Swiss Captain Xhaka Probed Over Alleged Fake Covid Certificates

BERLIN, Sept 20 (NNN-dpa) -- Switzerland captain Granit Xhaka is under criminal investigation on suspicion of having obtained fake coronavirus vaccination certificates, police in the city of Lucerne confirmed, reported German Press Agency (dpa).

Swiss media reports, including one by Blick, said that Xhaka received the certificates from his doctor without being vaccinated.

The doctor is reportedly also under investigation for allegedly providing fake certificates.

Lucerne prosecution office spokesman Simon Kopp said the probe would determine“whether there is conduct relevant under criminal law in connection with a possible procurement of a false certification by deception and/or forgery of documents”.

Xhaka, who now plays for English club Sunderland, contracted coronavirus in 2021 and early 2022, Blick reported.

Xhaka's spokesman, Andreas Bantel, said that Xhaka would not comment publicly until after he had been heard by prosecutors.

He said Xhaka had received confirmation from his treating physician that he had been vaccinated in January 2022 and November of that year.

Bantel said the player“is fully and unreservedly available to the authorities and is cooperating with complete transparency”.

The case comes after former Switzerland national team coach Patrick Fischer revealed in the spring that he had travelled to the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing with a fake coronavirus vaccination certificate.

Fischer resigned under pressure and was recently banned for four years by the world governing body, the IIHF.

--NNN-dpa

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