Taulent Xhaka, the brother of Granit Xhaka, says the Arsenal player knows his angry reaction to fans booing him was not acceptable.
Xhaka reacted badly when fans booed him off the field during his team’s 2-2 draw with Crystal Palace, in which the Gunners had surrendered a two-goal lead.
The Swiss international cupped his ears to the boos before removing his shirt, refusing to shake Unai Emery’s hand and then swearing at the supporters.
His reaction was widely criticised, including by manager Emery, who claimed it was wrong for the Arsenal captain to behave in that manner.
It seems that is something Xhaka himself is aware of, with his brother revealing as much in an interview with Blick.
“I think it’s a shame because you don’t whistle your own players, even if they have had a bad day,” he said.
“He knows that was not correct. But at that moment emotions come up, and you don’t think about it. He then apologised.
“I told him that he had to understand the fans; after all, the results are not good. The fire was not felt at Arsenal.”
While most were quick to criticise Xhaka and blame him for the incident, believing he should have known better, Emery also received criticism for his part.
Some believed the then Arsenal boss could have handled the situation better and protected his captain.
Taulent refuses to accept that argument, though, saying, in the end, it is up to the player to perform.
“You can’t always blame the trainer,” he added.
“In the end, you have to perform. Granit is a player who always gives everything, no matter where he plays.
“He will leave the whole thing stronger. Even with Gladbach, it wasn’t easy at the beginning; then he became one of the best midfielders in the Bundesliga.”
