Granit Xhaka Receives Suspended £136,000 Fine Over Fake Vaccination Certificate

The case concerns a fake Covid-19 vaccination certificate obtained during the pandemic. ESPN FC reported that Switzerland and Sunderland captain Granit Xhaka admitted obtaining the document.

The coverage describes both obtaining and using false vaccination documentation. CNN Brasil reported that Swiss justice authorities convicted Xhaka over obtaining and using a false certificate. The supplied reports do not establish exactly when he obtained it or how it was used.

On October 8, 2026, BBC Football reported that Xhaka said he had received a suspended fine of 150,000 Swiss francs, equivalent to approximately £136,000, for obtaining a forged vaccination certificate.

The distinction between a fine and a suspended fine matters here. nu.nl also described the penalty as conditional, giving the same Swiss franc amount and an approximate euro equivalent of €160,000. These are currency presentations of the same penalty, not separate fines.

In his Thursday account, Xhaka said he had been put on two years of probation, according to ESPN FC. GB News reported that he described the financial penalty as consisting of 50 daily rates.

Xhaka avoided imprisonment. L'Équipe reported that he had faced a possible prison sentence of up to five years but ultimately received a suspended financial penalty.

The reported outcome is a suspended fine and two years of probation, not an immediate £136,000 payment. BBC Football and ESPN FC reported those respective elements of the sanction.

The supplied coverage does not detail the probation conditions, the circumstances that would activate the fine, or any separate football disciplinary action. It therefore provides no basis for saying the case will affect Xhaka's availability for Sunderland or Switzerland.