Xhaka says abuse by fans led to outburst
By recounting weeks of threats and vile insults, Granit Xhaka is trying to regain the respect of Arsenal fans who turned on their captain. It could prove a tough mission for the midfielder, who yesterday issued an apology loaded with caveats and asked for “mutual respect” after a weekend outburst in the heat of a Premier League match.
Xhaka swore and gesticulated at the Emirates Stadium supporters when his substitution was sarcastically cheered during Sunday’s game against Crystal Palace.
“I reached boiling point,” Xhaka said in his first public comment yesterday about the eruption of anger, “when I felt the rejection in the stadium.”
That rejection intensified with jeers and Xhaka cupping his ears in response. The Switzerland international stormed straight down the tunnel and tore off his jersey.
Xhaka might have torn off the captain’s armband for good. Arsenal manager Unai Emery has been silent over whether Xhaka will keep the honour gained after a dressing room vote ahead of the season.
Four days after the flashpoint, Xhaka is recognising he has to heal rifts to sustain his Arsenal future after three years in north London.
“The scenes that took place around my substitution have moved me deeply,” he said in a statement released by Arsenal. “I love this club and always give 100 per cent 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.”
He recounted some of abuse he has received, saying fans have told him, “We will break your legs,” kill your wife,” and “Wish that your daughter gets cancer.”
Hearing the stadium turn on him in such big numbers during the 2-2 draw with Palace was the breaking point for Xhaka.
“In this situation, I let myself get carried away and reacted in a way that disrespected the group of fans that support our club, our team and myself with positive energy,” he said. “That has not been my intention and I’m sorry if that’s what people thought. My wish is to 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.”
Xhaka could discover whether that is possible on Saturday when his fifth-place team host Wolverhampton. That is if he is selected, and if he leads Arsenal out as captain.
“He is feeling the supporters don’t like him,” Emery said as he considered how to resolve situation. “He was wrong and he feels it inside very deeply. But that is normal as a human.”
Liverpool’s progress to the League Cup quarter-finals has created a tricky scheduling problem due to the European champion’s involvement in the Club World Cup. Liverpool are set to play their Club World Cup semi-final in Qatar on December 18 in the mid-week when the League Cup quarter-final with Aston Villa is scheduled.
Liverpool have already postponed a Premier League match, at West Ham on December 21, to go to the FIFA tournament.
Competition organisers say they are in discussions with Liverpool “to identify an alternate date.”
The League Cup semi-finals are set to be played in the week starting January 6, but the packed Premier League schedule around Christmas and New Year’s makes it difficult to find a suitable make-up date before then. One possibility would be for Liverpool to play in both the League Cup in England and Club World Cup in Qatar at the same time – with two different teams.
Jurgen Klopp made 11 changes to rest his senior players for Wednesday’s game against Arsenal that ended 5-5 after regulation time, with Liverpool winning 5-4 in a penalty shoot-out.
In other matches, fourth-tier club Colchester was drawn Thursday to play at Manchester United, having already knocked out Tottenham and Crystal Palace in the competition’s earlier rounds.
Manchester City, in search of a third successive League Cup title, will travel to Oxford, after beating Southampton on Tuesday.
Leicester will travel to Everton.