Granit Xhaka has broken his silence on his Sunderland future after deciding to stay at the club amid a transfer bid from Chelsea. The Stamford Bridge side were keen to reunite Xhaka with manager Xabi Alonso this summer, but a paltry £8 million bid was rejected by Sunderland, who made it clear their captain wasn't for sale.
Xhaka's Decision: Family First
Speaking after Switzerland's World Cup win over Colombia, which saw them reach the quarter-finals, the 34-year-old opened up on the decision in an interview with DAZN. “Sunderland has been my home since day one,” he said. “We are all very happy. I have decided to stay where I am; the most important thing is family. I am ready to make history with them.”
World Cup Heroics
Xhaka has never been shy of taking responsibility in a Sunderland shirt, and the midfielder wasn’t going to hide when it came to national pride. As Switzerland faced a penalty shoot-out in the last 16 of the World Cup against Colombia, following a 0-0 draw, their captain stood up to take their first spot-kick. He made no mistake, despite keeper Vargas getting a hand to his left-footed effort.
After the 4-3 shoot-out triumph, he admitted: “I was actually supposed to be the third penalty taker. Then I told the coach I wanted to be the first and take responsibility, as a captain should. But I'm putting that aside for now. I'm extremely proud of the team. It was an incredible display of mental fortitude - willpower won. We've made history - it's an unbelievable feeling. The relief makes us incredibly proud. We've been waiting for a long time to write a story like this. Now the journey continues, and we're happy to still be here.”
Switzerland's Quarter-Final Challenge
The Swiss will now face Argentina in the last eight in the early hours of Monday morning UK time, up against the reigning champions who were two-down to Egypt on Wednesday before scoring three times in the last 11 minutes. “That's a great reward,” Xhaka added. “Goal number one has been achieved, but when you're in the quarter-finals, the hunger is even greater than before. Now comes the big challenge with one of the greatest players. We're enjoying the game, and we'll be ready.”
The last time the Swiss reached the last eight was back in 1934, beaten by Czechoslovakia in Italy. They were beaten by Argentina in the 2014 tournament in Brazil, going down 1-0 in extra time in the last 16.
A Special Generation
Xhaka reflected: "I think this generation we have now is a special one. Hopefully we’ll see another one like it one day, but we’ve been waiting a long time for a group like this. We, the more experienced players, are being pushed by the younger ones, and at the same time we have to lead by example every single day and every single game. Of course, we try to pass on our experience, but above all the mentality that, even as a small nation, anything is possible at this level, in elite football."
He added: "From the coaching staff to the last player, we can all be proud of what we’ve achieved."
