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Xhaka - How it feels to face my brother

Granit Xhaka is relishing facing his older brother at the European Championship.

Taulant is also a midfielder but, because of the duo’s Kosovan roots, chose to represent Albania, who join Granit’s Switzerland in Group A.

The brothers are set to face each other on Saturday in Lens, and Arsenal’s new signing cannot wait for the tournament to begin.

"I play for Switzerland and my brother plays for Albania so it will be difficult to play against him, but we are professional"

Granit Xhaka

“It will be difficult,” Xhaka told Arsenal Player. “France are favourites and Romania and Albania are not big names, but they still have very good players. It won’t be too easy to play against Romania or Albania.

“I play for Switzerland and my brother plays for Albania so it will be difficult to play against him, but we are professional. I hope Switzerland win and after the game I hope I can shake my brother’s hand and say, ‘Good luck in the next game’.”

France are also in Group A and, after scoring in Switzerland’s 5-2 defeat against Les Bleus at the 2014 World Cup, Xhaka is keen to get revenge this time around in Lille.

“It was my first World Cup goal,” he said. “We lost 5-2 so it was not good, but I hope that we can beat France in the Euros. The first step is to get out of the group stage and then afterwards we must look to reach the next round again.”

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