Granit Xhaka convicted for fake Covid certificate, fined 150,000 Swiss francs
The Switzerland captain announced his conviction and suspended fine via Instagram.
AI-assisted coverage comparison, editor-supervised · How this was made
Granit Xhaka convicted for fake Covid certificate, fined 150,000 Swiss francs
Photograph: Le Temps (embedded from source)
What this story says
- Granit Xhaka, captain of the Swiss national football team, has been convicted for obtaining a fake COVID-19 vaccination certificate.
- He announced the conviction himself on Instagram, stating he received a 50-day fine of 3,000 Swiss francs each, totaling 150,000 Swiss francs, which is suspended for two years.
- Xhaka withdrew from the Swiss squad for four Nations League games following the conviction.
- The conviction occurred in Lucerne, Switzerland, and involved a doctor being investigated.
Who covered it
Percentages are shares of the 25 outlets carrying a published leaning rating. 20 of the 45 outlets we know ran this story carry no rating and are not counted in them. Coverage measured .
Trust
42/100
Craft
57/100
Hype
41/100
45 sources · methodology
Granit Xhaka, captain of the Swiss national football team, has been convicted for obtaining a fake COVID-19 vaccination certificate. He announced the conviction himself via an Instagram post on Thursday. Xhaka stated he received a penalty of 50 days-fine, with each day set at 3,000 Swiss francs, amounting to 150,000 Swiss francs. This fine is suspended for two years, meaning he will only have to pay it if he commits another offence.
The conviction relates to a case from 2022. Xhaka withdrew from the Swiss national team for four Nations League games during the period the case was being investigated by public prosecutors in Lucerne. Switzerland won all four of those matches.
Disagreement on penalty details
While most reports agree Xhaka received a suspended fine of 150,000 Swiss francs, the Medicine Hat News and Daily Jefferson County Union state he was put on two years' probation. Le Temps reports the conviction occurred in 2022, while Medicine Hat News states the case was revealed last month.
Omissions
None of the right-rated digests mention that Xhaka withdrew from the Swiss national team for four Nations League games.
Still developing. We have re-checked which outlets are covering this 6 times, most recently on 8 Oct 2026, 17:15, and will add the sides that appear.
How each side covered it
Our own reading of the reporting listed below, written from the outlets’ articles rather than quoted from them. The reasoning is set out on our methodology page.
Left
13 rated outlets
- Reports from the left-rated outlets focused on Xhaka's announcement of his conviction and the details of the suspended fine. Several reports, including The Independent and The Independent (US), highlighted that Xhaka admitted to obtaining a fake Covid certificate. Le Temps, a full report, noted that Xhaka chose not to remain silent and made the announcement himself. The outlet also mentioned that the Swiss Football Association would discuss the matter with the player. NiagaraFallsReview.ca, The Hamilton Spectator, The Record, and Telegrafi all reported that Xhaka revealed his sentence for the forged certificate.
Centre
8 rated outlets
- Centre-rated reports, such as those from Medicine Hat News and Daily Jefferson County Union, led with Xhaka being put on two years' probation after admitting to obtaining a fake vaccination certificate. These outlets also noted his Instagram post where he stated, "I accept the decision and take responsibility." The Sunderland Echo reported that Xhaka announced the outcome of the COVID-19 vaccine certificate investigation, stating he had been handed a suspended fine. wz.de and saarbruecker-zeitung.de highlighted the 150,000 Swiss francs fine on probation.
Right
4 rated outlets
- The right-rated reports focused on the financial penalty and the conditional nature of the sentence. Neue Zürcher Zeitung reported that the captain of the Swiss national team forged two vaccination certificates and has now been prosecuted, as he reported on Instagram. Focus.de stated that Xhaka is fined 150,000 francs but does not have to pay them if he stays free for two years. Daily Jefferson County Union reported that Xhaka was put on two years' probation after admitting obtaining a fake vaccination certificate.
Questions about this coverage
- How did the left and right cover Granit Xhaka convicted for fake Covid certificate, fined 150,000 Swiss…?
- Of the 25 outlets on this story carrying a published leaning rating, 42% are rated left, 42% are rated centre, 16% are rated right. Those percentages are shares of the rated outlets, not of every outlet that ran it, which was 45. The sections above set out what each side emphasised, in its own terms.
- Is Granit Xhaka convicted for fake Covid certificate, fined 150,000 Swiss… left or right?
- Neither side dominates it. Of the 25 rated outlets on this story, 42% are rated left, 42% are rated centre, 16% are rated right, and no side holds the 70% this site would want before calling a field one-sided. A story is not left or right in any case; the outlets that carried it are what carry ratings.
