Granit Xhaka opens up on 'hatred' from Arsenal fans after 'f*** off' rant and wants to put bust-up behind him

Posted Thursday, April 30, 2020 by Thesun.co.uk

Granit Xhaka opens up on 'hatred' from Arsenal fans after 'f*** off' rant and wants to put bust-up behind him
Arsenal fans called for Granit Xhaka to be stripped of the club captaincy Credit: Times Newspapers Ltd

GRANIT XHAKA has lifted the lid on the "hatred" he felt from Arsenal fans after he told them to "f*** off".

The midfielder, 27, lashed out after he was booed off the pitch during a 2-2 draw with Crystal Palace in October.

Xhaka cupped his ear to abuse before he mouthed "f*** off" and stormed down the tunnel.

The skipper claimed he reached "boiling point" after receiving sickening abuse in which people wished his daughter would get cancer.

He also said others had threatened to kill his wife and break his legs.

But the Swiss star has revealed he wants to put the past behind him and only plans to "look ahead".

Xhaka told Sport1: "These whistles against me, this hatred, that was brand new for me.

"What happened happened. You cannot undo it.

"Maybe it was a misunderstanding and both sides overreacted to some extent.

"But that's done for me, you have to look ahead now, motivate yourself positively in the current situation and don't get caught up in the negative.

"As I wrote in my statement back then: As a team, the club and the fans, we should work together hand in hand towards the next game and the challenges ahead with mutual respect and in memory of what makes us love this game."

But Xhaka risked upsetting fans again when he was caught breaching social distancing guidelines earlier this month.

The 27-year-old was spotted having a get-together with team-mate David Luiz on parkland in Southgate.