Breel Embolo left out of Switzerland squad over COVID-19 case

BERN: Switzerland forward Breel Embolo has been left out from the national squad after fresh media reports about his past involvement in a case concerning forged COVID-19 test certificates.

The Swiss Football Association said on Friday that Embolo would not join the team in Scotland as planned, citing new reports about his case from 2021.

“This decision aims to allow the team to remain fully focused on the next matches,” the federation said.

Embolo is already suspended for Switzerland’s Nations League opener against North Macedonia on Saturday following his controversial red card in the World Cup quarter-final against Argentina.

The decision makes Embolo the second Switzerland player to miss the squad because of cases involving false COVID-19 documents.

Captain Granit Xhaka withdrew from the team last weekend after agreeing with officials to stay away while he is implicated in an investigation into a doctor accused of issuing fake vaccination certificates during the pandemic.

Xhaka, Switzerland’s record holder with 152 international appearances, admitted receiving a forged document in 2022 and said he had made mistakes.

On Friday, Switzerland Today reported details of a financial sanction imposed on Embolo last year over previously known false test-result documents.

Switzerland will begin its Nations League second-tier campaign away to North Macedonia on Saturday before travelling to Scotland on Tuesday. They will then host Slovenia and North Macedonia in Lucerne.

Embolo, 29, scored in Switzerland’s opening World Cup match, a 1-1 draw with Qatar, despite arriving late because of a visa issue involving US authorities. He also scored in the last-32 victory over Algeria.

The forward was later controversially sent off against Argentina, although IFAB acknowledged that the dismissal resulted from a breach of video-review protocol.