Disappointment for England as Jamal opts for Germany
CHAMPIONS.League.sensation.Jamal. Musiala.has.chosen.Germany.over. England.after.making.an.agonising. decision.on.his.international.future.
The.17-year-old,.who.became.the. youngest.English.scorer.in.tournament. history.in.Bayern.Munich’s.4-1.win.over. Lazio.on.Tuesday,.was.born.in.Stuttgart. to.a.German.mother.and.a.BritishNigerian.father.and.has.represented.both. countries.at.youth.level.
Musiala.said:.‘I.just.listened.to.the. feeling.that.over.a.long.period.of.time. that.it.was.the.right.decision.to.play.for. Germany..Still,.it.wasn’t.an.easy.decision.’
LAST 32, SECOND LEG ARSENAL (1) v BENFICA (1) 5.55PM, BT SPORT 1
ARSENAL midfielder Granit Xhaka has warned social media abuse of players will ‘kill football’ and claimed he wants to look his tormenters in the eye.
Xhaka told fans to ‘f*** off’ as they jeered him following his substitution during a draw with Crystal Palace last season, and was stripped of the captaincy.
His Gunners career has been revived under Mikel Arteta but he continues to divide opinion among fans. The 28-yearold has received racist abuse from several social media accounts, including some which identified as Arsenal season-ticket holders, and spoke out ahead of tonight’s Europa League last-32, second leg against Benfica, with the tie level at 1-1.
‘It is only about me. I am the guy who is on the pitch,’ he said. ‘It is not my wife, it is not my little one, it is not my family.
‘So if you want to criticise someone, no problem to criticise me. But don’t make the other people involved because they have nothing to do with my job.’
Xhaka is incensed by the treatment he and his family have received on social media platforms. ‘I wish I could meet the people who write the things, to sit with them, eyes by eyes and ask them, “why are you writing things like this?”,’ he added.
‘This is not acceptable. So you have to open our eyes and to look after this a lot, because I think you kill the football.’