Granit Xhaka has been stripped of the Arsenal captaincy, manager Unai Emery has announced.

Emery told Xhaka on Tuesday morning he was no longer part of the Gunners’ leadership group and said that Xhaka “accepted” the decision.

The Spaniard revealed the news at a press conference ahead of Arsenal’s Europa League clash with Portuguese side Vitoria in Guimaraes on Wednesday.

The 27-year-old Switzerland international has been left out of the squad for the match.

Xhaka has not played for the club since he told fans to “f*** off” when he was booed following his substitution against Crystal Palace on October 27th.

He revealed death threats against his wife and messages wishing his daughter got cancer pushed him to “boiling point” and that is why he lashed out at fans.

“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 in an Instagram post four days after the incident.

“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.”

Provided by Press Association Sport