Granit Xhaka receives suspended £136k fine over forged COVID-19 certificate

Sunderland captain Granit Xhaka has been given a suspended fine of £136,265 after he admitted to falsifying a COVID-19 vaccination certificate during his time as an Arsenal player. The Switzerland international received a suspended penalty of 50 daily units at 3,000 Swiss francs each, about £2,725 per day. The 34-year-old will only have to pay if he commits another offence within a two-year probation period. Xhaka announced the investigation's outcome after earlier acknowledging he had forged the certificate in 2022. In a social media statement, Xhaka said he had previously spoken personally and said he would accept responsibility for his decision. He said he stood by that. After providing a complete statement to the public prosecutor's office, the prosecutor's decision had now been issued, he said. He said he was sentenced by summary judgment for obtaining a false certification to a suspended financial penalty calculated as 50 daily amounts of 3,000 Swiss francs apiece, with a two-year probationary term. He explained that the sentence would not be carried out if he did not commit offences during that period, and that he had already paid court costs. He said he accepted the decision and took responsibility for his actions. Lucerne's Public Prosecutor's Office confirmed a penalty order had been issued but declined to comment further because proceedings had not yet been finalised. In September, Xhaka admitted forging the vaccination certificate while he had what he called deep mistrust and serious reservations about COVID-19 vaccination. He said he was very unsettled at the time and made the decision in an emotionally turbulent frame of mind rather than seeking answers to his concerns through proper channels. The disclosure resulted in Xhaka being omitted from Switzerland's squad for the next international break while the investigation continued. Swiss Football Association president Peter Knabel later confirmed Xhaka would miss games against North Macedonia, Scotland and Slovenia. Switzerland won all four of those matches. The matter dates to 2022, when Xhaka was with Arsenal and COVID-related restrictions were still in force in many countries. Xhaka left Arsenal in 2023 for Bayer Leverkusen, where he won the Bundesliga and German Cup, before returning to England with Sunderland in 2025. The midfielder now captains Sunderland and has started all five of their Premier League fixtures this season.