Born in Switzerland · Nationality Swiss — Sport / international football

Granit Xhaka

Granit Xhaka, Swiss footballer born in Basel in 1992, national-team captain and Sunderland midfielder.

Granit Xhaka is a Swiss international footballer known for playing for Arsenal, Bayer Leverkusen and Sunderland. His career includes sporting dismissals, controversy over identity-related celebrations and a dispute with supporters. In October 2026 he accepted a suspended CHF 150,000 financial penalty over a false Covid certificate, before the Swiss federation cleared him for national-team selection again.

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Profile No. 5880 · Updated on 6 November 2026

4Documented controversies

9Sources

1 followed by a conviction

§ Legal statuses reflect the documented sources as of the date shown; they replace neither court decisions nor the presumption of innocence. Counts are not a rating. Methodology

I. Documented controversies

2022–8 October 2026

October 2026: conviction over false Covid vaccination certificate

Conviction

Xhaka admitted acquiring a false vaccination certificate in 2022. In a criminal penalty order reported on 8 October 2026, Lucerne prosecutors sentenced him for fraudulently obtaining false certification to 50 daily penalties of CHF 3,000 (CHF 150,000 in total), suspended for a two-year probation period. He accepted the decision and paid the legal costs.

State of the evidence: Public prosecution penalty order reported by Keystone-SDA, SRF and Le Temps, alongside his public admission.
Legal status — source text: Accepted criminal penalty order: CHF 150,000 suspended for two years, with no appeal.
Attribution: Obtaining a fraudulent vaccination certificate in 2022.

Sources · 3

[1]
Swissinfo / Keystone-ATSFaux certificat Covid de Granit Xhaka: peine pécuniaire avec sursis8 October 2026News agencyHigh reliability
[2]
SRFBedingte Geldstrafe - Granit Xhaka wegen gefälschtem Covid-Zertifikat verurteilt8 October 2026MediaHigh reliability
[3]
Le TempsDu sursis pour Granit Xhaka dans l’affaire de son faux certificat de vaccination8 October 2026MediaHigh reliability

Last verified: 6 November 2026

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27 October–5 November 2019

2019: clash with Arsenal supporters and loss of captaincy

Civil / administrative proceedings

Booed while being substituted against Crystal Palace, Arsenal’s captain reacted angrily with provocative gestures and reportedly abusive words. The club subsequently removed the captaincy from Xhaka and handed it to Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang.

State of the evidence: Match footage, public statements and the club’s decision.
Legal status — source text: Arsenal removed his captaincy; no criminal proceedings.
Attribution: Angry reaction to boos, followed by an internal club measure.

Sources · 2

[1]
Sky SportsGranit Xhaka in angry clash with Arsenal fans28 October 2019MediaHigh reliability
[2]
Sky SportsGranit Xhaka stripped of Arsenal captaincy6 November 2019MediaHigh reliability

Last verified: 6 November 2026

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22–25 June 2018

2018: FIFA fine for eagle celebration against Serbia

Civil / administrative proceedings

After scoring against Serbia at the 2018 World Cup, Xhaka made a double-headed eagle gesture associated with the Albanian flag. FIFA fined him CHF 10,000 and issued a warning for unsporting conduct, without imposing a match ban.

State of the evidence: FIFA disciplinary penalty reported by multiple news outlets.
Legal status — source text: CHF 10,000 FIFA sporting fine and warning, with no suspension.
Attribution: Identity-related gesture interpreted as political during an international tournament.

Sources · 1

[1]
BBC SportWorld Cup 2018: Switzerland trio avoid bans for 'eagle gesture' goal celebrations25 June 2018MediaHigh reliability

Last verified: 6 November 2026

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23 January–13 February 2017

January–February 2017: Heathrow allegation closed without action

Case dismissed / dropped

A third party alleged that Xhaka racially abused a staff member at Heathrow Airport. He voluntarily attended a police interview, was not arrested and denied the allegation. On 13 February the Metropolitan Police closed its inquiries with no further action or charges.

State of the evidence: Police report and interview established; no criminal finding against him.
Legal status — source text: Police inquiry closed with no further action on 13 February 2017; no charges.
Attribution: Alleged racist remarks not substantiated by the police inquiry.

Sources · 3

[1]
BBC SportGranit Xhaka: Arsenal player questioned over racial abuse allegation24 January 2017MediaHigh reliability
[2]
Sky SportsArsenal midfielder Granit Xhaka in clear over Heathrow row13 February 2017MediaHigh reliability
[3]
The IndependentArsenal’s Granit Xhaka faces no further action over racial abuse allegations, police confirm13 February 2017MediaHigh reliability

Last verified: 6 November 2026

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II. Constellation of documented links

No documented link with another published profile for now.

Two profiles are linked when a documented controversy of one names the other. The link points to that controversy and its sources; it does not indicate a personal relationship.

III. Has something changed?

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Controversia profile, updated 6 November 2026. Latest version: https://controversia.info/en/fiche/granit-xhaka