"Krone" stoplight

“Now Toni is turning pale in front of the TV”

Peter Moizi writes about Marko Arnautovic's performance against Norway in his column.(Bild: GEPA)

In his Stopplicht column, "Krone" head of sport Peter Moizi writes about Marko Arnautovic's performance in Austria's 5:1 win over Norway ...

"Marko Arnautovic, Marko Arnautovic, Marko Arnautovic!" Loud chants echoed through the Linz stadium, standing ovations. The 35-year-old strutted casually off the pitch with his typical gait, the affection of the fans will have filled him with pride. A magical evening, a true gala. And the 35-year-old put in one of his best performances in his 120th international match. Total commitment, wit, an artistic goal to make it 1:0, explosive and full of energy. "If only he had been in such good form at the European Championships," commented a lady in the VIP club. Before the 2:1 penalty, the person sitting next to her joked: "Now Toni Polster will turn pale in front of the TV."

Marko Arnautovic played one of his best games in an ÖFB shirt.(Bild: GEPA)

China the wrong move?
The former cult striker leads Austria's all-time scoring list with 44 goals in 95 games, Arnautovic is only five goals behind Polster. A haul that many would not have believed him capable of. Hardly anyone doubted his talent, but time and time again, escapades, hoppalas and unfortunate stories thwarted "Arnie's" early career years in particular. According to many experts, Arnautovic's move from the Premier League to China in 2019 heralded the end of his footballing career, but Marko managed an impressive turnaround on his return. Five years later, he continues to inspire as he did in his prime. As the public's number one favorite and Polster's record goalscorer!