Switzerland to play without Xhaka over fake Covid certificate

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Xhaka

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Switzerland will have to play their next four Nations League matches without captain Granit Xhaka, who admitted Monday to having used a forged Covid vaccine certificate during the pandemic.

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The 33-year-old midfielder admitted on his social media channels Monday that he had presented a forged certificate to avoid mandatory vaccination during the Covid crisis.

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“At the time, I was very worried about the issue of Covid-19 vaccination… I felt deep mistrust regarding the vaccine and was gripped by anxiety and doubt,” he said on Instagram.

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“Today I clearly see that I made the wrong choice. It was a mistake. I am sorry,” he wrote, adding that he was “cooperating fully with the relevant authorities”.

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The Lucerne public prosecutor’s office is currently investigating the matter, according to Swiss media.

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The Swiss Football Association meanwhile announced that it had decided, in agreement with the player, that he would not join the Swiss national team in Belek in Turkey for a training camp starting Monday.

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“Following his personal statement regarding his vaccination status, Granit Xhaka will not participate in the men’s national team’s upcoming gathering,” it said in a statement.

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“We welcome the fact that Granit is taking this step and is prepared to fully clarify the situation,” Swiss FA president Peter Knabel said in the statement.

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“At the same time, we mutually concluded that it was in the team’s best interest to proceed with this gathering without him ,” he said.

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“Our priority now is to calm the situation and focus entirely on the team and the upcoming UEFA Nations League fixtures.”

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Switzerland begin their campaign away to North Macedonia on Saturday and then travel to face Scotland on September 29.

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On October 3 and 6, the Swiss will host Slovenia and North Macedonia in Lucerne.

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“At the end of this international window we will reassess the situation with Granit and discuss the next steps,” Knabel said.

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Switzerland are subsequently set to face Slovenia on November 13 and Scotland on November 16, also as part of the Nations League.

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