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Granit Xhaka on an Arsenal jersey. Photo by @cfcunofficial (Chelsea Debs) London.

Top 10 Interesting Facts about Granit Xhaka

Granit Xhaka is a Swiss International footballer who plays for Premier League Club Arsenal as a midfielder. He was born on 27^th September 1992 in Basel City, Switzerland.

He was born to an Albanian family which was from Podujevo, then part of the SFR Yugoslavia. He is the descendant of Ragip Xhaka and Elmaze Xhaka. He was raised alongside his brother Taulant Xhaka who is also a footballer.

His parents relocated to Basel to start a family which turned out to be the right decision for Xhaka and his brother to grow in their careers.

Granit Xhaka married Leonita Lekej in 2017 after dating her for two years. The couple met during his time at the German Bundesliga Club Borussia Monchengladbach in 2015 and got engaged in June 2016.  

The couple welcomed their baby girl on the 7^th of October 2019 and named her Ayana Xhaka.

Below are the top 10 interesting facts about Granit Xhaka

1. He Began his Career at a Very Young Age

Granit Xhaka. Photo by Fanny Schertzer.

Xhaka having been born in 1992 began his career in 2000. He was very young at the time when he began his football career with Concordia Basel in 2000. He played alongside his brother Taulant Xhaka in the team.

After playing in the club for years, they both moved to Basel. He was successful at an early age and gained popularity as a young star.

He joined the under 20 team for his nation and his talent was noted at the moment. In 2009, he was part of the Swiss team which won the FIFA U-17 World Cup.

Since then he has joined many clubs and joined Arsenal on 5^th May 2016. He made his first Arsenal debut with a 2-1 win over MLS ALL-Stars.  

2. His Father was a Political Prisoner

His father Ragip was a political prisoner for three and half years. He was arrested at the age of twenty-two as a student at the University of Pristina.

He was arrested for demonstrating against the central government in Belgrade. His father revealed that he was severely tortured and went through hell during his time in jail.

3. He was Part of the Swiss Team Which Won the FIFA U-17 World Cup in 2009

Switzerland under 21 team. Photo by henrikalexandersen.

Granit Xhaka was playing for Basel in 2009 when they won the FIFA U-17 World Cup. The tournament was the thirteenth of the FIFA U-17 World Cup.

It was held in Nigeria from 24^th October to 15^th November 2009. Switzerland won the tournament, beating the host team Nigeria, the Holders.    

4. He began his career at Hometown Club Basel

Basel is a Swiss football club that is based in Basel. It was formed in 1893 and has won the Swiss National Champions twenty times and the Swiss League Cup once.

Xhaka played for Basel since the beginning of the 2010-11 season. He made his first debut in the third qualifying round of the 2010-11 EUFA Champions League.

At the end of the league, Xhaka won the Super League Champions title, the Swiss Cup, and the League Champions title.

5. He Voluntarily Gave 鈧�20,000 to Charity as an Apology for Striking his Opponent

Switzerland vs. Argentina, 29th February 2012. Photo by Fanny Schertzer.

 Xhaka voluntarily gave 鈧�20,000 to charity as an apology for striking an opponent in his 95^th game on 20^th December 2015. This strike also saw him receive his fifth red card for the team.  

At that time Xhaka was playing for Borussia Monchengladbach which he joined on 18^th May 2012. He excelled in his career causing his team to finish in third place and qualify for the 2015-16 UEFA Champions League.

6. Xhaka Captained Borussia Monchengladbach

Xhaka joined Borussia Monchengladbach in 2012. He made his first debut in the first-round match against Alemannia Aachen on 18^th August 2012. 

Xhaka captained Borussia on 23^rd September 2015 and scored his first goal of the season against FC Nurnberg. He also captained his team and he scored in a 3-1 win against VFB Stuttgart.

Under his captaincy in the team, he was able to lead his team to victory in a 4-2 victory against FC Augsburg.

7. Xhaka was Stripped of his Captaincy from the Arsenal Club

Xhaka was announced as the new captain of the Gunners on 7^th September 2019 by Arsenal manager Unai Emery.  This was three years after joining the club on 25^th May 2016.

Xhaka however was involved in various misconduct where he made several gestures and angrily sayings 鈥渇uck off鈥� to fans who jeered his name when he was called for a replacement.

The manager suggested that he should apologize and was later offered to counsel. As a result of the misconduct, he was stripped of his captaincy which was given to Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang on 5^th November 2019.

8. He was Named Winner of the Club鈥檚 Annual Goal of the 2021-22 Season

Xhaka was named the winner of the club鈥檚 annual goal of the season. This was his first goal of the 2021/22 season where he made a stunning strike with a long range of 25 yards.

It was the game between Arsenal and Manchester United at the Emirates Stadium which led to a win of 3-1.

9. He Represented Switzerland in the FIFA World Cup

Granit Xhaka playing for Switzerland. Photo by Ludovic P茅ron.

Xhaka represents his native country in the World Cup. He first made his international debut in a 2-2 UEFA Euro 2010 qualification draw. He has since then represented his nation in the 2014 World Cup and 2016 Euro Cup. He was also named in the 2018 FIFA World Cup for his nation along with other teammates.

10. He was the Eighth Most Googled Personality in Switzerland in 2018

According to statistics, Xhaka was the eighth most googled personality in Switzerland in 2018. His unmatched talent in the country has seen most people search more about him on the google platform.  

Granit Xhaka has successfully grown in his career as a midfielder in the Arsenal team since he signed in 2016. He has been part of the key Gunners player who has caused it to excel in the Premier League and other tournaments.