Story perspectives

Xhaka Banned From Nations League After Forged Vaccine Admission

By Drooid · Sep 21, 2026, 10:34 PM UTC · How we work

Summary

Story summary

Granit Xhaka withdrew from Switzerland’s national team after admitting he obtained a forged Covid-19 vaccination certificate.
Lucerne prosecutors opened a criminal investigation into Xhaka’s alleged document forgery.
Swiss FA president Peter Knabel said the joint decision bars Xhaka from Nations League matches.
Switzerland will face North Macedonia on 26 September, Scotland on 29 September, and Slovenia in October without him.

History

Historical Context

The 2006 Calciopoli scandal, uncovered in May 2006, exposed widespread match-fixing within Italian football and led to Juventus’ relegation. Italian Football Federation prosecutor Luigi De Benedictis reported that 27 telephone interceptions implicated 15 clubs and resulted in a €1.5 million fine for Juventus. Similarly, Lucerne prosecutors now investigate Granit Xhaka’s forged Covid-19 vaccination certificate, barring him from Switzerland’s Nations League matches under Swiss FA president Peter Knabel. The precedent suggests that legal scrutiny and sporting sanctions will likely intensify, prompting stricter compliance checks across European football federations.

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Story summary

Granit Xhaka withdrew from Switzerland’s national team after admitting he obtained a forged Covid-19 vaccination certificate.
Lucerne prosecutors opened a criminal investigation into Xhaka’s alleged document forgery.
Swiss FA president Peter Knabel said the joint decision bars Xhaka from Nations League matches.
Switzerland will face North Macedonia on 26 September, Scotland on 29 September, and Slovenia in October without him.

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