Granit Xhaka opens up on salvaging his Arsenal reputation

The Swiss midfielder had a complicated relationship with Arsenal fans throughout his seven-season spell at the club.

Granit Xhaka has opened up about the incident that saw him being booed off the pitch by Arsenal fans in 2019.

Xhaka was stripped of the captaincy following his angry reaction to the boos during a Premier League game against Crystal Palace.

The Swiss star came close to leaving Arsenal last summer but ended up staying at the club. Xhaka’s impressive performances last season ended his spell at the club on a positive note.

“I was Arsenal captain in 2019. Then came this story with the fans,” the former Arsenal midfielder, who recently completed a move to Bayer Leverkusen, told Blick.

“I never had any problems with the boys and the club; it was more a misunderstanding between the fans and me. Coming back to Arsenal like that afterwards gave me even more strength.”

Many believed that the incident would mark the end of Xhaka’s career at the Emirates Stadium. However, Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta chose to reintegrate him into the team, and Xhaka played a vital role in the club’s resurgence.

“I was able to show what personality is in me,” Xhaka added. “I don’t like talking about myself. But you can also praise yourself if the journalists don’t praise you that much. Seriously, you learn from things like that.

“You get stronger. At the end I was allowed to leave to great applause. That was my number one goal. Am I a ready leader? I would not say that. I’m sure I’ll still make mistakes, that’s part of it. But certainly, less than before.”