The Swiss FA have confirmed that Granit Xhaka was not vaccinated against Covid-19 before testing positive for the virus while on international duty.
The midfielder was absent from last night’s friendly game with Greece after undertaking a PCR test yesterday. He’s now a doubt for upcoming World Cup qualifiers with Italy and Northern Ireland.
Asked about the situation, the Swiss FA’s head of communications Adrian Arnold said:
“Granit Xhaka was not vaccinated. He’s a player who isn’t vaccinated. We left this up to each player, it’s a personal decision of each player – just like any other person in Switzerland.
“We have issued a recommendation that everyone vaccinate. But he decided for himself personally. And it is also his right not to be vaccinated.”
He added: “All the other players in the team have been vaccinated or have recovered [from Covid] – so they are more or less safe, at least from a medical point of view. One is never quite sure. Accordingly, we have a very high vaccination rate. Now, unfortunately, Granit got caught. From a sporting point of view, it is a shame for us at this important moment. ”
After a Covid-19 outbreak in the Arsenal camp last month, Mikel Arteta was asked whether his players had been vaccinated.
He revealed most had received at least one jab but that some members of the squad, despite advice from the club, were yet to make a decision.
“Most of them are double-vaccinated. Others they have one vaccine,” he said.
“We are trying to encourage them to get vaccinated because they are going to protect themselves, their families, obviously the environment around the club.
“But it is a really personal matter and we are trying to guide them and explain the reasons why it is better to do it. But at the end, it’s a personal decision.
“It is not about protecting ourselves, it is about protecting the people around us as well. I think it is a gesture of generosity.
“I don’t know if somebody is completely convinced at the beginning to do it, but you see that the benefits at the moment are much bigger.”
While vaccines do not provide full (100%) protection, those vaccinated people who do get sick are likely to have milder symptoms and are less likely to die.
Research also shows that vaccines reduce your risk of catching or spreading Covid-19 and protects against Covid-19 variants.
Given life in the UK is pretty much back to normal, the transmission of the virus is an everyday hazard. Arsenal have already experienced difficulties keeping a lid on outbreaks inside the camp and there’s a fairly high chance that it’ll continue to pose problems to clubs up and down the land for the foreseeable future.
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If you’re looking for more information, we suggest you check out the WHO page on vaccine efficacy, effectiveness and protection.
Well, we all knew he was an idiot – but if that doesn’t confirm it, nothing will.
What an utter self centred prat.
Surprise surprise…
Wow. That’s huge news. Obviously wishing him a complete recovery, but also what a selfish decision to put his teammates, his family and community at risk.
100% agreed! Also thanks Andrew (Allen) for the info and links at the end and making a point!
Come on. I’m no anti-vaxxer. I’ve even had the vaccine myself. But to say that his team mates and family are at risk is a bit far fetched, considering they are athletes and probably have been vaccinated already.
Did you miss the past three weeks in which multiple members of our squad got COVID? There are lasting side effects in many people including heart damage and the risk of long COVID.
Classic immediate causation thinking. This virus (delta) has an R0 of 6 on unvaccinated. That means for each infection he will likely pass it on to 6 others, that’s 6 players/staff going home to their families infected, their families who are not athletes.
So, my 34 year old healthy cousin with no prior health issues died from Covid. The thing I hate most is this myth of youthful invincibility. Even if you don’t die, you could spend the rest of your life as if you smoked two packs a day for forty years. Young people think it’s the flu, as if we shut the world down for the flu. It’s incredibly selfish, dangerous, arrogant and egotistical to not get vaccinated. To do so is to fail to uphold your end of the social contract. You will never know how much blood is on… Read more »
I’m so sorry to hear that dude and I wholeheartedly agree with your statement. It saddens me how much sheer ignorance and out right conspiracy shagging there is on the subject.
You’re right. I will take cases of anecdotal evidence that you are providing me over the internet (which might not even be true, by the way) that my comment about his team-mates being at less of a risk to a virus due to their superior health is me trying to somehow say it’s impossible to die of covid-19. that is not what i said. what i said was that him not getting the vaccine DOES NOT put his team-mates or his family at a higher risk IF they have been vaccinated (especially his team-mates considering they are athletes and of… Read more »
Okay Mr Rational Thought Big Brain, you think, what, running around a lot and having the vaccine means you can’t get the delta variant? Is there a new report? Something I missed?
