Arsenal midfielder Granit Xhaka has been stripped of the captain armband after the series of events that occurred during the Gunners 2-2 draw against Crystal Palace. Xhaka was reacted furiously to being booed by the home fans when substituted in the game.
He appeared to rile the fans up by cupping his ear and removed his shirt before storming down the tunnel in anger. The aftermath of his behavior had caused anger among fans with former players quick to criticize his reaction to fans’ criticism.
The Swiss international released a statement where he revealed why he had reacted in such a manner and called for calm and respect. However, Emery revealed in his pre-match conference ahead of the Europa League that the Xhaka had been removed from the list of captains.
Emery also said that the hierarchy of captains means that Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang will now take the captain armband in place of Xhaka. Hector Bellerin has been promoted to vice-captain with Alexandre Lacazette and Mesut Ozil completing the list.
From the looks of things, it is looking likely that Xhaka days at the club are numbered with some reports linking the player out of the club. This is similar to a situation that occurred to Stephen Ireland for the Irish national team and he was never called up again.
This is a disappointing conclusion to the saga as the club has chosen to push Xhaka under the bus. Emery will be hoping that this brings an end to the saga that has threatened to derail the club’s season.
Arsenal next faces high flying Leicester at the King Power Stadium this weekend in what could be the last game for Unai Emery at the helms of affair. It would be interesting to see if Xhaka features at any point in the match.