It started promising, then all look lost, but in the end, everything is fine. Sounds like a script for a Hollywood movie, but in fact, it’s Granit Xhaka’s career in Arsenal. When he came in 2016 for 45 million euros from Borussia Monchengladbach (a lot of money even by today’s standards), he was already an established leader in Germany (captain of the club), but also in the Switzerland national team. He started promising and ended up as captain in 2019, just like he was in Borussia. And then a ’slip up’ happened and things went south.Granit Xhaka 🇨🇭: I have a much better relationship with the fans now. I always wanted to turn things around with them, and now I feel much love | Granit Xhaka loves being a gooner ❤️ @Arsenal #adidasfootball #xhaka #xhakaboom pic.twitter.com/Fvz8ug7IAx— Erin (@afc_erinnnn) July 20, 2022 The Gunners were not playing well, and one of those disappointing results was a 2-2 draw at home to Crystal Palace. During the match, Unai Emery subbed Xhaka and he took his time to leave the field. The fans were booing the player, not happy with his display, and he felt for it. The Swiss then immaturely pointed his hands over his ears as a provocation, throwing his jersey on the ground in rage and addressing insults to the public before disappearing into the tunnel leading to the locker room. Such a behavior from the captain was unacceptable and Unai Emery relived him from his duty.One Brazilian Gunner to the other: Jesus deserves to play all the timeLooking back at that period, the Swiss international know calls this ’a big misunderstanding’.”Everyone knows the time I had with the fans. It was a big misunderstanding in my opinion, on their part, on my part. But I play football because I have a lot of passion (…) I feel like the connection between me and the fans is much better than before (…) I can’t tell you why people sometimes think like that, are very critical, and other people think differently. Maybe I’m not the right person to who to ask. I’d like to know but it’s hard because you never meet the people” explained Xhaka in an interview for ESPN.Xhaka opens up on thinking of leaving Arsenal upon fans’ hateThe Swiss international was twice close to exit: in January 2020 and more so in January 2021. The first time, everything was agreed with Hertha Berlin and the second, he was almost gone to Roma to play under Jose Mourinho, but both times it was the Gunners coach Mikel Arteta who persuaded him to stay.”Without him, I will no longer be at the club. He helped me a lot when I was completely depressed. He took me aside, helped me with little things, step by step, tactically, as a person, talked to me about mentality, tried to help me also with the fans… He’s a monster, tactically, he knows everything. The way he prepares the team before training, before matches, is incredible. I had a lot of coaches, but I have to put Mikel among the best of my entire career” said Xhaka.##NAJAVA_MECA_6517437##He is still in Arsenal, but many fans would be very happy to see him in some other club. Apart from a misunderstanding with the fans, Xhaka is notorious for his red cards. During just over five years at the Emirates, Xhaka has accumulated five red and almost 70 yellow cards (4 in the Premier League, along with 52 yellows) and left his teammates in limbo in those matches.
