Granit Xhaka Excluded from Switzerland's Training Camp After Vaccination Statement

Granit Xhaka will sit out Switzerland’s upcoming training camp in Belek after publicly addressing his vaccination status, the Swiss Football Association confirmed.

The Swiss FA said the decision was taken jointly with the player and means the midfielder will not join the men’s national team for this week’s gathering in Turkey.

“Following his personal statement regarding his vaccination status, Granit Xhaka will not participate in the men’s national team’s upcoming gathering,” read the federation’s statement.

Swiss FA president Peter Knabel backed the move and stressed the need to restore calm around the national side.

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

“Our priority now is to calm the situation and focus entirely on the team and the upcoming Uefa Nations League fixtures.”

Those fixtures come quickly. Switzerland open their Nations League campaign away to North Macedonia on Saturday, then head to Scotland on September 29. The schedule then swings back to Lucerne, where the Swiss will host Slovenia and North Macedonia on October 3 and 6.

Knabel underlined that Xhaka’s absence is not necessarily permanent.

“At the end of this international window we will reassess the situation with Granit and discuss the next steps,” he said.

Switzerland are also due to meet Slovenia on November 13 and Scotland on November 16 in the same competition, a stretch of games that could shape both their Nations League campaign and Xhaka’s route back into the squad.