Arsenal bad boy Granit Xhaka branded ‘stupid’ by Switzerland legend Kubilay Turkyilmaz

ARSENAL bad boy Granit Xhaka has been labelled 'stupid' by one of his country's greatest-ever players.

And Kubilay Turkyilmaz, who equalled Switzerland's national goals record, accused the midfielder of mistakenly thinking he has a licence to overstep the mark in England.

Xhaka is currently serving a four-match ban for his reckless challenge on Burnley's Steven Defour.

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The 24-year-old has now been sent off three times since his £30million move from Borussia Monchengladbach last summer - and NINE times in the last three years.

Swiss international Xhaka was also quizzed by police after a Heathrow Airport worker alleged he racially abused her last week.

Ex-Bologna striker Turkyilmaz has now urged his compatriot to calm down both on and off the field.

The 49-year-old rapped: "You can't absolve Xhaka of blame. Nine red cards in three years is far too many, even for an aggressive midfield leader.

"He often commits over-strong fouls in the no-man's land area of the pitch. They are not tactical ones that help the team out - instead they are stupid fouls.

"When Granit does this he fails to carry out his routine duties.

"If he thought that he could get away with more in the Premier League than he did in Germany, because English referees are less strict, then he is mistaken.

"English football has recently become more continental, and refs stop play as much as their counterparts in Europe.

"You can tell that he is under incredible pressure, and he releases it by making these fouls - as well as in that scene at the airport.

"But these reactions are wrong. He should instead show more humility and calmness - that would be the correct response.

"Maybe he should give the Watford midfielder Valon Behrami a call. He too had a bad reputation for committing fouls when he played in Italy as well as with the Swiss national team.

"But Valon has got rid of that reputation, and he will certainly have some good advice for Granit."

Turkyilmaz, who scored 34 goals in 64 Switzerland games, also took aim at Gunners boss Arsene Wenger for criticising Xhaka in public.

He insisted: "I can't understand all the Xhaka-bashing that is going on right now. His sending-off against Burnley was unjustified - the foul deserved no more than a yellow card.

"Granit is a victim of the media, former players and even his manager. When Arsene Wenger says with a shrug that the player is simply like this and plays this way, he does Xhaka a disservice.

"That is because opposing players will mercilessly take advantage of this and wind Xhaka up. They will give him the chance to commit a bad foul, knowing that he will get a red card more easily than others.

"Wenger is harming himself with his comments, and would do better to talk privately to the player than to speak out in the media.

"And I have to stress that Xhaka is a little lamb, and an angel, in comparison to some of the bad guys who were around when I was a player.

"The likes of Paul Ince, and above all Roy Keane, used to get sent off for life-threatening challenges."

Turkyilmaz played in Italy for Bologna and Brescia, won the Turkish title with Galatasaray and also appeared for five Swiss sides including Grasshoppers, Servette and hometown club Bellinzona.