Marko Arnautovicstriker and captain of Austria, with whom he is preparing to compete in the European Championship, spoke to Kronen Zeitung of the championship celebration with theInter: “It was exceptional, a dream. Everyone in the club wanted us to win the second star. The fact that it arrived in the derby against Milan made everything even better.”
What was your highlight of the season?
“For me the whole season was a highlight, I can’t choose one. The moment of the 1-0 goal against Atletico in the Champions League was beautiful, but the elimination wasn’t so beautiful.”
What do you have left of your first year at Inter?
“It was a new experience. I spent a lot on the bench in a role I wasn’t used to before. It was a period of ups and downs, also due to injuries.”
At Inter he is also appreciated as a guy in the dressing room: will this role also be required at the European Championship?
“One of my tasks is to bring with me from day one all the guys who will play their first European Championship. Make them understand that the fun must come before the pressure. If you have too much pressure on you, you end up making a lot of mistakes. Naturally you need of a certain amount of pressure and adrenaline. If we combine all this in the right way, we will be successful.”
What will you take with you from the last two European Championships?
“I would like to repeat what happened in 2021, hoping that things will go even better (Austria went out in the round of 16 against Italy, ed.). If I had had a number 40 (of feet, ed.) we would have advanced to the round of 16 against Italy and my goal would have been validated. It’s a home European Championship for Germany, but also for us because our fans don’t have to travel far to come. There’s a lot of euphoria within the team and throughout the country. Obviously we want to do an excellent performance.”
Half of Inter’s squad will play in the European Championships…
“I’d say 95%. I talked a lot with Thuram, France are big favourites, we both know it. I made a bet with Dumfries: he claims that Holland will win against us, I bet the opposite.”
What do you expect from the tournament on a personal level?
“I always want to play. The injuries were not minor, they affected the tendons. Now I’m back to 100%.”