A 3-1 victory in Group C of the UEFA Europa League gave Austria a temporary lead, but behind the victory there was an uproar over a player's words and actions.
Austrian striker Arnautovic, who now plays for Shanghai Seaport, came on as a substitute towards the end of the match and was the key to turning the game around. However, it was the same player who, after scoring the winning goal, became agitated and made a series of provocative remarks to North Macedonian defender Alioski, which could be related to the fact that Alioski had been over-defending the Austrian player on a number of previous occasions. Sources revealed that Arnautovic had spoken out against Alioski's Albanian mother during the heated match, an act that sparked widespread concern and controversy. UEFA has zero tolerance for racist behavior and has been heavily promoting anti-racism at European soccer tournaments every year, with public service announcements on related topics before matches. Arnautovic's father is Serbian and his mother is Austrian, and there is deep tension between Serbia and Albania. Nonetheless, Arnautovic quickly issued a statement after the match apologizing and emphasizing that he is not a racist and advocates for diversity. However, Arnautovic's future remains fraught. Whether UEFA will take his statement on board and impose additional penalties on him is still up in the air. In addition, there are reports in the foreign media that Arnautovic will not return to Shanghai after the Euros, but will continue his career in Serie A.
