It's a dark night in London, and Granit Xhaka, 27, has pulled his cap down low over his brow. He is wearing comfortable, fashionable clothes and does not show any signs of the difficult days he has just been through. He laughs and jokes and is clearly in a good mood – as is his father Ragip, who is with him. He is visiting London together with his wife Eli, because Xhaka's wife Leonita gave the family a baby daughter, Ayana, just five weeks ago.
But the high point in his private life is only one side of the coin. Of course, Xhaka is also hurt. Cut to the quick. Because first he was insulted, then booed by the fans and was demoted as captain after his reaction.
However, the national team is about to play matches against Georgia and in Gibraltar to secure its almost certain qualification for the European Championship. The national team is Xhaka's safe haven. There he is undisputed leader, vice-captain and valued as a person.
Before leaving for Switzerland, Xhaka has decided to give his first interview after the scandal on Sunday.
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Granit Xhaka, how are you feeling after the craziness of the last few days?
Granit Xhaka: You could say things have been a bit frantic. Last week in particular was a very special emotional experience for me. But I’m doing very well again, I’ve trained well this week and am looking forward to my next assignments. In the club and of course on the national team.
Let's begin at the very start. In the 2-2 draw against Crystal Palace two weeks ago, you were booed off the pitch when you were substituted. Can you describe your feelings on the pitch?
When my shirt number lit up on the fourth official’s panel and our own fans broke into gleeful jubilation, that hit me very hard and really upset me. It was very hurtful and frustrating. I can’t understand a reaction like that even now, especially the vehemence of it and the extreme hostility directed against me.
Are people who start attacking their own players genuine fans?
As far back as I can remember, fans have always been part of my sport. And right from the start I’ve had a lot of respect for the fans’ enthusiasm and the hardships they endure to support us players. Their criticism, when it’s fair, makes you grow as an athlete. And the power and energy that they contribute to the game makes every athlete love football even more. I feel like I’m part of a big football family. But at a time you are already experiencing a lot of hostility and your own football family insults you, it hurts a lot. I don’t mean to say that I can’t take criticism. If the team and I don’t play well, we have to listen and work on it. But insulting and swearing at your own captain will cause upset and a bad atmosphere for the team you are actually supposed to be supporting. That makes no sense to me and weakens the team's spirit.
After the game, it is said that players came to your home to comfort you. Is that true?
Yes, that's right. Some of my teammates came to see me and I thought that was great. They encouraged me to not let it get me dow. And above all they pointed out how many Arsenal fans around the world didn’t like the way the fans reacted in the stadium and condemned it.
You published a statement after the incident. In it, you wrote that you suffered serious verbal abuse. «I hope your daughter gets cancer,» was one of the horrible phrases on social media.
Yes, that’s true and these are just a few examples of the vitriol poured on me and my family. But let's face it, we're talking about football and a captaincy. I know that means the world to a lot of people here in London. And I’ve been one hundred percent behind the club and my role as a player since I came here. I’m proud to be playing for this big club. I’ve said how much it means to me on more than one occasion. But we’re at a point now where I have to say clearly that we ought to take stock and make sure that things are not getting completely out of hand. Throughout my life I’ve always represented the values of fair play, respect and loyalty. What I experienced here has nothing to do with that, it was abnormal and excessive.
You talk about social media. What do the insults against you say about today's society?
What began as a «bulletin board» for friends is increasingly becoming a forum for people who want to insult others. Without any consequences you can now stir up hatred against private individuals or people in the public sphere such as musicians, actors or also athletes if an opinion or a performance isn’t to your liking. The rules of common decency and respect are obviously no longer valid for a lot of people!
What kind of people wilfully revile and insult others?
I'm sorry, but I don’t want to deal with that.
What do social media contribute to an athlete?
For me, my platforms offer the chance to let my fans be a part of my athletic career and my private life, to «follow» me in the truest sense. What used to be fan mail is now much more up-to-date and closer to life due to Instagram and all the rest. I think that’s really great. But this opportunity is also a double-edged sword, as I have now learned. There really are people who make a hobby out of insulting people every day. This even goes so far as to be criticised for things you haven’t even done. People are abusing me because of the way I played last weekend, but I wasn’t even on the pitch. It’s insane!
They threw more verbal abuse at you, such as wishing your wife would die. What were the reactions to the honest words in your message?
I got a lot of positive feedback, especially from the sports scene, both from players and coaches. And also from a lot of Arsenal fans from all over the world. This shows me that I have addressed an important point here and that it was the right decision to show my emotions as well. This has been well received and understood by the footballing community. I’m very glad about that.
When you debuted in the national team in 2011, social media didn’t exist. Was that easier for you as a player?
What do you mean, easier? Eight years ago there was already heavy criticism by the fans and the media. But what has changed through social media are phenomena such as «shit storms» that can overrun you from one minute to the next. Also new is the cloak of anonymity you can use to attack players without fear of any consequences. And above all, it is new that certain moods and statements on the social platforms are often just adopted uncritically and are no longer checked or questioned. It's quite extreme. I'm «old school», I like personal interaction and often take a lot of time for our fans if they want to have a selfie or an autograph.
What do you say to people who think: With eleven million francs annual salary, you just have to put up with it?
