If there’s anyone who has divided opinion at Arsenal in recent years, it is midfielder Granit Xhaka.
The Switzerland international is a player who has struggled to prove himself at the Emirates and now finds himself as public enemy number one after Sunday.
His furious reaction to Arsenal fans booing him off the pitch in the 2-2 draw with Crystal Palace has caused plenty of fury, particularly among pundits.
There are numerous explanations as to why the situation has gotten to this point, with no one yet providing a definitive reason.
Swiss newspaper St. Gallen Tagblatt, however, are not sitting on the fence. As far as they are concerned, Xhaka’s situation can be blamed on the pundits covering the game.
The newspaper look at the midfielder’s situation today and headline the piece ‘Xhaka scandal: Encouraged by highly paid experts who need to define themselves’. In other words, they believe pundits are making a name for themselves by criticising Xhaka.
They say his recent incident was a ‘godsend’ for the experts, claiming that pundits on Match of the Day 2, namely Ian Wright and Peter Crouch, were ‘relieved’ to see Xhaka’s reaction to the fans.
Tagblatt believe that there’s been a ‘misunderstanding’ with Xhaka, with his price tag leading Arsenal fans to think they were getting a ‘superstar’ rather than a ‘strategist’ who ‘puts himself completely in the service of the team’.
That’s not enough for another pundit, Danny Murphy, who the newspaper quotes saying ‘Xhaka’s game is dirty’.
Tagblatt’s opinion is one shared by Xhaka’s compatriots too, with Gelson Fernandes and Bruno Berner backing up their claims.
“The fans think they can say anything because the players are making a lot of money. I am very sorry for Granit and his family for what happened,” Gelson Fernandes told the newspaper.
“But the only ones that can hold their own are those who exposes himself and makes a name for themselves. That’s why many comments are unobjective, personal or even inhumane,” added Bruno Berner.
As far as Tagblatt are concerned, the connection is obvious. The fans’ fury is contributing to the opinion of the fans.
Whether that’s an excuse Xhaka can use to get away with his actions when he meets with Arsenal, remains to be seen.
