This is no longer an isolated case. A moral scandal is snowballing, and it has now struck two pillars of the Swiss national team. Days after the fall of captain Granit Xhaka, a second Swiss star has sunk into the mire of the notorious "vaccine affair".
In a shocking statement on Friday evening, the Swiss Football Association announced the immediate exclusion of international striker Breel Embolo from the national team's camp over his involvement in a case of forged COVID-19 vaccination certificates.
The association's statement read: "Breel Embolo has informed the Swiss Football Association of the matter relating to his personal life, which was leaked to the media today, and as a result the association's management has decided that the player will not join the national team as planned, and that the team will complete its current training camp without him."
Shocking details
Swiss media laid bare the full scandal. The former Schalke and Borussia Mönchengladbach striker obtained forged vaccination certificates in 2021 from a member of the notorious "Hells Angels" gang.
According to those reports, the public prosecutor's office in Basel issued a court order against the player on 25 November 2025 on multiple charges relating to incitement to forgery. He was sentenced to a suspended fine of 3,000 Swiss francs per day.
Admission and regret
Embolo, who currently plays for American club Atlanta United, did not deny the incident. He told the Swiss newspaper "Schweiz Heute": "I realised that my actions at that time were wrong and I took responsibility for them, which is why I accepted the court ruling."
The association acted the moment the court ruling was published on Friday, and he is now officially absent from the national team's squad.
Switzerland lose both their stars at once in the UEFA Nations League. Xhaka (33), the former Gladbach and Leverkusen player, had admitted earlier this week to obtaining a similar forged certificate.
Four decisive Group Two fixtures now await. The Swiss travel to face North Macedonia and Scotland on 26 and 29 September, before hosting Slovenia and North Macedonia in Lucerne on 3 and 6 October, all without their captain and their main striker.