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EPL midfielder Granit Xhaka shared the story of his early life as a refugee. His parents and grandmother were forced to move away from their homeland due to political tensions in the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia.
The Arsenal star remembered his parents' struggles and explained how his family managed to escape and reach Switzerland. The EPL player added that he has massive respect for these set of people since he exactly knows the magnitude of struggle and hardships they experience.
Xhaka spoke in a reflective, emotional manner to 'Coaching For Life', a unique football coaching model given to Za’atari Refugee Camp in Jordan. EPL giants Arsenal have a partnership and collective goal with them, as they aim to provide the best necessities to the children suffering from war.
"I know how difficult it is," says EPL ace Xhaka
The EPL powerhouse have trained 14 Syrian refugee coaches in Jordan and 27 local coaches in Jakarta to train the children both physically and morally. Arsenal and Coaching For Life plan to not just teach football but also openly speak to them and imbibe the culture of conflict management.
Xhaka was born to an Albanian family in Serbia. His father was a political prisoner, who was put behind bars for protesting against the central government in Belgrade. In 1990, the EPL midfielder's family moved to Switzerland through a contact.
Also read: EPL defender Kieran Tierney admits Arsenal's plan failed against Manchester City
Revealing the same, EPL star Xhaka said:
"My parents had to leave their own country because of the war. They traveled by bus; they didn't know exactly where they had to go. So, my grandmother gave my mum a paper and told her that if she was in Switzerland, she must call this number because she knew someone there."
He continued:
"That's why they were staying in Switzerland, they were living with her friends for three or four months. After, step by step, they started to work and everything. I was born there [in Switzerland] but for these kind of people, I have a lot of respect."
The EPL player also expressed his regards to these people for their mental resilience and overall ability to sustain their livelihood even during the worst times, both emotionally and financially. He added:
"I know exactly how difficult it is to come with nothing and, for example, to grow up two kids like my brother and me to where we are today."
On the footballing front, EPL giants Arsenal are in a huge spot of bother following their 3-0 thrashing at Manchester City. Mikel Arteta's charges have a job on their hands if they want to finish in the EPL top 4, but they won't be helped by injuries to Xhaka and Pablo Mari.
The former Arsenal captain went over his ankle while trying to chase a City shirt, and was later deemed unfit to continue by the EPL club's medical staff. It were just seven minutes into the game then.
Arsenal are presently on ninth spot, sitting eight points behind fierce EPL rivals and fourth-placed Chelsea. They'll be desperate for the three points against Brighton & Hove Albion when the two EPL sides face-off against each other later today.
Also read: Brighton v Arsenal prediction, preview, team news and more | Premier League 2019-20
