This is the story of Granit Xhaka, the man booed off the pitch by his own fans, stripped of the captaincy and had his bags packed to leave. It is about how he is now the darling of Arsenal fans, a heart-warming redemption song.
But it is also about Ragip and Elmaze Xhaka, his parents. It is a story that involves suffering, imprisonment, a love that endures beyond prison cells and determination to start anew, despite the refusal of some of your compatriots to accept your identity.
When Xhaka’s story at Arsenal is placed within the context of his family’s wider experience, it is perhaps no surprise he is here, in October 2022, sat on a sofa enjoying a coffee at the club’s London Colney training ground, with Arsenal top of the league, him a key driver of their midfield and so beloved by fans that the new song in praise of him regularly resounds around the Emirates.