Xhaka Says Social Media Abuse Led to On-Field Reaction to Arsenal Fans

Xhaka egged Arsenal fans on and appeared to curse at them as he was subbed off last Sunday vs. Crystal Palace

Michael Zemanek/BPI/Shutterstock

Arsenal captain Granit Xhaka has blamed his explosive reaction to getting booed during Sunday's game against Crystal Palace on the "repeated abusive comments" that he has received from fans over the past few months.

Xhaka was substituted midway through the second half against Palace, with some fans booing the club's skipper as he departed the pitch.

The Arsenal captain sarcastically applauded those voicing their disapproval, before mouthing a number of expletives and removing his shirt as he disappeared down the tunnel.

His emotional reaction attracted a significant amount of criticism from the media and fans, and reports suggested that the Swiss international was not prepared to apologize to the club's supporters.

However, Xhaka has now taken to social media to explain his actions - blaming abuse he has received from fans for his emotional display.

"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," the 27-year-old revealed in a statement published on Arsenal's Twitter account.

The following is a message from Granit Xhaka... pic.twitter.com/YG5lBKmQvi

— Arsenal (@Arsenal) October 31, 2019

The midfielder continued: "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 on Sunday."

There has been speculation as to whether Xhaka will continue in his role as captain, but the 27-year-old also made it clear in his statement that he wants to move on from the incident and potentially continue to skipper the Gunners this season.

"I love this club and always give 100% on and off the pitch," the midfielder claimed.

"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," Xhaka concluded.