Captain Xhaka allowed to play for Switzerland again

Granit Xhaka and Breel Embolo will be permitted to represent Switzerland in international football again next month, according to a recent announcement. The two footballers had previously been banned for using forged Covid-19 vaccination certificates, which led to their exclusion from several matches during the October international break.

Xhaka, the Swiss captain, had admitted to acquiring a fraudulent certificate that allowed him to travel and compete in 2022. Embolo, a 29-year-old striker, was also dropped from the national team for the same reason in September.

Switzerland's Football Association (SFV) has justified their decision to reinstate Xhaka and Embolo by taking into account the conclusions of legal proceedings and the sporting consequences already implemented. National team director Pierluigi Tami stated that the team believes a return to the national squad in November is a responsible and fitting choice.

Both Xhaka and Embolo received fines of 150,000 Swiss francs (£136,000) and were suspended for two years if they committed any further offenses. Despite being fined, Xhaka has not lost his captaincy, but the final decision on who will captivate the team remains with the coach, Murat Yakin. Yakin will reveal his team selection on November 5th.

Switzerland currently sits at the top of Group E in the Nations League, and they will face Slovenia and Scotland in their final two matches on November 13th and 16th.