Former Arsenal star heaps praise on Mikel Arteta

Granit Xhaka recounts the time considered "chaotic" on Mikel Arteta's first day at Arsenal, marking the beginning of a transformation that revitalized both him and the club.

Ahead of his first encounter with his former club, Granit Xhaka shared a memorable moment about Mikel Arteta, who changed his career and character. The ex-Arsenal captain revealed “a lesson from the chairs” that Arteta conducted on his first day in charge at Emirates, which left the entire team “stunned” and laid the foundation for the subsequent revolution.

Recounting to The Athletic, Xhaka said: “I will never forget Mikel’s first day. In the large meeting room at the training center, chairs were scattered everywhere. Arsenal was truly in chaos at that time.

Mikel gathered all staff and players and said, ‘From the outside, you look like this – chaotic’. Then he asked everyone to arrange the chairs neatly and said, ‘I want you to be like this every day.’ We were all shocked. That was the first day, and he started setting the standards”

From that small lesson, Arteta began building a work culture, discipline, and fighting spirit at Arsenal, which later became the foundation for the team’s resurgence. Xhaka affirmed: “He views football differently. Working with Arteta is an incredible experience”

Before Arteta arrived, Xhaka was at the center of criticism. The incident during the 2-2 draw with Crystal Palace in October 2019 was the biggest breaking point. When substituted, he was booed by home fans, responded with provocative gestures, walked off the pitch, and threw away the captain’s armband. This led to him being excluded from the squad for five consecutive matches, and as he recalled, “the luggage was already packed” to leave London in January 2020.

“I had a contract on the table with another club. I thought my time at Arsenal was over. But then Mikel came. He spoke to me twice and convinced me to stay, saying I was still in the right place. From that day, I trusted him completely. Everything he said became reality”

Xhaka admitted that Arteta helped him grow both in character and football mindset: “At 26, 27 years old, not everyone is mature. I made foolish mistakes, got unnecessary yellow and red cards. But Mikel changed me. He helped me control myself, understand the value of patience and discipline”

Now, as he prepares to face Arsenal again, Granit Xhaka is not only a symbol of resilience but also proof of Mikel Arteta’s profound influence, who turned “chaos” into order and transformed a player who seemed defeated into a true leader.