Xhaka explains outburst

Arsenal captain Granit Xhaka has revealed death threats against his family pushed him to boiling point as he stormed off against Crystal Palace. The Switzerland midfielder appeared to mouth expletives as he was jeered while being substituted during Sunday’s 2-2 Premier League draw with the Eagles at the Emirates.
That promoted even more fury among the Gunners’ faithful but Xhaka has moved to explain his actions. “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,” he wrote on Instagram. “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.”
Manager Unai Emery on Tuesday refused to discuss Xhaka’s position as captain and he was rested for the Carabao Cup defeat to Liverpool, in match that Arsenal went down on penalties at Anfield.
In a lengthy post by way of explanation he did not offer a direct apology for his actions, only saying sorry if people felt he had been disrespectful. “In this situation I let myself get carried away and reacted in a way that disrespected the group of fans that support our club, our team and myself with positive energy,” added the 27-year-old.
The Gunners find themselves in fifth place in the Premier League table after the stalemate with Palace.
It remains to be seen if Xhaka will be involved on Saturday when Arsenal return to league action at home to Wolves.
Doubts also remain over Xhaka’s status as the club’s skipper, with some suggesting the midfielder can no longer hold the position with the north London outfit after his recent outburst.