This archive report was first published on 6 November 2019.
On November 6, 2019, Arsenal manager Unai Emery made a significant decision regarding the club's captaincy. In a move that sent shockwaves through the football world, Emery confirmed that Granit Xhaka had been stripped of the captaincy.
The Swiss international's downfall began 10 days earlier when he was substituted against Crystal Palace. Xhaka's reaction to the substitution was far from professional, as he swore and threw the captain's armband to the floor amidst a chorus of boos from the crowd.
Emery's decision to strip Xhaka of the captaincy was made after a meeting with the player, during which Xhaka accepted the decision. The Arsenal manager went on to name Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang as the new captain, alongside Hector Bellerin, Alexandre Lacazette, and Mesut Ozil.
"I was speaking with him this morning and also I decided he's not one of the captains in our group and I decided that and I told him this morning," Emery said. "He accepted my decision. We have now Aubameyang, Hector (Bellerin), (Alexandre) Lacazette and (Mesut) Ozil - they are the four captains, and first is now Aubameyang."
Emery's decision was not taken lightly, and it came after a series of incidents involving Xhaka and the fans. The player had been subjected to death threats and abusive comments on social media, which he claimed had hurt him deeply.
