His first Nerazzurri adventure, Austria and past goals: 10 fun facts about Marko Arnautovic

Marko Arnautovic was born in Vienna on 19 April 1989. After developing as a player at Floridsdorfer, he moved to Dutch side Twente. His first spell at Inter came in 2009/10 and, after three games for the Nerazzurri, he then signed for Werder Bremen. Following three seasons in Germany, he joined English team Stoke City. There, he enjoyed four very positive campaigns before playing for West Ham and then Shanghai SIPG in China. In 2021, he returned to Italy after signing for Bologna, where he scored 25 goals across two seasons. Now, he's back at Inter after being away for 13 years.

A LOVER OF FOOTBALL

From an early age, Marko always wanted to play football: from his early beginnings in the Viennese district of Floridsdorf to the present day, the striker never imagined leading another life. It was in his destiny to become a professional player.

NICKNAME

The new Nerazzurri striker doesn't have a particular nickname, but some started calling him "Arnie" during his Premier League days. This diminutive of his surname recalls Arnold Schwarzenegger, a famous Austrian actor.

MEMORIES OF INTER

As everyone knows, Arnautovic already played for Inter in the triumphant 2009/10 season, which was an important year for his growth as a player and man. Marko appreciated that experience every single day, considering it a great opportunity to be involved in such an exceptional team that won everything.

EXEMPLARY CAPTAIN

Out of the many champions he met during his first Nerazzurri adventure, Marko has particularly fond memories of Javier Zanetti, the most professional player he's shared the pitch with and someone he can draw inspiration from.

THREE MATCHES, 55 MINUTES

Arnautovic played just three matches in his first spell at the Club (a total of 55 minutes). They were three 2009/10 Serie A fixtures: he was involved in the Nerazzurri's 1-0 victory away to Chievo (a Balotelli goal), the epic 4-3 win against Siena at San Siro and a success over Atalanta, the latter of which was sandwiched between the team's two-legged tie against Barcelona in the Champions League.

HIS BEST GOAL

Arnautovic thinks his best goal was the one he scored for Stoke City against Manchester United in the Premier League in 2015/16: it was a brilliant strike from distance that the opposition goalkeeper could do nothing about.

NOT JUST FOOTBALL

In addition to football, the attacker is interested in boxing, a sport his brother also practised for a time.

FREE TIME WITH HIS FAMILY

When he's not busy with his work, Arnautovic enjoys spending his free time with his wife, Sarah, and his two daughters, Emilia and Alicia.

AUSTRIAN RECORD-HOLDER

With 108 appearances to his name, Marko is the most-capped Austrian player of all time. The new Nerazzurri recruit considers his 100th appearance to be his favourite National Team memory; this arrived against Denmark in Vienna during the 2022/23 Nations League.

FAVOURITE MUSIC GENRE

Arnautovic listens to various music genres, but he particularly likes reggaeton and hip hop.