01 Nov Arsenal captain pushed to “boiling point” after vile online abuse

Arsenal captain Granit Xhaka says death threats against his family via social media led to his angry reaction to jeers from his own fans.

Xhaka, 27, swore at Arsenal supporters who mocked his substitution in Sunday’s 2-2 draw against Crystal Palace.

The Swiss midfielder cupped his ear before removing his shirt and disappearing down the tunnel. Calls have come for him to be stripped of the captaincy following his furious outburst.

Xhaka, who joined Arsenal for £35 million in 2016, broke his silence via Instagram revealing the online abuse pushed him to “boiling point”.

"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," Xhaka said in a statement.

"The scenes that took place around my substitution have moved me deeply. I love this club and always give 100 per cent on and off the pitch.

"My feeling of not being understood by fans, and repeated abusive comments at matches and in 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 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 that's what people thought.

"My wish is that we get back to a place of mutual respect, remembering why we fell in love with this game in the first place. Let's move forward positively together."

A player vote installed Xhaka as Arsenal captain, but many Gunners fans believe he doesn’t warrant a place in Unai Emery’s starting line-up.

The pressure is mounting on Emery with Arsenal four points adrift of fourth place Chelsea.

The following is a message from Granit Xhaka… pic.twitter.com/YG5lBKmQvi

— Arsenal (@Arsenal) October 31, 2019