Switzerland captain Granit Xhaka will miss the team's first four Nations League matches. The player admitted on Monday to purchasing a fake Covid certificate and will not join the national team's training camp in Belek, Turkey.
The Swiss Football Association (SFV) and the player jointly concluded that proceeding without him was in the team's best interest. SFV President Peter Knäbel stated that Xhaka informed the association of the situation on Sunday evening. Knäbel said they welcomed the fact that Granit was taking this step and facing the processing. At the same time, all had jointly come to the conclusion that it was in the interest of the team to contest this gathering without him.
The suspension covers all four Nations League fixtures scheduled to take place by October 6. This rules the experienced midfielder out for the start of Switzerland's new campaign in the competition. Xhaka himself expressed regret for his mistake. He said it had been a mistake and he was sorry. He stated he had been driven by deep mistrust of the vaccine and had obtained a certificate instead.
The Lucerne Public Prosecutor's Office has opened an investigation into the incident from 2022. The squad is now assembling in Turkey to prepare for the upcoming challenges. Switzerland currently sits top of their World Cup qualifying group. The next competitive fixture, however, is the away match against North Macedonia on September 26.
Without their captain, Murat Yakin's team must handle the Nations League matches. Switzerland's recent form shows solid results. The exact lineup and further squad details can be found on our squad page. The full schedule for the coming weeks is listed under fixtures.
Further reading: sportnews.bz
