Red Star: Arnautovic pays tribute to Mihajlovic, keeps his promise | OneFootball

Marko Arnautovic opens a new chapter in his career, doing so with emotion and remembrance. After his farewell to Inter, the Austrian striker has chosen Red Star Belgrade, the club that served as a springboard for Sinisa Mihajlovic, his former coach and a profoundly significant figure in his sporting and personal life.

Red Star, Arnautovic introduces himself and pays tribute to Mihajlovic: “I promised I would come, now I am here”

The transfer is not just a professional choice, but an act of gratitude towards a man whom Arnautovic continues to carry in his heart.

During the introductory press conference, visibly moved, Arnautovic recalled the special bond with Mihajlovic, emphasizing how often Sinisa spoke to him about Red Star: “Every day we talked about this club. When I arrived at the stadium and saw the stands dedicated to him, I cried more in those two days than in my entire life. I spoke with his family. I had promised Sinisa that I would come to Red Star, and today I am keeping that promise.”

A gesture full of meaning, bearing witness to the strong human bond that developed between the two during their shared experience at Bologna. Mihajlovic wore the Red Star shirt from 1990 to 1992, contributing to the club’s victory in the European Cup in 1991, one of the most glorious chapters in the Serbian club’s history. Arnautovic, who has chosen the number 89, the year of his birth, symbolically inherits his legacy.

During the meeting with the media, the striker also revisited some delicate moments from last season, including the much-discussed missed chance in front of goal against Lazio: “Even if I had scored, the goal would have been disallowed: I had committed a foul,” he stated clearly and without regrets.

Finally, he recounted the behind-the-scenes story of the lightning-fast deal that brought him to Belgrade: “At the end of the season I was tired, I didn’t want to hear any offers. Then my brother told me that a call had come from Zvezdan Terzić. I said: ‘Alright, let’s talk about it.’ Within an hour, everything was done. Three hours later, I was already ready to fly to Belgrade.”

Thus, the move to Red Star is not just a return to Balkan roots, but a sincere tribute to a mentor and a friend. For Arnautovic, this new beginning is marked by respect, remembrance, and determination. And for the Serbian club, a chapter opens in which experience, quality, and passion intertwine with a powerful symbolic charge.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇮🇹 here.