Enough is Enough, asserts Granit Xhaka
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Arsenal captain Granit Xhaka has admitted that he has reached “boiling point” forcing him to react angrily in front of the Emirates crowd. Xhaka has been a subject of criticism and faced death threats while his wife and daughter have been threatened, forcing Xhaka to take unwanted steps.
Arsenal captain Granit Xhaka was booed and whistled by his own fans during Arsenal’s game against Crystal Palace. The Swiss midfielder reacted angrily and prompted him to cup his ear as a sign of protest. As reported by the BBC, the midfielder has now released a statement saying that he is deeply hurt by comments on social media and comments made against his family. Xhaka said that he got carried away and started reacting to fans’ gestures and comments and was disrespectful towards the supporters. Arsenal manager Unai Emery had called for Xhaka to apologise for his reaction but the player instead said he was sorry if people had thought he was being disrespectful.
“The scenes that took place around my substitution have moved me deeply. I love this club and always give 100% on and off the pitch. My feeling of not being understood by fans, and repeated abusive comments at matches and in social media over the last weeks and months have hurt me deeply. People have said things like, 'We will break your legs', 'Kill your wife' and 'Wish that your daughter gets cancer'. That has stirred me up and I reached boiling point when I felt the rejection in the stadium on Sunday,” Xhaka posted on Instagram.
“In this situation, I let myself be carried away and reacted in a way that disrespected the group of fans that support our club, our team and myself with positive energy. That has not been my intention and I'm sorry if that's what people thought. My wish is that we get back to a place of mutual respect, remembering why we fell in love with this game in the first place. Let's move forward positively together,” said the 27 year old.
The Switzerland international has been booed by the fans in the past as well, with Emery publicly defending the midfielder after a game against Aston Villa last month. Despite the Gooners not being a big fan of Xhaka, the former Sevilla coach appointed Xhaka as the club captain post Laurent Koscielny’s departure. The coach also declared that Xhaka will remain the club captain despite his burst of anger on Sunday.
