Arnautović on Austria, Alaba and coach Koller
Saturday, June 11, 2016
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Even though his first full day in France involved two training sessions and some filming, Austria's Marko Arnautović was in high spirits when he sat down to chat to UEFA.com on Thursday.
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On Austria's hopes for UEFA EURO 2016 ...
Players always want to do the best they can. As a team, starting from the first game and for as long as we're here, we intend to play with the same spirit and we will see how far we can go. I can't say what I would be happy with, but I certainly hope to stay in the tournament for as long as possible.
On an impressive 2015/16 campaign with Stoke City ...
Of course, this season was very good for me. I hope now, when the tournament starts, that I can put this same effort and quality into the team. After the games we will see if it was enough or not.
On David Alaba's importance to Austria ...
David has a lot of experience with Bayern München in major competitions. He played at such a high level throughout the season and I hope he can perform at the same standard for us. He plays an important role in midfield, particularly because he brings a lot of experience to the table. We hope he continues to perform as well for the national team this summer as he has in qualification and throughout the season as a whole. Provided nothing goes wrong then he will perform well.
On Austria coach Marcel Koller ...
He has played a big part in it [Austria's recent success]. The coach places a lot of importance on discipline, attention to detail and focus. Over the years he has drummed that into us and that has really stuck. What he asks us to do in team meetings we put into practice on the pitch, and that's what sets him apart. He also has other very good qualities, such as his attention to detail when preparing us for the opposition and with our tactical set-up.
On Austria captain Christian Fuchs's fairy-tale campaign with Leicester City ...
It is an unbelievable achievement what Leicester City did this year. It's good for the Premier League that the big teams don't always win the championship. Last year they were in the relegation zone and this year they won the Premier League. I hope he will do his best, and the effort he put in for Leicester City he will put in for our team. He has a lot of quality.