Rules, Records, and Fraud: Granit Xhaka’s Paperwork Problem

When a national icon in a country as meticulously organized as Switzerland stumbles over bureaucratic trickery, the fall carries a quiet, distinct resonance. Granit Xhaka, the revered captain and 152-cap record holder of the Swiss football team, has temporarily abandoned international duty. The decision, taken jointly with team management, comes after Swiss prosecutors opened an investigation into allegations that he obtained a forged Covid-19 vaccination certificate back in 2022.

The public prosecutor's office of Lucerne confirmed that it is examining whether criminal behaviour took place regarding a false document. Xhaka, who currently plays for Sunderland after a lengthy stint at Arsenal, took to social media to acknowledge the misstep. He admitted that personal mistrust and uncertainty surrounding the vaccine led him to acquire the certificate instead of seeking proper answers. Expressing regret, he pledged full cooperation with the authorities as they establish the facts.

While Switzerland relies on a robust state system and a high-trust society where rules are generally assumed to be followed, the pandemic era spawned its own peculiar shortcuts. Swiss authorities maintained restrictions requiring certificates for various activities and travel until spring 2022, continuing to issue them thereafter primarily for international entry requirements. Falsifying such documents carries genuine consequences under Swiss law, as demonstrated by the cautionary tale of former national ice hockey coach Patrick Fischer. Fischer was hit with a 38,000 Swiss franc fine by a criminal court, eventually losing his job and receiving a four-year ban from the International Ice Hockey Federation.

For now, Xhaka sits out the national team’s upcoming Nations League campaign, which features matches against Scotland, North Macedonia, and Slovenia—a nation often dubbed the Switzerland of the Balkans, though arguably operating with far less administrative moralizing. Sunderland manager Regis Le Bris predictably ducked the issue following his side’s defeat at Manchester City, preferring to confine his commentary strictly to Xhaka’s abilities on the pitch. Yet for the Swiss Football Association, which plans to discuss Xhaka's long-term international future after the current window, separating athletic merit from legal accountability will prove far less straightforward.

Written by Sandy van Dongen sandy.vandongen@alpineweekly.com