- Is the coverage of Granit Xhaka convicted for fake Covid certificate, fined 150,000 Swiss… biased?
- Granit Xhaka convicted for fake Covid certificate, fined 150,000 Swiss francs is one event reported by 45 outlets, and this page does not rate the story as biased or unbiased. What it publishes is the spread: which outlets ran it, where named rating organisations place each of them on the spectrum, and what each side chose to lead with. A leaning rating describes an outlet's record over time, not this article, and the two should not be run together.
- Which outlets covered Granit Xhaka convicted for fake Covid certificate, fined 150,000 Swiss…?
- 45 that we know of, every one of them listed further up this page with a link to its own report and to what we hold on the publisher. Nothing here is a summary of somebody else's summary: the outlets are named so the original reporting can be read.
- What was Granit Xhaka convicted for?
- Granit Xhaka was convicted for obtaining a fake COVID-19 vaccination certificate. He announced this himself on Instagram, stating he accepted the decision and took responsibility.
- What was the penalty for obtaining the fake certificate?
- Xhaka received a 50-day fine of 3,000 Swiss francs each, totaling 150,000 Swiss francs. This fine is suspended for two years, meaning he will only have to pay it if he commits another offence.
- Did Xhaka withdraw from any games?
- Yes, Xhaka withdrew from the Swiss national team for four Nations League games. Switzerland won all four of these matches.
Read it at the source
45 outlets, grouped by the leaning a published rating gives them. Every headline links to the original; an underlined outlet name opens our profile of that publisher.
Left
13- JUST IN: Granit Xhaka fined £136,000 over fake COVID certificate (opens Punch Newspapers in a new tab)
Punch Newspapers — is Punch Newspapers biased? Our profile of this outlet
- He Bought a Fake Covid Certificate While Playing for Arsenal. Now He's Found Out About the Punishment (opens IndexHR in a new tab)
- Stay for Granit Xhaka in the Case of His False Vaccination Certificate (opens Le Temps in a new tab)
Le Temps — is Le Temps biased? Our profile of this outletOpinion
- Xhaka reveals investigation outcome after admitting to using fake Covid certificate (opens The Independent (US) in a new tab)
The Independent (US) — is The Independent (US) biased? Our profile of this outlet
- Xhaka reveals investigation outcome after admitting to using fake Covid certificate (opens The Independent in a new tab)
The Independent — is The Independent biased? Our profile of this outlet
- Switzerland's Granit Xhaka gets probation in fake COVID-19 vaccination document case (opens ESPN in a new tab)
- Switzerland captain Xhaka gets probation in fake COVID-19 vaccination document case (opens The Washington Post in a new tab)
The Washington Post — is The Washington Post biased? Our profile of this outlet
- Granit Xhaka Reveals His Sentence for Forged Covid-19 Certificate (opens Telegrafi in a new tab)
Show 5 more
- Now the Xhaka Judgment Is Known for the Certificate Fraud (opens watson in a new tab)
- Switzerland captain Xhaka gets probation in fake COVID-19 vaccination document case (opens St Catharines Standard in a new tab)
St Catharines Standard — is St Catharines Standard biased? Our profile of this outlet
- Switzerland captain Xhaka gets probation in fake COVID-19 vaccination document case (opens The Record in a new tab)
The Record — is The Record biased? Our profile of this outlet
- Switzerland captain Xhaka gets probation in fake COVID-19 vaccination document case (opens The Hamilton Spectator in a new tab)
The Hamilton Spectator — is The Hamilton Spectator biased? Our profile of this outlet
- Switzerland captain Xhaka gets probation in fake COVID-19 vaccination document case (opens NiagaraFallsReview.ca in a new tab)
NiagaraFallsReview.ca — is NiagaraFallsReview.ca biased? Our profile of this outlet
Centre
8- Granit Xhaka spared jail after confessing to faking Covid vaccine (opens dailymail.com in a new tab)
dailymail.com — is dailymail.com biased? Our profile of this outlet
- 150,000 Swiss Francs Fine on Parole for Xhaka (opens wz.de in a new tab)
- Fake Vaccination Certificates: 150,000 Swiss Francs Fine on Probation for Xhaka (opens volksfreund.de in a new tab)
volksfreund.de — is volksfreund.de biased? Our profile of this outlet