For me, the two things are completely unrelated. And it’s not a licence for insults. Everyone should practise respect and decency towards their fellow human beings and use criticism correctly, regardless of status or income. As a member of a team, I’ve always been aware of my responsibility to the club and the fans and always treat the fans in London politely and take time for them. There won’t be any other opinions on that and I’ve been behaving this way since I've been in the public eye. And if I get constructive criticism or even more vehement insults, I try to take them calmly and objectively. As I said: If we perform badly, you have to put up with it. I know that all too well from Basel and also from Mönchengladbach. But what happened here is abnormal and excessive and there can be no justification for it.
You have actually been playing well in the last 18 months. Do you feel the assessments of you as a footballer in England are fair?
Honestly, I don’t think it is my job to comment on that. I'm really my own worst critic and how others assess my performance, classify or rate it is often subjective and everyone sees football differently. There's no difference here in England, and everyone has their say.
Looking back: What has your time at Arsenal been like?
For me, looking back it’s been very positive for a long time. After a difficult start, I played a lot and overall I’ve had a great time at Arsenal. My family and I also feel very well in the city of London. The events of the last week don’t change that at all. I’ll continue to stay positive, give my all to an even greater extent and prove that I’m an important part of this great team.
The national team has come just at the right time to clear your head.
Honestly, for me it’s always the right time for the national team (laughs). I love to be on the pitch for Switzerland and I'm looking forward to the next two qualifying matches.
The two wins against Georgia and Gibraltar are a mere formality, aren’t they?
There’s no such thing as a formality in football, there are too many examples of when things can backfire. We’re aware that we can get the European qualification in the bag with these two games and we’ll perform accordingly. Dominantly, in charge of the game ourselves and utilising our offensive power. I'm convinced that we'll come out as winners on both occasions.
It was a great gesture when you put the captain's armband on your substitute Stephan Lichtsteiner during the cheering after the match against Ireland (2-0). Was this spontaneous?
You can’t plan something like that, it comes from the heart. I have great respect for the great player Stephan Lichtsteiner and I wanted to express that in this gesture.
How would you rate the European Championship qualification so far?
I think we have not had any easy qualifying rounds so far. We often played really well and were the better team, but then we were not rewarded or were unlucky. Nevertheless, we now have the chance to qualify and we will do so.
There can be only one aim for the 2020 European Championship: The quarter final, right?
We’ve put a great team together and we’ll compete to get as far as we can in the tournament. In my view, quarter finals would already be the first milestone, after which anything is possible.
How often do you still think: At the 2014 World Cup, the European Championship 2016 and the 2018 World Cup, we should never have lost against Argentina, Poland and Sweden.
Of course, all three games were painful experiences for our team and unfortunately we didn’t get any further, for a variety of reasons. For me, though, one thing is always important: What do I get out of these experiences, how can I get better? I’m not someone who mourns missed opportunities, I’m always looking for the next challenge!
So you haven’t finished with Arsenal yet?
You can be sure that I’ll keep fighting and putting myself out there in every training session. I feel that last week has been dealt with and I'm ready.
Click here for the Xhaka interview in German language.
It happened during the game against Crystal Palace on 27 October (2-2): First, the Arsenal fans cheer at the substitution of their captain Granit Xhaka, 27, then they whistle at him. Very upset, he encourages people to make even more noise, provocatively holds his hand to his ear and keeps shaking his head. Finally, he rips off his jersey. English media even claim they could read a “piss off!” from Xhaka's lips. Xhaka has not played for Arsenal again since then and has been demoted as captain.
It happened during the game against Crystal Palace on 27 October (2-2): First, the Arsenal fans cheer at the substitution of their captain Granit Xhaka, 27, then they whistle at him. Very upset, he encourages people to make even more noise, provocatively holds his hand to his ear and keeps shaking his head. Finally, he rips off his jersey. English media even claim they could read a “piss off!” from Xhaka's lips. Xhaka has not played for Arsenal again since then and has been demoted as captain.
Mannschaft | SP | TD | PT | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 |  Liverpool FC | 16 | 20 | 39 | |
2 |  Chelsea FC | 17 | 18 | 35 | |
3 |  Arsenal FC | 17 | 18 | 33 | |
4 |  Nottingham Forest | 17 | 4 | 31 | |
5 |  AFC Bournemouth | 17 | 6 | 28 | |
6 |  Aston Villa | 17 | 0 | 28 | |
7 |  Manchester City | 17 | 4 | 27 | |
8 |  Newcastle United | 17 | 6 | 26 | |
9 |  FC Fulham | 17 | 2 | 25 | |
10 |  Brighton & Hove Albion | 17 | 1 | 25 | |
11 |  Tottenham Hotspur | 17 | 15 | 23 | |
12 |  Brentford FC | 17 | 0 | 23 | |
13 |  Manchester United | 17 | -1 | 22 | |
14 |  West Ham United | 17 | -8 | 20 | |
15 |  Everton FC | 16 | -7 | 16 | |
16 |  Crystal Palace | 17 | -8 | 16 | |
17 |  Leicester City | 17 | -16 | 14 | |
18 |  Wolverhampton Wanderers | 17 | -13 | 12 | |
19 |  Ipswich Town | 17 | -16 | 12 | |
20 |  Southampton FC | 17 | -25 | 6 |