Sunderland captain Granit Xhaka has been ordered to pay a suspended fine of £136,265 after admitting he obtained a fake Covid-19 vaccination certificate in 2022.
The Switzerland international, 34, was fined 150,000 Swiss francs, comprising 50 daily penalties of 3,000 Swiss francs.
The punishment will only be enforced if Xhaka commits another offence during a two-year probation period. He has already paid the court costs.
Xhaka confirmed the decision in a statement on Instagram, saying he accepted the outcome and took responsibility for his actions.
The case relates to a period when Xhaka was playing for Arsenal. He admitted last month that he had obtained the false certificate, explaining that he had a deep mistrust of Covid-19 vaccines and held serious reservations about them at the time.
He said he had been uncertain about the vaccine, but later accepted that obtaining the certificate had been the wrong decision. Xhaka has since co-operated fully with prosecutors.
The matter also had consequences for his international career. After his admission, the Swiss Football Association and Xhaka mutually agreed that he would withdraw from the Switzerland squad while the case was being dealt with.
He went on to miss four Nations League matches – two against North Macedonia, plus one against Scotland and one against Slovenia. Switzerland won all four fixtures in his absence.
The court’s latest decision ends the legal proceedings against Xhaka. The Swiss Football Association is expected to discuss his international future with him now that the case has concluded.
The suspended fine does not amount to a football suspension, so Xhaka remains available to play for Sunderland.
He is expected to return to club football when Sunderland host Brighton on Saturday. Manager Regis Le Bris has indicated that Xhaka trained well during the international break.
