In a preseason match against Bayer Leverkusen on Wednesday night, the captain of Switzerland faced London and the Gunners. The welcome was cordial.

Granit departed England and the defending German champions, Arsenal, thirteen months and one day earlier.
The captain of Switzerland had a difficult evening even though the Gunners won 4-1 and dominated the argument. Respect and acknowledgement were shown for the Basel midfielder, who appeared in 297 games for the red and white between 2016 and 2023.

Prior to the match, a huge picture of the 31-year-old, suitably dated from his time at Arsenal, and the words “Welcome back Granit” were shown on wide screens at the London arena.

To raucous cheers from the Emirates public stadium, the Bayer Leverkusen midfielder—who holds the record for appearances for the Swiss national team with 130 caps and 14 goals—moved aside in the 80th minute to make room for his Colombian colleague Gustavo Puerta. Even better: the crowd rose as he left the pitch, where Granit Xhaka fell into the arms of his former manager Mikel Arteta for a warm embrace.

This was by no means the final act of kindness the former FC Basel and Borussia Mönchenladbach player did for the evening. For when the last whistle blew, the latter was once more urged on by all quarters, particularly by Gabriel Martinelli and Oleksandr Zinchenko, his old teammates.

The depressing Sunday in October 2019, when the Swiss fan responded to the Gunners’ bronca by throwing his captain’s armband to the ground, taking off his jersey, and cursing the supporters, seems so much in the past.