“This is now the right and perfect time for me to speak, but Arsenal fans won’t believe me”- Granit Xhaka finally reveals the hidden truth why he left Arsenal to join Bayer Leverkusen
Now is the right and perfect time to speak out because I believe Arsenal fans deserve an explanation” – Granit Xhaka finally reveals the hidden truth behind why he left Arsenal for Bayer Leverkusen
GRANIT XHAKA REVEALS WHY HE LEFT ARSENAL FOR BAYER LEVERKUSEN
When Xabi Alonso was appointed as the new head coach of Bayer Leverkusen last October, ‘Die Werkslef’ were flirting with relegation. But Alonso’s team qualified for European football after a remarkable turnaround in form, so expectations were high going into this season.
A summer transfer window in which stars such as Grimaldo, Jonas Hofmann and Victor Boniface moved to the BayArena showed that those associated with Werkself certainly had reason to be excited. However, one of the signings that caught the eye was former Arsenal captain Granit Xhaka.
The Swiss footballer, who divided opinion in London, was seen as a key acquisition for the style of play that Alonso wants in his team. The move proved justified as the Swiss international played some of the best games of his career and helped Leverkusen in their potential title challenge. But Xhaka above all has a lot of leadership skills and experience, which he was keen to downplay in an interview with NZZ am Sonntag:
“What does manager mean? That word is a bit big. I didn’t come to Leverkusen as a manager, but because I was looking for a new challenge. After seven years in London, I felt that my time at Arsenal was over for me. I came here as an experienced player and person. Other players see that I can give them something of what I have learnt. That is part of my role here.”
Xhaka then reportedly revealed why he decided to leave Arsenal for Leverkusen: “They used to write that I was going back to Germany because of my wife. That is not true. Like me, she was very happy in London.
I made the decision purely as a footballer and an athlete. I came to a top German club that has a plan and wants to achieve something. Of course, the change was easier for us because, like me, we lived in Düsseldorf, which is close to Mönchengladbach, where my wife grew up.”
“You can only see how it really is if you can train here every day and be present. In Bayer Leverkusen you can work in peace, there is no chaos, the other clubs are more focused. This is an advantage. At Arsenal, the pressure is different.
But we have high ambitions because we know we have a lot of potential in the team. If we keep working like this and keep our feet on the ground, we can achieve something”, Xhaka mentioned when talking about the difference between playing for Arsenal and Leverkusen.
The 31-year-old would explain what it was like playing against Alonso compared to playing under him: “He was very unpleasant.
His sharpness, the certainty of his passes and the right timing meant that you didn’t even have to press against him. That’s what he tells us today. I have the feeling that in my two months here in Leverkusen I have taken another step forward in this respect. He tells us in small details what makes a good midfielder into a top midfielder.”
With Alonso getting the best out of his Leverkusen team and the Swiss midfielder saying that “the number six position suits me perfectly in Leverkusen”, Die Werkself can look forward to a season that could be historic. After the sixth game, they top the Bundesliga table and it doesn’t look like they will be leaving it anytime soon.
