Former Liverpool defender and Switzerland legend Stephane Henchoz has hit out angrily at Arsenal’s Granit Xhaka as he believes that the midfielder is not worthy of being the Swiss national team captain, according to a report from Goal.
The Arsenal man starred for the Swiss national team during the World Cup in Russia during the summer but came under heavy criticism for his double-headed eagle celebration after scoring against Serbia.
The goal itself was a typical thunderbolt from Xhaka but his political celebration did not sit well with Henchoz, who believes there was no need to do such a thing after scoring a goal.
The celebration was once again in the headlines this week as Arsenal defender Shkodran Mustafi replicated it after he scored the opener against Cardiff City.
Former Reds defender Henchoz believes Xhaka’s actions mean that he should not be the captain of the national team. He said:
I think the captain has to represent the Swiss team and Switzerland, Xhaka does not do that. This would be a real problem. Players like [Yann] Sommer, [Stephan] Lichtsteiner or [Fabian] Schar, who represent traditional Switzerland, could feel excluded, just like fans who might not be able to identify with the team. You have to train these young players to not only be footballers but also to represent Switzerland, even if they have other roots. The double-headed eagle has no business in this game. The double-headed eagle has no business with the national team.
Switzerland face England in a friendly on 11th September as the Premier League gets put on hold for the international break.
