There is a long running debate about the importance of captaincy in football, as many wonder if it really makes a difference or if it’s just a ceremonial thing.
The answer to that probably depends on the type of person who takes the armband, as there’s something to be said for someone who leads by example and rallies the troops, but Granit Xhaka was never that type of captain at Arsenal.
He was a surprise choice in the first place, but he completely ruined his captaincy credentials during “that” meltdown against Crystal Palace.
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He clearly didn’t react well to being subbed, but swearing at the fans, ignoring the manager and throwing his shirt away isn’t what you look for in a leader, so it would be a surprise if he was ever handed the armband again,
With that in mind it’s interesting to see that Switzerland have decided to give him the armband, but a look at the squad does suggest he might be the best option:
The new captain of Switzerland ??
Congratulations, Granit ?? https://t.co/fLNSCONDpd
— Arsenal (@Arsenal) September 3, 2020
Xherdan Shaqiri might have made sense to some as he’s undoubtedly the country’s best player, but hopefully Xhaka has grown in the past few months and this proves to be a wise choice.