Xhaka Excluded from Switzerland Camp After Vaccination Statement

Granit Xhaka will sit out Switzerland’s latest national team camp after talks with the Swiss Football Association in the wake of his public statement on his vaccination status.

The Swiss FA confirmed the decision on Monday, revealing that Xhaka will not travel to Belek, Turkey, where the men’s national team are holding a training camp this week.

“Following his personal statement regarding his vaccination status, Granit Xhaka will not participate in the men’s national team’s upcoming gathering,” read an FA statement, making clear the move came with the player’s agreement.

Swiss FA president Peter Knabel backed the midfielder’s choice to step aside for now.

“We welcome the fact that Granit is taking this step and is prepared to fully clarify the situation,” Knabel said. The discussions ended with a clear conclusion: “At the same time, we mutually concluded that it was in the team’s best interest to proceed with this gathering without him.”

The message from the association is equally clear about its priorities. “Our priority now is to calm the situation and focus entirely on the team and the upcoming Uefa Nations League fixtures,” Knabel added.

Nations League campaign goes on without captain

While the debate around Xhaka rumbles on, Switzerland’s schedule does not pause.

They open their Uefa Nations League campaign away to North Macedonia on Saturday, a tricky assignment to launch a group that also includes Scotland and Slovenia. Murat Yakin’s side then head to Scotland for a second away test on September 29.

The calendar tightens in October. Switzerland will host Slovenia and North Macedonia in Lucerne on October 3 and 6, fixtures that could go a long way to shaping the group.

By then, the Xhaka situation may look very different. “At the end of this international window we will reassess the situation with Granit and discuss the next steps,” Knabel said, leaving the door clearly open for a return.

The Nations League run continues into November, with Switzerland set to meet Slovenia on November 13 and Scotland on November 16. The games will arrive quickly. The question now is whether their long-time leader will be back in the fold by then, or whether this marks the start of a new era without him at the heart of the Swiss midfield.