Arsenal team-mates Granit Xhaka and Gabriel Jesus are no longer friends – not for the next 90 minutes, anyway
(Image credit: Stuart MacFarlane/Arsenal FC via Getty Images)
Granit Xhaka has promised to "smash" Arsenal team-mate Gabriel Jesus, as the Switzerland captain leads his side out against Brazil at World Cup 2022.
The two nations met at this stage of the last World Cup, too – and though morale was high at London Colney prior to the tournament, with the Gunners top of the league going into the international break, Xhaka says that he will not be going easy on Jesus.
"We were joking before the World Cup about coming here and of course, it is always good if you have team-mates opposite you," Xhaka said in the lead-up to the group game between the Selecao and his Swiss side. "But we are professional footballers for 90 minutes.
Granit Xhaka is Switzerland's captain (Image credit: Getty)
"I told Gabby Martinelli and Gabby Jesus if you are running one against one against our goalkeeper, I will smash you! It doesn’t matter that we are playing in the same team.
"This is the Word Cup. You play for your own team, you play for your own country and you want to win. Of course they were worried. They know me. If I smash you, it will be very, very hard!"
The Brazilian Arsenal stars won't take those kinds of threats lightly, given that Xhaka has a reputation for being a hard man within the Arsenal camp with five red cards since he joined the Gunners in 2016. Neither Martinelli nor Jesus start for the Brazilians against the Swiss – though both of them appeared as substitutes in the 2-0 win over Serbia on Matchday 1 of the competition.
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Mark White has been at on FourFourTwo since joining in January 2020, first as a staff writer before becoming content editor in 2023. An encyclopedia of football shirts and boots knowledge – both past and present – Mark has also represented FFT at both FA Cup and League Cup finals (though didn't receive a winners' medal on either occasion) and has written pieces for the mag ranging on subjects from Bobby Robson's season at Barcelona to Robinho's career. He has written cover features for the mag on Mikel Arteta and Martin Odegaard, and is assisted by his cat, Rosie, who has interned for the brand since lockdown.
