaka obtained years ago has caught up with him.
Prosecutors in Lucerne have opened an investigation into the Sunderland captain over the alleged use of a fake Covid vaccination certificate, according to the Swiss daily Blick. He is due to be questioned in early October. The presumption of innocence applies, and the offence as charged carries a maximum of five years.
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He could have said nothing at all
He said plenty. The Switzerland midfielder went on Instagram and set out his own account of it.
“At the time, the question of Covid-19 vaccination caused me great concern and raised serious doubts for me,” he wrote. “I had deep mistrust of the vaccine and was gripped by anxiety and uncertainty. In that unsettled state of mind, I obtained a vaccination certificate. It was a mistake. I am sorry.”
A public admission, written by the player, no agent statement, no club press release. That is not how these things normally go at this level.
Switzerland lose their leader for the camp
The first consequence lands on the pitch. Xhaka will miss Switzerland’s next fixtures, sitting out the country’s first international window of the season.
Awkward timing for the Nati. He wears the armband, runs the dressing room and has been the player the side was built around for the best part of a decade.
Sunderland’s season carries on regardless. Their captain just has an appointment in October, and it is not a kick-off.
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