From the Balkans to Basel
Granit Xhaka was born September 27th, 1992 in Basel, Switzerland. Second-born son of Ragip & Elmaze Xhaka. The young couple fled to Basel in 1990 due to the increasing hostility and tension in their hometown of Kursumlija, Serbia, which was on the brink of civil war.
Ragip had recently been released from prison after serving a three-year sentence for publicly protesting the communist Yugoslavian regime in Kosovo.
Elmaze met Ragip only three months prior to his incarceration, but
she nobly waited for the duration of his entire sentence before being reunited. They fled to Basel soon afterwards.
“He was a proud Kosovan and he thought they had a right to exist. He was standing up for their rights and they were basic democratic rights –necessities, such as being able to vote.
It was not only him. There were other people arrested, including his uncle, who had been jailed a number of years earlier. He got 15-years. It was strictly political. My dad was asking: ‘Why aren’t we democrats here? We deserve to be democrats. We deserve to be heard.”
The Xhaka brothers and Granit’s early rise
At the age of six, Xhaka first took to the field along with his elder brother Taulant, who would also go on to have an impressive professional career.
But while the sibling-pair were undoubtably talented, it was Granit that flourished.
Granit’s name was whispered throughout the swiss footballing community, and it was not before long that the prestigious FC Basel came knocking. Ragip and Elmaze welcomed the club’s intent to place both Granit & Taulant into their youth academy.
During the early years of his development Granit featured for Concordia; the sister club of FC Basel. Xhaka adapted quickly to life as a footballer, gaining a reputation for being a leader.
It was also clear that he was a player with a mindset beyond his numerical age. This often saw him carry the weight of expectation, and a feeling of personal responsibility on his shoulders.
His undeniable passion for the game was evident. At times, however, this concoction led to outbursts of rash behavior, which was a cause for concern for his peers.
In July 2010, Granit broke through to cement himself in the first team of FC Basel after being given his senior debut by manager Thorsten Fink in the Champions League against Debrecen.
Xhaka not only played a pivotal part in controlling the game, but scored the second goal to secure a 2-0 win for his side. He would go on to be key factor in FC Basel securing back-to-back league titles in both 2010/11
and 2011/12.
As he honed his craft his reputation grew, and as the 2012 campaign ended,
Granit secured a move to a German juggernaut Borussia Monchengladbach at the age of nineteen for a reported £7.65m.
Swiss recognition and Gladbach progression
“Whenever I have two days off, I go to Basel. I meet my family, and when Basel plays, I go to the stadium to support Taulant.
I’ll be back one day, of course, I do not think this at 28, but I think when I’m 30, like Alex Frei. To win a title. A great dream when you come back and, of course, the expectations are higher”
On June 4th, 2011, Xhaka was handed his first senior international cap during the Euro 2012 qualifiers, which ended in a 2-2 draw against England at the Famous Wembley stadium. But it did not come without controversy.
Xhaka was caught in the middle of a tug-of-war between Switzerland and his native Kosovo (Albania). But Granit opted to remain with his adopted Swiss national side.
To date, he has now amassed over 80 international appearances, including two world cup tournaments, and two European championships.
During Xhaka’s time in the Bundesliga with Borussia Mönchengladbach he matured further both physically and mentally.
His physical development allowed him to become a more dominate force in the centre of the park, and a player very much willing to put his body on the line whilst retaining his technical flair and impressive range of passing. Something on which he built his reputation.
In 2015 at the age of 22, Xhaka was announced as Gladbach club captain, an honour not often achieved by players so early in their career.
Impressively, he would successfully lead his side to two consecutive Champions League qualifications during his time as skipper.
North London beckons
“I’m very proud to be joining Arsenal, I cannot wait to move to London, represent this special club, and play in the Premier League.
I will give everything to help Arsenal win trophies and make the fans happy.”
After impressing on the big stage, Xhaka secured a move to Premier League giants Arsenal on May 25th, 2016 for a fee reported to be in the region of £30-35m.
He would constitute one of the last major signings for the clubs most successful manager, Arsène Wenger.
