Granit Xhaka’s career at Arsenal can be easily divided into two parts: before and after Mikel Arteta. After a successful career in Borussia Monchengladbach, the Swiss international changed the country and came to Arsenal. But, he wasn’t a fan favorite and soon things have gone from bad to worse. After the infamous Crystal Palace incident in 2019, when he replied to fans’ boos and took off his jersey, it seemed that his career with the Gunners was over. Until Mikel Arteta came in and ‘saved’ him. 🗣️| Granit Xhaka on Mikel Arteta: “You know what? I had to turn 27 to understand football correctly, that’s his merit. Mikel showed me football anew. He explains the game, the tactics, the opponent to you so that you can only go out and win. He’s a crazy guy.” [@Blickch] #afc pic.twitter.com/2Gf38298d8— Arsenal Buzz (@ArsenalBuzzCom) November 13, 2022 Exactly three years after a night in which he experienced a ‘blackout’, Xhaka is (again) Arsenal’s captain and will lead Switzerland in the upcoming World Cup in Qatar. Speaking to Swiss newspapers Blick, Xhaka detailed his resurrection under the Spanish tactician. “This story is really crazy. That was three years ago when the fans booed me. I was devastated, for me it was clear – if they don’t want me here anymore, then my future doesn’t lie here. I didn’t play that bad at all. But nothing was good enough. It wore me down. Imagine playing a good game, scoring a goal, hoping everything will be fine, that the fans out there are happy. And then you just get insulted again. They just say: get lost, we don’t want you anymore. It hurts” explained Xhaka.Xhaka opens up about his troublesome relationship with the fansThe Gunners midfielder then spoke to the new manager Mikel Arteta and informed him that he was leaving. But the Spaniard changed his mind. “He just said: «Stay, I will make sure that you deliver top performances. Please give me six months.” He told me his ideas and his philosophy. I just knew it would work out with him. For the first time in my life I made a decision all by myself. Without family, without advisor. I called my advisor Jose Noguera and told him: Jose, I just spoke to Arteta and told him we were staying. You know what? I had to be 27 to really understand football, that’s his credit. Mikel showed me football in a new way. He explains the game, the tactics, the opponent in such a way that all you can do is go out and win. He’s a crazy guy” admitted Xhaka.Only Sagna knew, only he believedBut hard tackles, red cards and incident didn’t happen only at Arsenal. Another ‘blackout’ happened during the Swiss – Serbia game in the World Cup 2018. Switzerland came from one goal behind to win 2-1, but Xhaka was in the headlines for the wrong reasons. Arsenal’s midfielder is of Kosovan descent, and he celebrated goals by making an eagle gesture resembling the double headed eagle of the Albanian flag. And now, he will play again against Serbia in the group stage, along with Cameroon and Brazil, and the Swiss admits they were the national team he didn’t want at the draw for Qatar. “I’ve had two blackouts in my career. One in the game with Arsenal at Crystal Palace when I was booed and in that game against Serbia when I made that gesture. Everything went well in the Serbia game. Except for the double eagle. I shouldn’t have done that. That was the opponent I had last wished for. But I hope that by the time of the match we’ll be further ahead thanks to two wins. Then we can tackle the game without pressure” said Xhaka. ##NAJAVA_MECA_6806693##
