Quotes of All Topics . Occasions . Authors
I knew before I arrived that the pressure at a club that challenges for the title grows quickly. The season is long; we'll become stronger with every game.
There a lot of occasions when Albanians cause trouble, but then we are also very nice people. People sometimes forget that there are good people from the Balkans as well.
I compliment Kramer perfectly. We both put in a lot of legwork, win many balls, and we're comfortable with the ball at our feet. We also talk a lot both off and on the pitch.
He's not a coach who speaks to you every day. Wenger has spoken to me two or three times. He's told me he's very impressed by how I train and how I'm a disciplined character.
The expectations are high, so we know: If we do not meet them, there is criticism. We have high expectations ourselves. We are not happy with fourth, third, or second, either.
Arsenal play attractive football, and I enjoy that. I think you could see against the MLS side that this team has a lot of quality, and we'll give our all to show that on the pitch.
Arsenal is Arsenal. It's not a small club; it's a very big club, and it's like a family. It's very good for me because I love my family, and to have another family here is very good.
Personally, I can handle criticism, especially when it is deserved, and it's because my dad never, ever said 'Well done' to me. He did it on purpose so that I kept my feet on the ground.
We are young; we are naive with money. Money can go fast. If anyone thinks he is something better just because he has more money in the account, then he can very quickly fall on your face.
I'm looking forward to the new adventure. Playing in the Premier League was always my dream, and I'm definitely going to relish this opportunity and give my absolute everything for this club.
Moving to England, again it's a new language to learn, and I've got to get use to the mentality, the culture, but I think I've integrated myself really well into this team, and I'm happy so far.
No, Borussia is not falling apart. It does not matter whichever players will leave. That is what the past has showed. The club has developed and actually improved despite big-name players leaving.
Maybe if I was born in Kosovo, I might not be where I am now, so I need to thank Switzerland, of course, because I went to school there, learnt to play football there, and started my career there.
When I went to Gladbach from Basel in 2012, I put a lot of pressure on myself at first, and it was too heavy. I will not put any pressure on myself at Arsenal, even though the transfer fee was high.
I know that there are coaches in the Bundesliga that have said in team meetings, 'Provoke Xhaka; he will eventually go ballistic.' I think that is sad. That, in my view, has nothing to do with football.
I wouldn't change myself for anybody. I am who I am; people accept me, or they don't. I have my strengths and my weaknesses, which I can try to improve upon, of course. I'm still not the finished product.
Arsenal prepare the players in the best way. They pay attention to every detail. We are able to recover optimally during our flights. The food and the service, everything's geared perfectly to each other.
It's not like I played my first football match in England. For me, football is pretty much the same everywhere; the ball is round, but maybe tactically, things are different than at other clubs I've played for.
Here in the Premier League, you have to give 100 per cent for the whole 90 minutes. It's not like after 70 minutes you can say, 'We're 2-0 up, so let's have some fun now' - that doesn't happen in the Premier League.
I have a good relationship with the Albanian fans. But when you are called a traitor - that is such a harsh word. Most of the Albanian fans respect me. But 'traitor' is unacceptable considering the background of my family.
It's true that my father was imprisoned for three and a half years, and it was because he stood up for what he believed in. It's not a taboo subject in our household. We talk about it. After all, I want to know what happened.
Every Monday, we're asked to undertake jump tests to check the conditions of our muscles. There's nothing you can hide. Once a week, they do urine tests, and your body fat percentage is tested regularly. The doctors cover all bases.
In the past, we showed that we could play football, but Vladimir Petkovic has worked with us on the psychological side of things in particular. I think that's where we've made the most progress. He's brought us closer together as a team.
You can see the players are world-class just by the way they pass the ball. Ozil, Sanchez, and Cazorla, for example, are huge personalities. Even though the club maybe spent more money on me, I can still learn a lot from them in any respect.
I don't mind being criticised, because I am not that easy to knock down, and no-one can destroy me. But I am bothered by the stupid people who call me dirty, brainless, and an idiot. You don't say words like these to someone who you know nothing about.
In football, you get criticised if you are sent off. It's my style of play, and nobody can make me change that. Even if I get another red card, then that happens. You become cleverer, maybe look more, and since my red card, I think things have improved.
Everyone fights for everyone else. If someone has a bad day, then the others are there for him. And if a player makes a mistake, then the others can compensate for that. Those sorts of things are crucial at this level, and it's really important that we perform as a unit.
In Camden, it's just the atmosphere that gets me. It's simple. It's nice. It's real. And it's the people, too. I like to interact with them because they are normal and I am normal. People probably don't expect an Arsenal player to come to Camden Lock and, basically, be a normal guy.
My brother was always going to go in the direction of football. With me, it was more between school and football. Eventually, it worked out for both of us. We're pleased to have gone down that path. I'm proud that my parents always supported us, in good and in bad times. You need that.
I've picked up quite a few yellow cards in the last few years - a few reds, too. That was the case as a youth player as it is now. But I don't see it as a problem. That's how I play. If you take that away, then I wouldn't be where I am now. So I don't think the yellow cards or the red cards are too big of an issue.
I play with a lot of emotion because I'm a passionate guy, and I play with that passion. I love playing that way. Sometimes you're late onto the ball, sometimes you're not. Sometimes you make contact with the guy when you tackle him, sometimes not. It's a sport where individual duels are vital, so I don't see it as a problem.