"Krone" interview
Arnautovic: “The bet is on, we’ll beat Holland!”
The "Krone" met Marko Arnautovic for an interview just three weeks before the EURO opener against France in Düsseldorf on June 17! The ÖFB record team player is already fully focused on the tournament and is back in top form in good time. The 35-year-old chatted about his season with Inter, his role in Germany and a very special bet ...
"Krone": Marko, how was Inter's championship celebration, how intensely did you celebrate your 20th title?
Marko Arnautovic: It was outstanding, a dream. Everyone at the club wanted us to win the second star. The fact that we made it perfect in the derby against Milan made it all the better.
What was THE moment for you last season?
For me, the whole season was a highlight, I can't pick out anything. The moment with the 1-0 winning goal against Atletico in the Champions League was a nice one, but the end with the defeat wasn't so nice.
"The whole season was a highlight for me, I can't pick out anything."
What do you take away from your first year at Inter?
It was a new experience. I was on the bench a lot and had a role that I wasn't used to before. It was ups and downs, also because of the injuries.
At Inter you are also valued as a guy in the dressing room - this role will also be in demand at the EURO.
One of my tasks is to take all the boys who are playing their first EURO with me from day one. To make them realize that fun must come first, not pressure. If you put too much pressure on yourself, you'll make a lot of mistakes. Of course you need a certain amount of pressure and adrenaline. If we combine all of this in the right way, we will be successful.
"The euphoria is very high, within the team and in the whole country."
What will you take away from the 2016 and 2021 EUROs?
I'd like to repeat what happened in 2021 - and for things to go even better. If I had a size 40 shoe, we would have progressed to the round of 16 against Italy and my goal would have counted. It's a home European Championship for Germany, but also for us because we're right next door and don't have far to travel. There's a lot of euphoria within the team and throughout the country. Of course we want to put in a very good performance.
Half the Inter Milan squad will be playing at the EURO ...
Not half the squad, I would say 95 percent. I've spoken to Thuram a lot, France are big favorites - we both know that. I have a bet with Dumfries. He says he'll win with Holland against us, I'm betting on Austria, of course.
"Now I'm back - 100 percent!"
What do you personally expect from the tournament?
I always want to play, right from the start. The injuries weren't minor, nothing muscular, it had to do with the tendons. Now I'm back - 100 percent!
There have been a few absences from the EURO team recently. Can you cope with them?
I think so. Team boss Rangnick has long since internalized his philosophy. He will prepare all the players so that they are fully ready for the tournament.
How much of a burden have these absences been for you?
It was a shock, David's absence was a shock for the whole nation. Then there was also the bitter news about Xaver Schlager and Alex Schlager. Such absences really hurt. There were also muscular problems, as with Danso and Lienhart. But those who are there will make it.
What will David Alaba's role be in Germany?
He has a big role, he'll be very important off the pitch. I don't need the ribbon to have an influence on the players anyway. It must be clear to everyone: The EURO doesn't just start for us in Germany, but already on June 4 in Vienna against Serbia - we have to send out a first strong signal, also towards our group opponents!
This article has been automatically translated,
read the original article here.
Kommentare
Willkommen in unserer Community! Eingehende Beiträge werden geprüft und anschließend veröffentlicht. Bitte achten Sie auf Einhaltung unserer Netiquette und AGB. Für ausführliche Diskussionen steht Ihnen ebenso das krone.at-Forum zur Verfügung. Hier können Sie das Community-Team via unserer Melde- und Abhilfestelle kontaktieren.
User-Beiträge geben nicht notwendigerweise die Meinung des Betreibers/der Redaktion bzw. von Krone Multimedia (KMM) wieder. In diesem Sinne distanziert sich die Redaktion/der Betreiber von den Inhalten in diesem Diskussionsforum. KMM behält sich insbesondere vor, gegen geltendes Recht verstoßende, den guten Sitten oder der Netiquette widersprechende bzw. dem Ansehen von KMM zuwiderlaufende Beiträge zu löschen, diesbezüglichen Schadenersatz gegenüber dem betreffenden User geltend zu machen, die Nutzer-Daten zu Zwecken der Rechtsverfolgung zu verwenden und strafrechtlich relevante Beiträge zur Anzeige zu bringen (siehe auch AGB). Hier können Sie das Community-Team via unserer Melde- und Abhilfestelle kontaktieren.