Granit Xhaka
Position: Centre Midfield
Age: 33
Country: Switzerland
Club: Sunderland AFC
League: Premier League
Major Honours: 1 X Bundesliga (Bayer 04 Leverkusen), 1 X German Cup (Bayer 04 Leverkusen), 2 X FA Cup (Arsenal FC), 2 X Swiss Champion (FC Basel) 1 X Swiss Cup (FC Basel)
"What Granit did is almost impossible in football. Only someone with a special mentality can rebuild his career after such a conflict with the fans and go on to become a club legend. He is the heart of the Arsenal dressing room."
Club History: FC Basel, Borussia Mönchengladbach, Arsenal FC, Bayer 04 Leverkusen, Sunderland AFC
-Ian Wright
The most influential general in football.
For a man whose father was imprisoned for his freedom, giving up was never an option. Today, he is the undefeated Bundesliga champion and the most respected “general” in European football. This is a story about how to change your destiny when the whole world is against you.
Imagine 60,000 people booing you, and you are the captain of the team. You throw your shirt on the ground in protest and leave the stadium. For most people, it would be the end of their careers, but not for Granit Xhaka.
The rise of The General
Granit Xhaka's footballing genes were forged on the streets of Basel, in a refugee neighbourhood. His family had immigrated to Switzerland from Kosovo just before the Yugoslav wars began in 1990, shortly after Granit and his brother Taulant were born. They were both was spotted by scouts from the country's top club (FC Basel) and transferred to the academy. The name Xhaka is etched into the history of FC Basel.
Granit Xhaka was 13 when he joined FC Basel
Xhaka stood out in all age groups of the academy not only for his passing skills, but also for his aggressive, uncompromising character. He was the loudest on the pitch — always dictating to his teammates and, despite his age, even pointing out mistakes to his seniors.
Granit Xhaka played 67 times for FC Basel scoring 3 goals
Soon, Xhaka had pushed the club's veterans out of the starting lineup and formed a brilliant central partnership with Benjamin Hugel. He operated as a classic deep-lying playmaker, winning the ball from defenders, distributing long passes to the wings, and at the same time, using his incredible physical strength to break up opposition attacks.
The turning point in Granit Xhaka's career came on December 7, 2011. Basel hosted Alex Ferguson's legendary Manchester United at home in the final round of the Champions League group stage. The Swiss needed only a win to advance from the group stage.
The perfect farewell
The 19-year-old Xhaka performed a real masterclass in the centre of the field - he completely neutralized Park Ji-sun and Ryan Giggs. Basel won 2-1, knocking Manchester out of the tournament, and Granit was on the radars of leading European clubs. In the same season (2011/12), he won the Swiss championship and the cup (double) with Basel, thus giving his native club a perfect farewell.
Granit Xhaka played 140 times for Gladbach scoring 9 goals
In 2015, the coach handed the captain's armband to 22-year-old Xhaka. It is very rare in Bundesliga history for a foreign player at such an age to be given the leadership of the team. Granit led Borussia to the Champions League, where he earned his famous nickname - "Alpha Wolf"
While at Gladbach, Xhaka received 5 red cards in 95 Bundesliga matches, which at the time was the fastest rate in the history of the competition for such a young player.
In the summer of 2012, despite interest from European giants, Xhaka made a wise move - he chose the Bundesliga for his development and moved to Borussia Mönchengladbach for €8.5 million.
The big move
In 2016, Arsene Wenger transferred Xhaka to Arsenal for €45 million. This period in Xhaka's life became a real psychological thriller. His long range goals and confrontations with opponents on the pitch quickly made him a fan favourite, but eventually his strong tackles and combative playstyle led to more red card incidents. The English media and fans soon made him the main scapegoat for all the team's failures.
“To now be at a big club like Arsenal is a dream come true. I am so happy.”
The peak came in October 2019. During a match against Crystal Palace, when the coach pulled Xhaka off the field, the 60,000-strong Emirates crowd began to boo their own captain. An emotional Granit shouted back at the fans, took off his shirt, threw it away and ran straight to the locker room. He was stripped of the captain's armband and his Arsenal career seemed to be over.
Following the Crystal Palace incident, Xhaka and his wife, Leonita, received thousands of death threats on social media, with trolls even threatening their new-born son. Xhaka later admitted that this family stress led to his stadium outburst.
“My luggage was already packed. I was ready to leave but he convinced me to stay.”
Everything changed with the arrival of Mikel Arteta. The Spanish specialist convinced Xhaka to stay at the club, moved him tactically further forward (in a box-to-box position), and Granit also underwent an amazing regeneration.
“He changed me completely - as a human being, on the pitch, outside the pitch.”
-Granit Xhaka talking about Mikel Arteta
Xhaka did not receive a single red card in his last three seasons at Arsenal. He completely transformed his self-discipline. The result exceeded expectations. Xhaka became an emotional leader and mentor for Arsenal's new, youth team. In his final season (2022/23), he played the peak football of his career, scoring 7 goals, making 7 assists and leading the team back to the Champions League.
"Fans want to know what character is, professionalism and how to overcome difficult moments, look at Granit Xhaka. He is exemplary."
— Mikel Arteta (2023).
His last match against Wolves (where he scored a brace) was an amazing sight: the stadium that had cursed him four years earlier was on its feet singing his name. Granit left London in tears but an absolute winner.
Xhaka played 297 times for Arsenal scoring 23 goals and winning 2 FA Cups
Back to Germany
Xhaka became the main matrix in Alonso's tactical "robot". He completely dominated the centre of the field and led Leverkusen to their first Bundesliga title in history, and in unprecedented style - an entire season without losing (from Neverkusen to the Invincibles). Xhaka proved that he is one of the best "brains" in European football.
In 2023, Xhaka returned to Germany, this time to Xabi Alonso's Leverkusen. Many thought the 31-year-old midfielder was moving to end his career, but in reality he was making history.
"Granit is the backbone of our team. His experience and mentality on the pitch change everything. He is my right hand."
— Xabi Alonso (2024).
Xhaka played 99 games for Bayer Leverkusen scoring 6 goals and winning the league unbeaten
Outside of club football, Xhaka is an absolute legend for the Swiss national team. He is the most capped player and captain in the country's history. He led Switzerland to a shock elimination of world champions France at Euro 2020, where Xhaka was named man of the match.
In EURO 2016 Granit played against his brother Taulant who chose to represent Albania
In the summer of 2025, Xhaka made another shocking decision. After winning everything in Germany, he returned to England, but not to London, but to Sunderland. Many were skeptical about this move, but the 2025/2026 season showed that the alpha wolf is hungry for challenges. As the team captain, he led the Black Cats to 7th place and a place in the Europa League. Recognized by the fans as the best player of the year, Xhaka today proves that nothing is impossible for a true leader..
Early in their careers, the Jacques brothers (Granit and Taulant) made a deal with their parents: 80% of their earned salary would be transferred directly to their parents' account. Granit said: "Money is just numbers, family is everything. We have so many obligations to them that we don't even think about giving them a salary."
“I want to become a world champion. you can dream about it, Because anything is possible in football.”
Written by Nini Giorgadze