Arsenal hero Granit Xhaka admits he really doesn’t want to come up against his former side in next season’s Champions League . The Switzerland captain is set to play in the UCL for the first time in seven years after helping Bayer Leverkusen to win an invincible league and cup double . Remarkably, Xabi Alonso’s side lost just one of their 53 games in 2023/24, their only defeat coming against Atalanta in the Europa League final.
Xhaka, 31, played a pivotal part, scoring in the game that clinched the Bundesliga title as well as grabbing the winning goal in the DFB-Pokal. They’ll look to defend their crowns next season whilst competing against Europe’s very best teams, including Arsenal who qualified for the Champions League after finishing runner-up to Manchester City in the Premier League. Thanks to UEFA club coefficient, both the Gunners and Leverkusen have been seeded in Pot 2, which in previous years would mean they could not be drawn against each other until after the group stage.
However, the UCL format is radically changing in 2024/25, with four groups of nine teams and at least two clubs from the same pot in any group. But when asked how he felt about the possibility of coming up against his former teammates, Xhaka said: ‘If I’m honest, I don’t want to play against them. ‘Everyone knows what a beautiful seven years I had there, but if it’s so, for sure, to enjoy it.
’ Arsene Wenger signed Xhaka from Borussia Monchengladbach back in 2016 in a deal up.
