Granit Xhaka has compared Sunderland manager Regis Le Bris to Arsenal legend Arsene Wenger ahead of his emotional reunion with his former club.
Xhaka, who played under several highly regarded managers during his career, believes Le Bris possesses many of the qualities that made Wenger such an influential figure at Arsenal.
“I call him like the small Arsene Wenger,” Xhaka told TNT Sports. “As a human being, he’s top. He’s very calm, he’s not a guy who screams, he has all the solutions and tactically, he’s amazing.”
The Sunderland captain has worked with Wenger, Unai Emery, Mikel Arteta and Xabi Alonso during spells with Arsenal, Bayer Leverkusen, Basel and Borussia Monchengladbach, giving him plenty of experience of different coaching styles.
Xhaka praises Le Bris’ attention to detail
Le Bris has earned Xhaka’s admiration for his meticulous approach to coaching, particularly when preparing the team and working individually with his players.
“He’s very detailed. So if he analyses something – not just the opponent, but even us and more the individual meetings – he’s very detailed,” Xhaka said.
“He goes into details that I haven’t seen often in a coach. So every player here has improved over the last 16 months and I think there is still space to improve for everyone.”
Le Bris brought Xhaka to Sunderland from Bayer Leverkusen last summer, and the midfielder quickly became an important figure in the team.
Under his leadership, Sunderland finished seventh in their first season back in the Premier League and secured European football, exceeding expectations after their promotion.
Xhaka ready for Arsenal reunion
The fixture with Arsenal carries particular significance for Xhaka, who spent seven years at the north London club before leaving in 2023.
Now one of Sunderland’s most experienced players, the Swiss international sees his role as more than simply leading by example on matchday.
“If I’m not the guy who’s taking the first step, who is following me? I’m a guy who demands a lot from himself,” he said.
“I never show the finger first to others before I show it to myself.”
Xhaka insists his demanding approach comes from his desire to win rather than a willingness to complain.
“I want to win. And I want to win if I’m at home, I want to win when I’m on the pitch in training, and I want to win in the weekend games as well. This is me.”
