“I enjoyed the criticism”: Xhaka explains his provocative goal celebration

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One goal, one assist: after the whirlwind of recent days, Granit Xhaka showed against Andorra why he is so important to the national team from a sporting perspective. After the 3-0 win against the Pyrenees Kickers, the captain takes a stand. And talk about…

«We showed the answer again on the field. The first half wasn’t as bad as it seemed. Communication about the attack left something to be desired. After the break it was a very good performance, with more speed. And then the goals came. Three goals, three points: this win was a must. We wanted to get six points against Kosovo and Andorra, but now we have four. Nevertheless, we can be satisfied, we are still the leader in the group. »

“Anyone who knows me knows: I like to provoke. And when I am provoked, I provoke back. And I always give the answer on the field. There is occasional praise, but never much criticism. I’m curious how you judge me in the media now.”

“I liked it. I don’t care who says something from the left or from the right. We players are professional enough to keep the chatter out. I didn’t mention any names in my criticism after the match in Kosovo. It was also intended as a wake-up call for us players. My mistake was that I did not express my opinion about the training intensity internally earlier. As captain I should have made my presence felt during the week. In the last training before the match in Andorra, the intensity as I imagined.”

‘It was a very good conversation. We have spoken openly, very positively, I am happy about that. We have a good relationship. Murat was also a player who spoke clearly, we are similar in that respect. He knows me and knows how to deal with me. My words were not directed at him personally. And more was made of it than it really was. For me the matter is over now.”

Source : Blick