Arsenal and Granit Xhaka: Leadersip, not captaincy, vital

Granit Xhaka was named Arsenal’s club captain on Friday. The decision was expected. But really, it is not the captaincy that is important. It is leadership.

It was the decision that everyone expected. After lumbering around the subject ever since Laurent Koscielny threw his toys out the pram, Petr Cech retired and Aaron Ramsey walked out the door at the expiration of his contract, Unai Emery needed to appoint a new captain of his Arsenal team. Rightly or wrongly, everyone knew it would be Granit Xhaka.

Find the latest episode of the Pain in the Arsenal Podcast here — Conclusions in the Chaos

And on Friday lunchtime, two months late and eight games into the season, Emery finally made the decision official: Xhaka would be Arsenal’s club captain.

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For his performances on the pitch, there has been a great deal of criticism regarding this decision. Large swathes of the fan base want him dropped, and can you have the captain of a club who is not playing regularly. Well, why don’t you ask Laurent Koscielny, Per Mertesacker and Mikel Arteta?

Xhaka’s being made captain does not necessitate his starting. It certainly hints at it, no question, but if his performances are not up to the required standard, Emery will be willing to drop him, should it come to that.

This decision was not made on performance or ability, but rather the individual’s propensity to lead, and that is where Xhaka undoubtedly excels.

In an excellent piece this week, Amy Lawrence of The Athletic delved into the personal background of Xhaka, investigating his character and the curious agreement that everyone he has ever worked with or under believes that he is a capable leader. Swiss and FC Basel football writer Michael Martin noted Xhaka’s personality from a young age as he came through the club’s youth ranks:

"“He was the boss. He was loud, aggressive, a natural born leader.”"

Suddeutsche Zeitung’s Philipp Selldorf echoed those sentiments once Xhaka made the move to Borussia Monchengladbach, from where Arsenal would sign him in 2016:

"“He quickly found his place in the team and for a young person it was notable he was a very strong character from the beginning. He always thought he was a leader. That was interesting.”"

Xhaka’s captaincy credentials are based not on the quality of his play, but the quality of his character. His teammate and captain challenger Rob Holding extolled his virtues in the same Lawrence piece:

"“I love Granit in the changing room. I think he is great. He is really switched on to people being late, people using the phones. He is quick to dish out the fines. He is a great leader and just another positive person to have in the changing room. He is very demanding and makes demands of us. He puts accountability on ourselves, which is important as a leader.”"

It is undeniable that Xhaka is a popular, well-respected, well-followed individual. He is a leader in every sense of the word, even his play on the pitch belies his true impact.  And that is why this decision has been made. Because, really, the captain’s armband does not matter. Who wears it carries no more significance or importance than any other player on the pitch. What really matters is leadership, and for all of his other flaws and inequities, Xhaka is a great leader.