Or are you being a massive hypocrite?
Again. Putting words into my mouth. No, that is not what I said. In fact evidence shows that getting the vaccine reduces the impact of the virus on your body, but still allows you to get it. i would say having superior health and keeping fit is a sure fire way to fight off any harmful impacts the virus may have on your body. so. while I don’t think he is immune to the virus, i do believe that his levels of fitness lower the risk of him being negatively effected by the virus. i mean, 78% of the people… Read more »
Lord almighty, the end of your comment. We’re done. I could afford to put a lot of weight on, but I’m not interested in the early 00’s-esque moral panic about obesity or anyone whose mind goes there.
Not responding again.
My god. Promoting healthy eating and taking care of yourself. I’m a monster.
Learn the first thing about what causes obesity before opening your mouth. Learn about the social causes, health causes and all of the rest. What fucking opportunity do you think the pandemic has provided for people to lose weight? People have less money and access to fresh food, less access to gyms and seriously difficult psychological strains caused by lockdown.
You don’t know anything, and yet you speak. You are a monster.
You don’t know a fucking thing about me.
Have a good one.
Let’s just shout at depressed people that they should be happy and call it “promoting happiness and wellbeing”.
You have a real habit of putting words into people’s mouths and assuming their situation yet feel necessary to call everyone who even questions your beliefs an idiot.
Yet you call me the monster? Lol.
Getting vaccinated is a moral imperative and treating obesity as a crisis of personal responsibility is both immoral and simply an incorrect approach as shown by the science. Good day.
This virus can latch onto anyone. Whether you’re fat or fit as a fiddle. My auntie died of it and did cross country running every day
Not just team mates though, is it?
What about the airport and hotel staff, transport drivers, journalists, stadium staff and anyone else that he comes into contact with jaunting around the planet merrily spreading the disease that countries are desparately attempting to contain.
It is uninformed statements like that which perpetuate the effects we are all suffering from and shall do now for many years to come!
don’t those people have to be vaccinated to work?
Each of those people may have family members too frail to get vaccinated.
A moron like Xhaka can give you the virus and, to quote a very stupid woman, “It’s bye-bye Nana”.
Yet those people at most risk will have been vaccinated and have gone back to work. You can still be cautious……he might test himself 3 times a day instead, how do you know? Maybe he has a medical reason for no vaccine, how do you know?
If you want to blame anybody, blame Boris and his ridiculous policy and side/division taking over the past 2 years.
Brilliantly said.
Honestly, his parents should have left the house keys with someone else.
Shame for him, but more high-profile cases like this should really spur people on to get jabbed.
Muppet
I mean it is his choice but in a week where he stupidly got himself sent off against city the timing of this in terms of displaying Xhaka’s social/team conscience isn’t great!
This is disappointing. I understand that these are young men easily swayed by conspiracy theories and insecurities around a short career but this isn’t good. Risking not just your life but the vulnerable around you is stupid and selfish.
It’s not just Xhaka. Arteta’s comments indicate that there are others. Smh
I’ve been trying to give this guy a break as everyone is constantly having a go at him but wow this is just mind boggling.
Why Xhaka? Why? Just get the jab!!!
Lol
Well done for including factual health information at the end of this. Regards Xhaka, I’d like to say I’m surprised.
Least surprising news of the week. Guy regularly shows himself to be a totally self-obsessed, selfish, simpleton – check out his latest Tweet regarding his (most recent) sending off, contract extension and *ahem* ‘good health’ for proof of this. Literally everything he does is all about him. Everyone else… nah, not his concern.
Absolutely spot on.
Wow. Very disappointing… Can’t speculate on his reasoning why, but I can’t think of many reasons to justify not getting vaccinated, especially in a career with such a huge amount of international travel – it just seems selfish.
It’s everyone’s prerogative to get vaccinated or not but if you are a professional team sport player jetting around the world to participate in your chosen occupation you should have consideration for others and the potential consequences of your actions.
But hey, this is not the first time this tw*t has made it abundantly clear he doesn’t give a flying fig about anyone else, is it?
Until he is gone Arsenal will struggle and let’s hope he is not expecting a statue outside the Emirates!
