New Delhi: Arsenal skipper Granit Xhaka has finally broken his silence over the scenes that were witnessed during the team’s match against Crystal Palace in the ongoing Premier League.
The side’s coach Unai Emery had substituted Xhaka in the later stage of the match, and this did not go down well with the player as he offered an angry reaction.
He went on to rip his shirt and marched straight to the dressing room. Xhaka was also seen using cuss words and directed them towards the crowd.
His actions have been widely criticised and breaking his silence over the row, the player has finally released a statement on Twitter.
Arsenal shared Xhaka’s statement on their Twitter account and captioned the post as “The following is a message from Granit Xhaka”.
In his statement, Xhaka said: “After taking some time to reflect on what happened on Sunday afternoon, I would like to give you an explanation rather than just a quick response. The scenes that took place around my substitution have moved me deeply. I love this club and have always given 100 per cent on and off the pitch”.
The skipper also went on to reveal that he has been getting harsh responses from people on all platforms. The player said that messages like ‘kill you wife’ and ‘we will break your legs’ have been sent to him.
“My feeling of not being understood by fans, and repeated abusive comments at matches and on 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 the boiling point when I felt the rejection in the stadium on Sunday,” Xhaka said.
“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 am sorry if it’s what people thought,” he added.
Xhaka did not take the field in Arsenal’s match against Liverpool in the Carabao Cup on Wednesday. The Gunners went on to lose the match against Liverpool on penalties.
Xhaka concluded his statement by saying that he wishes to get back to a place of mutual respect.
“My wish is that we get back to a place of mutual respect, remembering why we fell in love with the game in the first place. Let’s move positively forward together,” Xhaka said.
Arsenal will next take on Wolves in the Premier League on Sunday, November 3.