Marko Arnautovic: ”Party, buy flashy cars, expensive clothes, and order every bottle in the club”
Explosive on the pitch, unpredictable off it. Marko Arnautović has thrilled fans and divided opinion for nearly two decades. From dazzling goals to headline-grabbing drama, his “bad boy” image followed him from Werder Bremen to Inter Milan. In this honest interview, he reflects on the moments that shaped this image, the lessons he’s learned, and how fatherhood and experience brought a new perspective. A look behind the reputation.
After everything you’ve experienced in life, what advice would you give your younger self?
Marko Arnautović: “When I was 18, I moved from Austria to Twente and actually had a pretty good start there. After a while, I was loaned out to Inter Milan, and that’s where it all began, I stopped focusing on what really mattered. I always worked hard on my football skills, but other problems started taking over, I wanted to party, buy flashy cars, wear the most expensive clothes, and order every bottle in the club. I wanted to have it all and show everyone what I had. At first, you’re happy with those bottles in the club. Then the next day you wake up and ask yourself what you were doing. But that realization only came with time.”
”I’m a world champion at arguing”
”Then I moved to Werder Bremen. And I continued there where I left off in Italy. The first six months went well, I was scoring goals and making assists, but after that, problems started again. On top of all the distractions from football, I also never held back my opinions. I said what I thought and felt. I’m a world champion at arguing and always want to get to the bottom of things. I’ll keep talking until everything is clear. With everyone. Even with the police.
Once, when I was pulled over, I didn’t just hand over my driver’s license. I wanted to know why I was stopped. I wasn’t speeding or running a red light. Was it because I was young and driving a fast car? I wanted to know. And of course, those situations made it into the papers, which labeled me as a bad boy. In Germany and Austria, I mainly made a name for myself through negative headlines. I’d even go as far as to say that my time in Bremen felt like a war between me and Bild-Zeitung. They really tore me down. I felt like everything I said got twisted. And everyone reads Bild-Zeitung and immediately forms an opinion, without ever meeting or speaking to me.”
”My wife really opened my eyes”
”That was especially hard for my wife. She was born in Bremen. Our relationship changed everything for her. From Bremen, I went to Stoke City in the UK, and things started going uphill again.”
How come? What changed?
“My attitude. By then, our eldest daughter Emilia was born. So the three of us moved to England. My life became more serious, and my wife really opened my eyes. I realized, okay, this is my last chance. Either I make something of it, or I’ll be remembered as a talented troublemaker who never lived up to his potential.”
There have been a lot of ups and downs in your life, it seems, you’ve been praised and ridiculed. How did you deal with that? Did you have a mental coach?
“I talked for a while with a friend of my mother’s. She gave me some great advice that really helped. I also talk a lot with my wife. We’re not just lovey-dovey with each other, we’re honest and also best friends. That helps. And above all, I’m mostly my own mental coach.”
How have negative headlines affected your life?
“I was supposed to sign a sponsorship deal with a big brand, but when they read a negative headline about me, they backed out. I was down and in tears. I was so angry too. And besides the media, social media is another issue these days. Anyone can just post anything.”
”There were masses of insulting comments”
”It often happens that fans take out their frustrations on players’ accounts. That’s why I spend very little time on Instagram and hardly post anything. But of course, I still notice it. When I was at West Ham and it became public that I was moving to China, there were masses of insulting comments. That I was only going for the money and that I was a greedy rat. On the worst comments, I would reply asking the person to send me their phone number so we could talk about what they said.”
After everything you’ve experienced in life, what advice would you give your younger self?
“Don’t listen to everyone when it comes to football, that’s very important. Not even if it’s your father or mother. And have the discipline to keep working on yourself. My brother Daniel is a player agent and works with a lot of young players aged seventeen or eighteen. I often talk to them and encourage them to be disciplined. It always sounds a bit stupid because I didn’t have that discipline myself back then, but I really wish I had. Now that I do, I advise them to cultivate it too. And also to keep going after training, no matter what. Hit the gym, shoot a hundred penalties or free kicks, take an ice bath. Young footballers listen to older players who’ve achieved something. That’s why I hope they take my advice seriously.”
