Arsenal captain Granit Xhaka says threats made against his wife and daughter prompted him to lash out at fans during Sunday's draw with Crystal Palace.
Xhaka told supporters to "f*** off' as he was jeered while being substituted during Sunday's 2-2 Premier League draw.
In a lengthy statement released via the club on Thursday, Xhaka revealed horrific threats to him and his family resulted in him reaching "boiling point".
The statement read: “After taking some time to reflect on what happened on Sunday afternoon I would like to give you all an explanation rather than just a quick response.
“The scenes that took place around my substitution have moved me deeply. I love this club and always give 100% on and off the pitch.
“My feeling of not being understood by 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 support our club, our team and myself with positive energy. That has not been my intention and I am sorry if that is 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.”
