Following his reaction towards the fans, the Switzerland international and Arsenal captain Granit Xhaka has revealed he reacted to the jeering after he was substituted simply because he has been getting death threats.
Xhaka was taken off by gaffer Unai Emery in Sunday’s 2-2 draw with Crystal Palace which saw the hosts throw away a 2-0 lead in the London derby.
The player reacted angrily to jeers from the fans, ripped off his shirt and marched straight to the tunnel.
But before he left the pitch, he cupped his ear and mouthed “f*ck off” at the stands.
The Swiss has now provided an explanation to the incident, according to a statement on the Premier League club’s Twitter handle.
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“After taking some time to reflect on what happened on Sunday afternoon, I would like to give you an explanation rather than just a quick response,” he said.
“The scenes that took place around my substitution have moved me deeply. I love this club and have always given 100 per cent on and off the pitch.
“My feeling of not being understood by fans, and repeated abusive comments at matches and on social media over the last weeks and months have hurt me deeply.
“People have said things like ‘We will break your legs,’ ‘kill your wife’ and ‘wish that your daughter gets cancer.’
“That has stirred me up and I reached [a] boiling point when I felt the rejection in the stadium on Sunday.
“In this situation I let myself be carried away and reacted in a way that disrespected the group of fans that support our club, our team and myself with positive energy. That has not been my intention and I’m sorry if it’s what people thought.
“My wish is that we get back to a place of mutual respect, remembering why we fell in love with the game in the first place. Let’s move positively forward together.”
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