Even before he had become an established player, Granit Xhaka was called better than Xherdan Shaqiri by previous Basel coach Thorsten Fink. It was a big claim because Shaqiri was considered the best talent to emerge from Switzerland in decades. However, Xhaka has shown an immense surge in talent since debuting in Basel . His ability to hit clean from distance has made him a fan favorite at every club he has played for. His passing ability is also great, but his indiscipline and inconsistency have kept him from becoming the player everyone close to him has hoped to be.

Born name

Granit Xhaka

nickname

Granit

Sun sign

Scale

Place of birth

Basel, Switzerland

nationality

training

Granit Xhaka started his football journey in the youth setup of Concordia Basel . He later entered the youth academy in Basel .

occupation

Professional soccer player

family

• Father – Ragip Xhaka (He was a political prisoner in former Yugoslavia.)
• Mutter – Eli Xhaka
• Siblings – Taulant Xhaka (Older Brother) (Former Soccer Player), Agnesa Xhaka (Sister)

Manager

Granit Xhaka is represented by his father Ragip Xhaka.

Position

midfield player

Shirt Number

34 – FC Basel 1893, Borussia Monchengladbach, Arsenal

29 – FC Arsenal

17, 10 – Switzerland national team

To build

Athletic

Height

6ft or 183cm

weight

70 kg or 154 lbs

girlfriend/spouse

Granite Xhaka Dated –

1. Leonita Xhaka (2017-Present) – In July 2017, Xhakaan married his girlfriend Leonita Lekaj, who is also of Kosovar Albanian descent, in a lavish and romantic wedding ceremony. They had first met when he had played Borussia Mönchengladbach .

race/ethnicity

White

He has Albanian ancestry.

hair colour

dark brown

eye color

dark brown

sexual orientation

Just

distinguishing features

Looks dashingly good

brand promotion

Granit Xhaka has a personal endorsement deal in Under Armor . He wears the brand’s shoes for his professional matches.

Known for

• Main component of the Swiss national team. He has played for the national team at the 2014 FIFA World Cup, 2018 FIFA World Cup and UEFA Euro 2016.
• After strong performances for the German side, Borussia Mönchengladbach . During his time at the club he completed around 140 appearances.

First football game

In July 2010, he made his professional debut with Basel in the 3rd qualifying round of the 2010–11 UEFA Champions League game against Debrecen . He scored his side’s last goal in the 2–0 win.

In August 2012, Xhaka made his debut for Borussia Mönchengladbach in a match against Alemannia Aachen in the first round of the DFB-Pokal.

In August 2016 he made his first appearance for Arsenal in the Premier League against Liverpool at Anfield Stadium. He replaced Mohamed Elneny in the 65th minute in his side’s 4-3 win.

In June 2011 he made his international debut in a UEFA Euro 2012 qualifier against England at Wembley Stadium.

Strengthen

• exceed range
• long shots
• set pieces
• Vision

weaknesses

• concentration
• tackle timing
• indiscipline

First TV show

In 2013, Granit Xhaka made his first TV show appearance in the sports documentary series, The Current Sport Studio .

Granit Xhaka Facts

1. At the end of his debut season with FC Basel he managed to win the Super League league title. He played 19 league games.
2. In his 2nd season with Basel , he played 23 games in the league. He also managed to win a domestic doubles with his club winning the league title and the Swiss Cup.
3. In May 2012, the Swiss club announced that they had signed a transfer deal with Borussia Mönchengladbach . The transfer deal was worth €8.5m.
4. In September 2012, he scored his first goal for Borussia Mönchengladbach in a 2–3 home loss against 1. FC Nürnberg . It was his only goal of the season.
5. Arsenal announced in May 2016 that they had reached an agreement to sign Xhaka from Borussia Mönchengladbach . The transfer fee has been reported to be between £30m and £35m.
6. He scored his first goal for the England team in September 2016 when he shot at a 25-yard screamer in a match at Hull City . His team won 4-1.
7. Just 4 days after his first goal, he scored another impressive long-range goal. This time he scored from 30 yards out in an EFL Cup match against Nottingham Forest , which ended 4–0.
8. In his debut season with Arsenal he managed to win an FA Cup. He even played against Chelsea in the final , which his side won 2–1.
9. Before deciding on his international allegiance, he was torn between representing his country of birth, Switzerland, and country of origin, Albania. He eventually chose the former as they had shown more interest in him while the Albanian FA ignored him.
10. He scored his first international goal in a match against Luxembourg , which was his 6th international cap. It was the only goal scored in that game.
11. During UEFA Euro 16, he became part of history when he faced his brother Taulant Xhaka in Switzerland’s game against Albania. His mother was present and chose to wear a t-shirt with the flags of both countries.
12. During the game in Switzerland, he was controversial against Serbia in the group stage of the 2018 FIFA World Cup. He and Xherdan Shaqiri decided to celebrate their goals by making an eagle gesture, which was a nod to the double-headed eagle on the Albanian flag.
13. He was slapped with a fine of 10,000 Swiss francs by FIFA for the political gesture during a game. Albania and Serbia were locked in a long dispute and Xhaka’s gesture was seen as an insult to the Serbian public.
14. Follow Granit Xhaka on Facebook and Instagram.