North Macedonia demands punishment for Austrian defending himself on social media.
Marko Arnautovic’s gesture in honor of Austria’s third goal is controversial and has already led North Macedonia to demand punishment for the player.
The gesture made by the striker towards Ezgyan Alioski caused a more violent reaction among the players and is interpreted as nationalist and racist, which deserved the position of the Macedonian federation. “We strongly condemn the nationalist attack by Austrian Marko Arnautovic after scoring a goal against Macedonia against Macedonian player Ezcan Alioski. At the same time, we would like to inform you that we have sent an official letter to UEFA demanding the most severe punishment for Marko Arnautovic. As the House of Football, we are always against nationalism, discrimination and all kinds of insults that do not correspond to the spirit of football and the values for which we are fighting. We will always stand up and defend our interests and the dignity of the Macedonian players, no matter how they play, ”the North Macedonian Federation said in a statement.
On social media, Arnautovic wrote: “Among the emotions of the game, there was a hotter exchange of words for which I want to apologize, especially to my friends from North Macedonia and Albania. But I want to make one thing clear: I AM NOT RACIST! I have friends in almost every country in the world, and I am an advocate of diversity. Everyone who knows me knows this. “
Arnautovic, despite being Austrian, is the son of a Serb father. Alioski is of Albanian origin and the historical tensions between the two countries are well known.
