Granit Xhaka seems poised to keep his place in the Switzerland squad and retain the captain's armband, even after the fallout from the fake COVID vaccination certificate scandal. National team manager Murat Yakin has stated he is eagerly awaiting the Sunderland midfielder's return in November.
As Sunderland gears up to face Manchester City, the Lucerne Prosecutor's Office has launched an investigation into the circumstances surrounding the 34-year-old's vaccination certificate.
On September 21, Xhaka confessed to making a mistake by falsifying the certificate, which led to his withdrawal from the national squad. In his absence, Manuel Akanji donned the captain's armband, and Switzerland won all four of their matches.
Following the victory over North Macedonia, Akanji made it clear he does not seek to keep the captaincy upon Xhaka's return.
Manuel Akanji stated:
I’m not trying to do anything behind his back. I discuss everything directly with him. When Granit returns, everything will be back to normal. It’s clear that he will remain captain.
Previously, the president of the Swiss Football Association, Peter Knabel, acknowledged that the federation needs to determine how to respond to the situation.
Knabel remarked:
We have to figure out: where do we draw the line? How do we deal with a player who is found guilty?
However, there are few signs that Xhaka might be removed from the squad or stripped of the captaincy. Akanji has openly supported his return:
I’m not involved in phone conversations, and it’s not up to me to make decisions. But I want the best players here. We all love Granit in the team.
Yakin shares a similar viewpoint. The manager praised Akanji's leadership during his stint as captain but reaffirmed Xhaka’s ongoing status:
Manu did a fantastic job. We will sort everything out internally. Granit remains our captain. When he returns in November, we'll discuss everything again.
When asked if he wants to see Xhaka back in the squad, Yakin replied:
Absolutely! Peter made it clear that the door is open. We need the best players.
Thus, despite the ongoing investigation and missed national fixtures, Xhaka remains in the plans for the national team and is set to keep his captain's armband upon his return.
