‘This is not ballet’ – Arsenal star Granit Xhaka defends disciplinary record and says he’s always ‘all in’
ARSENAL midfielder Granit Xhaka has defended his disciplinary record and argued football “is not ballet”.
The tough-tackling Switzerland international has been sent off six times at club level so far in his career.
Four of his reds have come playing for Arsenal and it’s one of the reasons he has divided opinion.
Xhaka says he plays “all in” and is the same in training even against his team-mates.
Speaking to The Players’ Tribune, Xhaka said: “Listen, the cards have always been part of my game.
“They were in Germany, too. Remember the 50–50? I’m all in, and it’s the same in training.
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“If I elbow a player, I’ll be the first one to say, ‘I’m sorry.’ But a tackle? Come on, guys. This is not ballet.”
Xhaka says that his tough approach to games is because he is “fighting” for the club he plays for.
However, the 29-year-old admits that maybe he cares too much.
He continued: “If I am late in a tackle, it’s because I’m fighting for Arsenal. If I lose my temper, it’s because I care.
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“Sometimes, maybe I care too much.”
Once upon a time, Xhaka was Arsenal’s main man. The club captain.
But after reacting badly to crowd boos in 2019, his relationship with the Arsenal faithful would never be the same again.
Xhaka was subbed off after an hour in the 2-2 draw against Crystal Palace, which was met with a chorus of boos and jeers.
The midfielder was stripped of the captaincy.
But Xhaka insists he’s determined to still be a leader in Arsenal’s dressing room even without the armband.
He said: “Obviously, I am not captain of Arsenal any longer. But I can promise you that I will still act like a captain, even without the armband. That is possible.
“I get a lot of respect from my team-mates and our staff, and I am so thankful for that. I will always help the young guys and take responsibility for our performances.
“Arsenal is still in my heart, 100 per cent. My challenge was never to change people’s opinions about me, but to help the team.
“And then after that, if someone did change their mind because of that, then great.”
Xhaka understands that his relationship with some fans will never be the same.
However, he does want to re-build some “trust” and “respect.”
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He continued: “I understand that we will never be best friends, but I hope we can treat each other with honesty and respect.
“I want you to know that whatever I do on the pitch, it comes from the right place.”