It’s not too surprising. The guy thinks he’s immortal. See also Djokovic. This kind of mindset can be the hardest to persuade.
I think this is a really good point. I think the same self-belief that drives them to be great sportspeople also deludes them into thinking they know more about vaccines than experts do. It’s no coincidence that it’s Xhaka and Djokovic, two sportspeople who rely on such bullheadedness more than most, who are also deciding against being vaccinated.
*Sigh*
All the club had to do was accept the (£12+3.5) million bid and this wouldn’t be an issue right now.
Well I hope he learns from this experience and feels more inclined to get a jab. Hopefully he recovers with no longstanding side-effects. The research study is also a good read (thanks) as I’ll be getting my second dose next week.
Speaks volumes about the bloke tbh. And nothing within those volumes is anything we weren’t already aware of regarding Xhaka. I fully support an individual’s rights to have a choice in having the vaccination. But I also think the other side of the same coin is that people may freely choose to judge him extremely negatively in the context of being a participant in a team sport ravaged by the pandemic.
That £12mil looks very appealing right now
You can still catch and transmit the virus if you are vaccinated.
Vaccination is great but it is not a panacea.
Unlike his foolish footballing decisions Granit’s decision here affects himself
You have less chance of catching it and spreading it if you are vaccinated. To not get vaccinated is just plain stupid.
Yes but the likelihood of getting covid is greatly reduced by the vaccine, and the inconvenience of getting the vaccine is minuscule compared to the potentially awful effects of getting covid or transmitting it to someone else. It’s fucking stupid not getting it, and only the most contorted logic or blatant misinformation can justify not doing so.
What an idiot.
Not sure why the Swiss FA are releasing this information. I think he’s dumb and reckless for not getting a vaccine, but this is his personal choice, and he should be left be recover from COVID rather than be thrown under the buss by the Swiss FA for what is essentially a confidential matter. He’s not a great footballer for Arsenal, but he’s still entitled to his privacy over medical issues.
this. Xhaka having those days when he can do nothing right and swiss fa piled more misery on him. I would like to hear why has he not taken vaccine though.
They’re probably also sick of that moron.
Another dickhead decision from Xhaka the total dickhead.
I see the usual Internet experts are online. The only person at risk if he isn’t jabbed is himself. The vaccine does not stop you catching or spreading covid. If you have the vaccine and you you think it works, then there’s no issue to you, although you can still catch it, it will only lessen the effects. Use Google for something useful rather than spout nonsense and the world will be a better place.
Sorry mate, got to call you out on that. Vaccines do decrease the chances of catching and spreading it, but less so with the Delta variant. Everyone who can get jabbed should get jabbed. End of.
This is incorrect. Also people should get jabbed if they feel they need too, it’s a personal choice this isn’t nazi Germany. If your jabbed and your happy then there’s no issues. However I’m not interested in arguing with people online, people need to evaluate themselves what’s right. Sadly most people are influenced by outside forces. Good luck to all jabbed or not jabbed, still a way to go yet.
If you go on holidays or visit certain countries, you are required to have vaccines.
Comparisons to ‘Nazi Germany’ are not helpful.
Also not interested in arguing people’s medical decisions, or political or philosophical beliefs, but you are factually wrong that the vaccines do not prevent infection. There are many studies proving they do. Here is a one of the Pfizer vaccine from the New England Journal of Medicine. The results summary near the top is the pertinent bit:
https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/nejmoa2034577
Covid did take away some freedoms, but vaccines are helping to give them back.
As someone with a compromised immune system I think it’s selfish for people not to get jabbed. As for Xhakas red card, I think he’s right in his statement. There is bias. We know that as Arsenal fans. However, the tackle could have been a leg breaker if it would have been mistimed. He needs a ticking off, not a pat on the back.
Could this be a source of disunity within the squad? I’d personally struggle to go to work if I have someone who sits next to me who isn’t fully vaccinated. I can’t imagine being comfortable showing up to training or to play a match, with the knowledge that not just one but a few players aren’t on the same page re: the pandemic.
Mental health wise, I’d be anxious all the time, wondering if I will contract the virus or infect the other players.
This news gives me a lot less reason to tolerate having Xhaka in the teamsheet.
An even bigger moron than we thought.
Toxic, toxic, toxic.
He can’t leave the club soon enough.