Congrats to Granit Xhaka on his success in Germany, Sunderland, and Arsenal.
Kelly Somers: What has been the toughest turning point in your career?
Granite Zaka: I have two difficult moments. The first was when I moved to Germany for the first time, away from my family, at about 19 years old. The move was very difficult for me. Everyone knows how close I am to my family, and it was hard being away from them. I didn’t get the minutes I wanted [on the pitch] And I wanted to go six months later in January, but my father was behind me. He said: ‘If you walk away now, you’ll always walk away, so get your head down and just work.’ I did, and everything changed.
The second part is not a big mystery. This incident occurred in 2019 when I had a misunderstanding with Arsenal fans. I call it a misunderstanding… with Arsenal fans. Two moments where I feel I have become stronger and better because it is part of a process. This is all part of writing history. On one hand, it’s unfortunate that this happened. On one hand, I was lucky to find it.
Kelly: Now you’re back in the Premier League, have you had the opportunity to reflect on your entire tenure at Arsenal? You experienced both incredible highs and very difficult moments during your tenure at Arsenal.
Granite: Generally, I believe people focus on my time in 2019
But I came in 2016, so to be part of a football club for seven years makes me proud… It is not straightforward to stay at this level for seven years. And yes, when I left Arsenal, it was a difficult decision for me and my family because we were happy there. However, while I was considering other options, I received another offer that was more immediate. To be honest, I didn’t expect to return to the Premier League after two years. This plan was not for me or our family.
Kelly: So you never wanted to come back?
Granite: I wanted it, but it wasn’t planned. When I left Arsenal, I signed a five-year contract at Leverkusen. So everything was planned based on what would happen after five years. But I always say in football, you never know where you will be tomorrow.
Kelly: Then why did you come back?
Granite: Even the people closest to me were saying, ‘Why are you going back to the Premier League to join Sunderland? ‘ That’s why I came back. I love a challenge, and I was feeling like I needed a new one. After two years in Germany, where in the first year we won almost everything… we went unbeaten in the Bundesliga, won the cup, and lost the Europa League final, which was very painful. When I talked to them, I felt that the owner, the club, and the coach made it clear this was the right club for me because the people are very polite. The place is a small town where I grew up. I just wanted to come back to reality, which is the right direction for me and my family. I’m just pleased that right now everything is going the way I wanted it to.
Kelly: You must have hoped it would be good; otherwise, you wouldn’t have come here. But has it exceeded your expectations?
Granite: The first thing I said to the club was, ‘I’m not coming here to play in the Premier League for a year and lose, because I’m leaving a Champions League club. I am coming here to take this project forward.
Kelly: I find it fascinating, because you may have had other offers to come back to the Premier League…
Granite: To be honest, it was a busy summer! I am 33 years old. I spoke to my brother, and I said, ‘I’ve never had so many offers before! It was very busy during the summer because various people came every day. But I decided for myself – after a 20-minute call with the owner – I wanted to go to Sunderland. I was very confident.
