Switzerland and Sunderland captain Granit Xhaka has admitted he obtained a forged Covid-19 vaccination certificate.
The public prosecutor’s office in Lucerne, Switzerland has opened an investigation into the incident, with Xhaka potentially facing criminal charges.
Xhaka said that "deep mistrust of the vaccine" led him to make the decision, which he has now called a "mistake."
The 33-year-old has been left out of Switzerland's squad for its four upcoming UEFA Nations League matches.
Reports from Switzerland said the forgery took place in 2022 when Xhaka was playing for Arsenal.
Xhaka posted a statement on social media on Monday, Sept. 21 saying that he had been in a "state of emotional turmoil" before obtaining the false certificate.
"At the time,
I was personally very unsettled and had serious reservations about the Covid-19 vaccination. I felt a deep mistrust of the vaccine and was overcome by fears and uncertainty," he said.
"In this state of emotional turmoil, I obtained a vaccination certificate instead of seeking answers to my unresolved questions through the proper channels.
"Today, I can clearly see that this was not the right course of action. It was a mistake. I am sorry.
"I take full responsibility for this decision, am prepared to address the matter fully and will cooperate fully with the relevant authorities."
After Xhaka released his statement, Swiss Football Association president Peter Knäbel said that he and the midfielder jointly concluded it would be best for him to miss the upcoming international window.
"Granit Xhaka informed us about the situation last night and told us that he will address it publicly and take responsibility," Knabel said in a statement.
"We welcome Granit taking this step and facing the consequences. At the same time, we jointly concluded that it is in the team’s best interest to complete this training camp without him. Our priority now is to calm the situation and focus entirely on the team and the upcoming challenges in the UEFA Nations League.
"After the conclusion of this international match window, we will reassess the situation together with Granit and discuss the next steps."
Xhaka is Switzerland's most-capped men’s player of all time. This summer, he led his country to the World Cup quarterfinal, where it fell 3-1 to Argentina in extra time.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Switzerland captain Granit Xhaka admits forging Covid vaccination certificate
