Granit Xhaka says he accepts suspended fine over forged Covid certificate

Granit Xhaka says he has accepted a suspended fine of 150,000 Swiss francs for obtaining a forged Covid-19 vaccination certificate, BBC Sport reported on Thursday. The Sunderland and Switzerland captain disclosed the outcome on Instagram, saying he accepted responsibility for his actions and had already paid the court costs.

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According to the BBC's account of his statement, the penalty consists of 50 daily amounts of 3,000 Swiss francs. Xhaka said it would remain suspended for two years provided he committed no further offences. He also reaffirmed his earlier commitment to take responsibility and thanked people who had sent support.

The case became public in September. In its September 21 report, BBC Sport said the public prosecutor's office in Lucerne had confirmed an investigation into whether criminal conduct was involved in obtaining the certificate. The allegation concerned 2022, when Xhaka was an Arsenal player, rather than his current spell at Sunderland. His initial statement acknowledged acquiring a certificate and apologised.

In that earlier statement, Xhaka described doubts about vaccination and said anxiety and uncertainty had influenced his decision. He acknowledged that he should instead have sought proper answers to his questions. The midfielder also pledged to help establish the facts and co-operate fully with the authorities, according to the BBC's reporting at the time.

The BBC's September report also set out the Swiss public health office's explanation of the rules. There was no blanket legal obligation to hold a certificate, but access to certain activities, venues and travel depended on one. Those domestic measures lasted until spring 2022; certificates continued to be issued afterwards, principally to satisfy other countries' entry requirements for travellers.

Attention at Sunderland now returns to Xhaka's availability for Saturday's home match against Brighton, when the BBC says he is expected to play. Manager Regis le Bris declined to discuss matters outside football, but said the midfielder had trained well during the international break and gave a positive assessment of his football condition.