Switzerland's national football team captain, Granit Xhaka, has withdrawn from the squad after admitting to using a falsified Covid-19 vaccination certificate. The 33-year-old midfielder acknowledged the mistake on Monday and expressed regret for his actions. Xhaka revealed that during the pandemic, he experienced a significant distrust of the Covid-19 vaccines.

The forged certificate is believed to have been obtained in 2022 from a doctor currently under investigation by prosecutors in Lucerne, according to Swiss media reports. Xhaka, who is Switzerland’s most capped player with 152 appearances, stated that he will cooperate fully with the ongoing authorities' inquiries.

Following the admission, the Swiss Football Federation announced that Xhaka will be absent from the upcoming set of four Nations League matches. Federation president Peter Knabel commented that while they appreciate Xhaka taking responsibility and working towards clarifying the situation, it was mutually agreed that the team would perform better without him during these fixtures.

The incident has attracted attention amid broader efforts to address Covid-19-related fraud and maintain integrity within sport and public health measures. Xhaka’s case underlines the challenges some individuals faced during the pandemic regarding vaccination acceptance and compliance with regulations. The investigation into the doctor linked to the certificate issuance remains ongoing.