Small Arsene Wenger — Xhaka Makes Huge Claim About Sunderland Boss Le Bris

Former Arsenal midfielder Granit Xhaka has compared Sunderland manager Regis Le Bris to Arsenal legend Arsene Wenger ahead of his emotional reunion with his former club.

According to Bush Radio Academy, Xhaka believes Le Bris possesses several qualities that made Wenger such an influential manager during his long and successful spell at Arsenal.

Speaking to TNT Sports, the Sunderland captain described Le Bris as a “small Arsene Wenger,” praising the French manager for his calm personality, tactical intelligence and ability to find solutions.

“I call him like the small Arsene Wenger. 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,” Xhaka said.

Xhaka has worked with several prominent managers throughout his career, including Wenger, Unai Emery, Mikel Arteta and Xabi Alonso, giving him considerable experience of different coaching philosophies.

The Swiss midfielder was particularly impressed by Le Bris’ attention to detail and his approach to developing individual players. He praised the Sunderland boss for thoroughly analysing opponents, the team and individual performances.

“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 signed Xhaka from Bayer Leverkusen last summer, and the midfielder quickly established himself as a key figure in Sunderland’s squad. Under Le Bris’ leadership, Sunderland finished seventh in their first season back in the Premier League and secured European football, surpassing expectations following their promotion.

The upcoming meeting with Arsenal is particularly significant for Xhaka, who spent seven years at the north London club before departing in 2023. Now one of Sunderland’s most experienced players, the Switzerland international insists he remains driven by an intense desire to win.

Xhaka explained that his leadership philosophy begins with holding himself accountable before demanding the same standards from his teammates.

“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. I never show the finger first to others before I show it to myself,” he said.

The midfielder added that his demanding nature is motivated by his competitive mentality and determination to win in every situation.

“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,” Xhaka added.