ARSENAL star Granit Xhaka has warned online trolls their constant abuse is ‘killing football.’
A recent report found Xhaka’s name appeared in more than 1,300 abusive tweets in a 30-day period around the Gunners’ 1-0 home defeat to Burnley when Xhaka was sent off.
Granit Xhaka hit out at trolls who abused his familyCredit: Refer to Caption
The shocking results showed ’16 instances of targeted racist abuse, including posts from accounts who self-identify as Arsenal season ticket holders’.
Xhaka also received a barrel full of abuse last season when he fell out with supporters.
After being subbed against Crystal Palace on the hour mark, Xhaka gestured and swore at fans when he was jeered off the field.
He later revealed he reached boiling point after his family, including his one-year-old daughter, was targetted by abuse on social media.
When asked about the results on the recent survey, Xhaha responded: “It’s one of many if I’m honest.
“If I showed the others what they write, I think I’ll have to close my social media and I think everyone has to close their social media.
“I say that before, I say that now and I will say it always as well, it’s only about me I am the one on the pitch.
“It’s not my wife it’s not my little one, it’s not my family. If you want to criticise someone, like a person, like a player, no problem, criticise me.
The Arsenal ace admitted his one-year-old daughter has also been targettedCredit: Instagram
Xhaka was jeered off by Arsenal fans against Crystal Palace last seasonCredit: Reuters
“But don’t get other people involved because they have nothing to do with my job.
“Secondly I have had a lot of help from the club. It’s something we have to speak very openly about it.
“We don’t have to be quiet and say ‘keep it with me’ because it’s not always easy. But the club was here for me and for my family.”
Xhaka added how he would like to look at the trolls who are ‘killing football’ in the eye and ask them why they do it.
He added: “The problem is only if you lose.
“It’s not a problem when you win. If you lose everyone hates you, everyone is writing you things where it’s not possible to understand how they’re writing stuff like this.
“I wish I could meet the people who write these things, to sit with them eye to eye and ask him ‘why are you writing things like this?’
“Not only for me personally because it happens a lot in the past few weeks, but only to know what he’s feeling in this moment when he writes things like this.
“It is not acceptable, so we have to open our eyes and speak a lot because I think you kill football like this if people start to talk about a family or player or things like this.”
Xhaka is just one of many footballers who have been forced to deal with racist abuse.
Manchester United’s Anthony Martial, Axel Tuanzebe and Paul Pogba have received vile racist comments in recent weeks.
When asked on his solution to the ongoing issue, Xhaka responded: “Of course you read the messages but in the end, you have to accept what people think and they write.
“You can’t give them an answer, because they are waiting for this.
“The only answer we can give is to speak with our people around the club and to tell them what happened with us. Everything else I don’t think this is our job to give them the answer.”
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Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