- Fake Vaccination Certificates: 150,000 Swiss Francs Fine on Probation for Xhaka (opens saarbruecker-zeitung.de in a new tab)
saarbruecker-zeitung.de — is saarbruecker-zeitung.de biased? Our profile of this outlet
- Granit Xhaka announces outcome of COVID-19 vaccine certificate investigation (opens Sunderland Echo in a new tab)
Sunderland Echo — is Sunderland Echo biased? Our profile of this outlet
- Switzerland captain Xhaka gets probation in fake COVID-19 vaccination document case (opens Medicine Hat News in a new tab)
Medicine Hat News — is Medicine Hat News biased? Our profile of this outlet
- Switzerland captain Xhaka gets probation in fake COVID-19 vaccination document case (opens The Star Democrat in a new tab)
The Star Democrat — is The Star Democrat biased? Our profile of this outlet
- Switzerland captain Xhaka gets probation in fake COVID-19 vaccination document case (opens Winnipeg Free Press in a new tab)
Winnipeg Free Press — is Winnipeg Free Press biased? Our profile of this outlet
Right
4- Premier League star fined £136k for forging Covid-19 vaccine certificate (opens GB News in a new tab)
- Switzerland captain Xhaka gets probation in fake COVID-19 vaccination document case (opens Daily Jefferson County Union in a new tab)
Daily Jefferson County Union — is Daily Jefferson County Union biased? Our profile of this outlet
- Granite Xhaka Sentenced for Fake Covid Certificate (opens Neue Zürcher Zeitung in a new tab)
Neue Zürcher Zeitung — is Neue Zürcher Zeitung biased? Our profile of this outlet
- 150,000 Francs: Xhaka May only Have to Pay the Penalty for Immunization (opens focus.de in a new tab)
Not rated
20- Granit Xhaka Fined for Falsifying Vaccination Certificate (opens Noticias ao Minuto in a new tab)
Noticias ao Minuto — is Noticias ao Minuto biased? Our profile of this outlet
- Granit Xhaka Got an Interesting Penalty (opens Fréttir - mbl.is in a new tab)
Fréttir - mbl.is — is Fréttir - mbl.is biased? Our profile of this outletOpinion
- Slovenian Rivals' Captain Fined for Forged Vaccination Certificate (opens Dnevnik in a new tab)
- Xhaka Received His Punishment for the Fake Covid Certificate (opens 24 HU in a new tab)
- Switzerland Captain Given Suspended Fine for Fraud (opens sport.cz in a new tab)
- Xhaka Punished for Falsifying Coronavirus Certificate: 'I Accept This Decision' (opens voetbalprimeur.nl in a new tab)
voetbalprimeur.nl — is voetbalprimeur.nl biased? Our profile of this outlet
- Granit Xhaka reveals his heavy sanction (opens frenchfootballweekly.com in a new tab)
frenchfootballweekly.com — is frenchfootballweekly.com biased? Our profile of this outlet
- Xhaka Sentenced in Switzerland: False Covid Certificates, the Penalty Comes for the Captain of the National Team! His Explanation (opens Calcio News 24 in a new tab)
Calcio News 24 — is Calcio News 24 biased? Our profile of this outlet
Show 12 more
- Swiss Star Xhaka Receives Covid-19 Penalty. (opens yenicaggazetesi.com in a new tab)
yenicaggazetesi.com — is yenicaggazetesi.com biased? Our profile of this outlet
- Falsifikoi Certifikatat E Vaksinimit Të COVID-19, Xhaka Dënohet Me Gjobë Të Kushtëzuar: E Pranoj Vendimin Dhe Marr Përgjegjësinë! (opens Javanews.al in a new tab)
Javanews.al — is Javanews.al biased? Our profile of this outlet
- GRANIT ŽAKA CONDEMNED! The Captain of Switzerland Was Fined for the Forgery scandal... (opens kurir.rs in a new tab)
- Granit Xhaka Convicted for a Fake Covid Certificate, but Still Won't Go to Jail (opens Klix in a new tab)
- Granit Xhaka Given Suspended Sentence for Fake Covid Certificate (opens nemzetisport.hu in a new tab)
nemzetisport.hu — is nemzetisport.hu biased? Our profile of this outlet
- 150,000 Swiss Francs Fine on Parole for Xhaka (opens onetz.de in a new tab)
- 150,000 Swiss Francs Fine on Parole for Xhaka (opens noz.de in a new tab)
- Granit Xhaka bën të ditur vendimin për çështjen e certifikatës së falsifikuar të COVID-19 (opens albeu.com in a new tab)
- Falsifikimi i certifikatës së vaksinimit, merret vendimi për Granit Xhakën - Lajmet e fundit (opens Zëri in a new tab)
- Sunderland star confirms punishment after public drama - Accepts conviction (opens Sport Witness in a new tab)
Sport Witness — is Sport Witness biased? Our profile of this outlet
- Granit Xhaka: Suspended Fine for False Covid Certificate (opens RTS in a new tab)
- Nati-Captain Granite Xhaka Sentenced (opens Blick in a new tab)
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