New Delhi: It has been a wonderful year for the Swiss midfielder Granit Xhaka and it might get better in the upcoming few months as he looks like one of the major players to get nominated for the prestigious Ballon Do’r. The Swiss veteran has had his fair share of ups and downs throughout his senior career. Ever since he departed from Arsenal, where he spent seven years, and joined Xabi Alonso at Bayer Leverkusen, he has only gotten better and has had a season to remember.
Xhaka made his move to Arsenal after a stellar campaign with Borussia Monchengladbach at the age of 23. He was considered one of the top Midfield performers in the Bundesliga and Arsene Wenger was tracking the player throughout that campaign hoping to get his signature to be a part of the Arsenal squad. Arsene Wenger was a massive fan of Xhaka’s aggression on the pitch and his determination to win every game. Besides, he had leadership qualities at the age of 23, which is a rare thing to see, proving that he could certainly become one of the best leaders in the premier league.
Xhaka had a wonderful start to his Arsenal career, and the fans adored him. He was consistently producing top-class performances playing as a defensive midfielder and impressed everyone with his ability to make precise long passes and his range of passing, hard tacking, ability to read the game and soon made a reputation of scoring screamers from outside the box. Xhaka soon became an influential figure down the Arsenal midfield playing a deeper role showcasing his abilities.
Soon, the midfielder was given the role of captaining the side. However, there were some turbulent times for the Swiss international as Arsenal had a few of their worst performances in the premier league. Their fans largely criticised Xhaka’s captaincy, which resulted in his dip in form. The Arsenal fans were brutal as they began to boo and whistle at him which eventually frustrated the Swiss international. While his form on the pitch kept on dipping, the Arsenal fans showed no mercy in trolling and threatening the midfielder.
LONDON, ENGLAND – OCTOBER 27: Granit Xhaka of Arsenal reacts to the crowd after being substituted by Manager Unai Emery during the Premier League match between Arsenal FC and Crystal Palace at Emirates Stadium on October 27, 2019 in London, United Kingdom. (Photo by Visionhaus)
It was almost certain that he might leave the club in the 2019-20 season, but he was somehow convinced not to as the relationship between the player and the fans got better. However, he was stripped of the captaincy for a while until he recovered and gained his confidence back to perform again. He became a crucial figure for the Arsenal side who also recovered back to become title contenders again, as Xhaka was able to re-ignite his relationship with the fans and improve his performances on the pitch.
A career-changing season
BERLIN, GERMANY – MAY 25: Granit Xhaka of Bayer 04 Leverkusen lifts the trophy and celebrates the win after the DFB Cup Final match between 1. FC Kaiserslautern and Bayer 04 Leverkusen at Olympiastadion on May 25, 2024 in Berlin, Germany. (Photo by Jörg Schüler/Bayer 04 Leverkusen via Getty Images)
After last few good seasons at Arsenal, Xhaka finally bid farewell to the adoring Arsenal fans, a transfer that went under the radar, to join Bayer Leverkusen in the 2023-24 season. Xhaka became an immediate starter under Xabi Alonso, producing wonderful performances for Bayer Leverkusen while also being given the responsibility to lead the side. He became a part of a historic campaign for Bayer Leverkusen who went on to win the Bundesliga for the very first time in their history without losing a single match throughout the campaign.
The 31-year-old midfielder played a crucial part in their success, dictating from the midfield and leading by example. That season, Xhaka hardly missed any matches, playing 33 games throughout the campaign where he performed brilliantly as a holding midfielder with the freedom to move up front being a part of the attack. The Swiss international showed his class down the middle with his precise passing, aggression on the pitch, and most importantly his leadership that helped Leverkusen win the Bundesliga, the DFB Pokal, and also reach the Europa League final.
As the season ended, Xhaka proved why he was such an integral part of the squad with an overall passing accuracy of 92.1% which was one of the best in the league and besides, he looked good with his tackles and possession winning. So far he has had a brilliant Euro campaign where he has already produced some match-winning performances, as he was named man of the match on two out of the three group stage matches that Switzerland played.
He has been Switzerland’s talisman this season, leading the side to a brilliant Euro run as they made it out of the group stages and knocked out the defending champions Italy in their recent round of 16 clash, where they beat the Italians 2-0. Xhaka’s incredible campaign continues to reach new heights as his national side look ready for the quarter-final. This might turn into an incredible story as Xhaka might be on the road to becoming a potential Ballon D’or nominee for the very first time in his career. If Switzerland manages to lift the Euro championship, it will be hard to deny the fact that their skipper just might do the unthinkable and be amongst the top contenders to win the Ballon d’Or.
Granit Xhaka has had a wonderful season, both at the club level, as well as for his national side Switzerland. So is he a potential Nominee for the illustrious Ballon D’or? Football Sports News: Latest Cricket News, Cricket Live Score, Sports Breaking News from Sports Today
