Granit Xhaka given suspended CHF 150,000 penalty for fake Covid test

Swiss national team captain Granit Xhaka has been handed a suspended monetary penalty of CHF 150,000 by judicial authorities in Lucerne for obtaining a falsified Covid-19 test during the pandemic, the club captain announced on October 8, 2026.

The sanction was issued as a summary penalty order: a suspended fine of 50 daily rates of CHF 3,000, with a two‑year probation period. Under the terms, the penalty will not be enforced provided Xhaka does not commit another offence in Switzerland during that period. He has already paid the procedural costs.

Statement from Xhaka

In a statement published by Xhaka, he said:

"MY UPDATE

A few weeks ago, I personally spoke out here and said that I take responsibility for my decision. I stand by that.

After I gave a full statement to the public prosecutor’s office, the prosecutor’s decision has now been made.

I have been convicted by a summary penalty order for obtaining a false certification, receiving a suspended monetary penalty of 50 daily rates of CHF 3,000, with a two-year probation period.

That means the penalty will not be enforced as long as I do not commit any further offences during this period. I have already paid the procedural costs.

I accept the decision and take responsibility.

Thank you for the many supportive messages over the past few weeks. They mean a lot to me.

GRANIT XHAKA

The decision in Lucerne closes the criminal case with a conditional outcome rather than an executed fine. The captain’s public acknowledgement and payment of costs were highlighted in the statement he released alongside the court outcome.

The matter dates back to the Covid-19 pandemic, when European governments and sporting bodies enforced strict testing and travel rules; this case concerns a forged certification that the authorities found to have been obtained by Xhaka.

Photo: press material from the event