Sunderland Midfielder Granit Xhaka has confirmed he has received a two-year suspended sentence after admitting obtaining a fraudulent Covid-19 vaccination certificate.
The 34-year-old Switzerland captain addressed the result in a statement on Instagram on Thursday, accepting responsibility for his actions following an investigation by Swiss authorities.
Xhaka also revealed that his punishment includes a suspended fine of 150,000 Swiss francs (£136,000), while he has already paid the associated court fees.
The former Arsenal midfielder missed all four of Switzerland’s Nations League games during the recent international break after withdrawing from the national team to cooperate with prosecutors.
“I accept the decision and take responsibility,” he wrote on Instagram.
“Now I see clearly that this was the wrong course of action. It was a mistake. I’m sorry.”
“I accept responsibility for this decision, I stand by the process of addressing the facts and I am fully cooperating with the appropriate authorities.”
Switzerland supported Xhaka’s decision to retire
Xhaka’s withdrawal from the squad came after talks with the Swiss Football Association (SFV), with both sides agreeing that he should miss the international break.
Swiss football president Peter Knabel supported the midfielder’s decision to cooperate with the authorities and face the consequences of his actions.
“We welcome Granit to take this step and face the consequences,” Knabel said last month.
“At the same time, we jointly concluded that it is in the best interest of the team to complete this training camp without him.”
Knabel also confirmed that Xhaka’s international future will be reviewed after the October games.
“After the conclusion of this international match window, we will reassess the situation together with Granit and discuss the next steps.”