Xhaka had been targeted to help reinforce the Gunners’ struggles in midfield, which had come under heavy criticism in recent years.
But it was far from smooth sailing for the Swiss international.
The Gladbach stalwart arrived at the Emirates whilst the club were in free fall, distancing themselves from the glory of years past. This eventually led to the mutual agreement between Arsenal and Wenger to part ways, ending a 22-year reign.
After what seemed to be an extremely dragged out process, the club appointed ex- Paris Saint-Germain boss Unai Emery to the surprise of many.
Initially, Xhaka’s time under Emery was positive, as Arsenal marched to
an impressive twenty-two games unbeaten under the Spaniard. However, the feeling of joy quickly turned to ash as Arsenal were humiliated during the Europa League final in which they lost 4-1 to domestic rivals Chelsea.
This performance, once again, called into question the mental resilience of the North Londoner club, with Xhaka in particular coming under scrutiny.
A night of broken relationships; Xhaka and the fans
The following campaign picked up where it left off; poor form, failure to pick up points, and what many considered a complete lack of playing style.
Granit had come under fire from fans and pundits for numerous high-profile mistakes as well as holding the position of captain during the now-dubbed demise of the club. This was evident during multiple games when the Emirates crowd would erupt into booing at the announcement of his name.
The pressure pot boiled over on October 27th , 2019 during a clash
against Crystal Palace at the Emirates.
Emery had signaled for Xhaka to be replaced, which sparked
sections of the crowd to boo. Granit responded by slowly walking off the pitch, with the frustration emanating growing louder and more hostile.
Xhaka then removed the captains armband and threw it on the floor. What
started out as sections of the crowd was now a choir of sixty-thousand.
Granit added fuel to the fire by swearing and gesturing to the home support. Finally, he proceeded to remove the famous red & white top, and disappeared down the tunnel as the boos continued to echo around ground.
In the eyes of the majority, Granit Xhaka had just played his final game for Arsenal.
During Xhaka’s hiatus Arsenal’s poor form continued, which subsequently led to Unai Emery being relieved of his duties as head coach.
The board opted to go in a different direction in the form of ex-club captain
Mikel Arteta as his eventual replacement. During Mikel’s first press conference one of the most notable statements made was that every player would be given a clean slate, and a chance to prove themselves regardless of what occurred under previous regimes.
Many saw this as a direct message to Granit, and many were not on board.
Xhaka’s path to redemption
“My dad showed an incredible strength, and Taulant and I have grown up with his mental strength.
We had this idol, this role model, who taught us that you have to be strong to achieve things. So we grew up very strong. It’s why on the pitch, we have this mental strength to get over things and really go for it.”
Arteta stuck true to his word, and reinstated Xhaka into the Arsenal midfield with the noticeable absence of the captain’s armband.
Many were apprehensive about the reaction the Swiss international would receive from the Arsenal faithful upon his return, but there was something different. A steely determination not yet seen sense his arrival in 2016.
Granit very much let his football do the talking, battling for every ball,
and commanding his teammates through times of difficulty. Most of all, showing love for the badge.
Xhaka is no stranger to adversity; it runs through his veins in many ways. His parents fleeing their homeland, being scrutinized over national identity, or being the venting board of millions when something isn’t going to plan.
But one thing is certain; Granit Xhaka’s tale – resurgence, even – is truly
inspiring.
To feel the hatred of sixty-thousand people flow directly towards you, yet still give everything for the thing you love, that takes a special kind of person. It takes a captain.
It’s refreshing to see yourself, Tom and others on TGT seeing Xhaka for who he has become under Arteta and not the player he was before Arteta came. I’ve quite enjoyed the Xhaka redemption arc, and while he might not be an ideal starting CM for a title contending team, he’s certainly more than capable of being an important CM in the race for top 4. It’s also clear that he can thrive when there’s structure and a clear tactical strategy to follow.
I’m hoping he can continue his string of impressive performances tomorrow and next season to prove all those doubters wrong!
It is important to see what rise he has gone through. Massively important.