Arsenal captain Granit Xhaka has explained why he reacted towards fans' jeers after he was substituted during their 2-2 draw with Crystal Palace last weekend.
The Swiss International blamed death threats to his family which had seen him reach a "boiling point".
In a statement on Arsenal's official Twitter page, Xhaka explained his thinking as he was replaced by Bukayo Saka.
"After taking some time to reflect on what happened on Sunday afternoon, I would like to give you an explanation rather than a quick response," it read.
"The scenes that took place around my substitution have moved me deeply. I love this club and will always give 100 per cent on and off the pitch.
The following is a message from Granit Xhaka... pic.twitter.com/YG5lBKmQvi
— Arsenal (@Arsenal) October 31, 2019
"My feeling of not being understood my fans, and repeated abusive comments at matches and in social media over the last weeks and months have hurt me deeply.
"People have said things like "we will break your legs", 'kill your wife' and 'wish that your daughter gets cancer'.
"That has stirred me up and I reached boiling point when I felt the rejection in the stadium on Sunday.
"In this situation, I let myself be carried away and reacted in a way that disrespected the group of fans that supports our club, our team and myself with positive energy. That is not my intention and I'm sorry if that's what people thought.
"My wish is that we get back to a place of mutual respect, remembering why we fell in love with this game in the first place. Let's move forward positively together.
"Granit."
