XHAKA ABUSE HELL

GRANIT XHAKA last night told Arsenal fans: Your abuse sent me to boiling point. Four days after walking off angrily in the 2-2 draw with Crystal Palace at the Emirates, the Arsenal captain issued an apology – though he did not directly say sorry for his extreme outburst.

But he revealed the full extent of the sick personal

abuse that made him lose the plot.

Xhaka (left) cupped his ear and told Gunners fans to “f*** off” when they cheered his substitution. But he claimed he had reached “boiling point” over vile abuse aimed at his family. He released a long statement last night, saying: “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.

“People have said things like, ‘We will break your legs’, ‘kill your wife’ and ‘wish that your daughter gets cancer’.

“That has stirred me up and I reached boiling point when I felt the rejection in the stadium.

“In this situation, I let myself be carried away and reacted in a way that disrespected the group of fans that support our club, our team and myself with positive energy. That has not been my intention and I’m sorry if that’s what people thought.

“My wish is that we 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.”

Manager Unai Emery admitted his captain was in the wrong and should apologise.

He has yet to confirm whether the 27-year-old, who is backed by the dressing room, will keep the armband.