Granit Xhaka was one of the stories of the 2025/26 season.
Joining Sunderland at the beginning of the campaign after their return to the English Premier League, the Switzerland captain helped his side defy expectations and finish an impressive seventh.
That secured UEFA Europa League football for the Black Cats – a remarkable achievement in their first season back in the top flight following an eight-year absence.
And Xhaka was central to that success as he established himself as one of Sunderland’s most influential players both on and off the pitch.
His performances even attracted interest from Chelsea during the summer transfer window.
With the 2026/27 season now underway, attention has turned to whether Sunderland can build on their remarkable return to the Premier League, with Xhaka once again expected to play a major role.
However, the 33-year-old is now facing an issue away from football relating to events dating back to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Blick report that the Lucerne public prosecutor’s office has opened an investigation involving Granit Xhaka over allegations surrounding potentially falsified COVID-19 vaccination certificates.
According to the Swiss publication, police searched the practice of a doctor in Lucerne in 2023 as part of an investigation into allegations that COVID-19 certificates had been issued to a number of people without the corresponding vaccinations taking place.
Blick report that Xhaka’s name subsequently emerged as part of the investigation, with authorities now seeking to establish whether a vaccination certificate issued in his name accurately reflected vaccinations that had taken place.
The Sunderland midfielder is expected to be questioned by the Lucerne public prosecutor’s office in October as part of the ongoing investigation.
A spokesperson for the prosecutor’s office confirmed that proceedings had been opened against both Xhaka and the doctor, explaining that investigators are seeking to establish whether any criminal conduct took place in connection with the possible fraudulent procurement of a false certification and/or document forgery.
However, Xhaka’s representatives have provided a firm response to the allegations.
His spokesperson, Andreas Bantel, told Blick that Xhaka will cooperate “fully and transparently” with the authorities. He also said the midfielder has confirmation from the doctor stating that he received his first COVID-19 vaccination on January 25, 2022 and his second on November 11 of the same year.
The doctor’s lawyer has also stated that his client maintains she vaccinated Xhaka and that everything was carried out correctly and in accordance with the relevant requirements.
Granit Xhaka and the doctor are both presumed innocent while proceedings remain ongoing.
The investigation comes more than five years after Xhaka tested positive for COVID-19 while on international duty in September 2021. At the time, it was publicly confirmed that he had not been vaccinated. He later stated in March 2022 that he had since received a vaccination.
For now, Granit Xhaka remains available for Sunderland while the investigation continues, with his questioning in Switzerland reportedly scheduled for early October.
While the full details are due to come out in due course, it’s certainly not the kind of distraction that the player or Sunderland would have wanted at the beginning of the new Premier League season.
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