Granit Xhaka played for Arsenal for seven years (Photo: Getty)
Arsenal hero Granit Xhaka admits he really doesn’t want to come up against his former side in next season’s Champions League.
The Switzerland captain is set to play in the UCL for the first time in seven years after helping Bayer Leverkusen to win an invincible league and cup double.
Remarkably, Xabi Alonso’s side lost just one of their 53 games in 2023/24, their only defeat coming against Atalanta in the Europa League final.
Xhaka, 31, played a pivotal part, scoring in the game that clinched the Bundesliga title as well as grabbing the winning goal in the DFB-Pokal.
They’ll look to defend their crowns next season whilst competing against Europe’s very best teams, including Arsenal who qualified for the Champions League after finishing runner-up to Manchester City in the Premier League.
Thanks to UEFA club coefficient, both the Gunners and Leverkusen have been seeded in Pot 2, which in previous years would mean they could not be drawn against each other until after the group stage.
However, the UCL format is radically changing in 2024/25, with four groups of nine teams and at least two clubs from the same pot in any group.
Xhaka won an invincible league and cup double in his first year at Bayer Leverkusen (Photo: Getty)
But when asked how he felt about the possibility of coming up against his former teammates, Xhaka said: ‘If I’m honest, I don’t want to play against them.
‘Everyone knows what a beautiful seven years I had there, but if it’s so, for sure, to enjoy it.’
Arsene Wenger signed Xhaka from Borussia Monchengladbach back in 2016 in a deal upwards of £30million but his first few seasons at the Emirates were not his best.
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He was made captain in 2019 but was stripped of the armband just a month later after clashing with fans during a 2-2 draw with Crystal Palace and it seemed his time in North London was over.
Mikel Arteta encouraged the midfielder to stay however, and he would end up becoming one of the manager’s most reliable and important players, and by the time of his departure last summer had transformed into a firm fan favourite.
Overall, he would make 297 appearances for Arsenal, winning two FA Cups and two Community Shields.
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