Given the money that most footballers earn these days, it’s never a surprise to learn they have extracurricular activities.
Most elect to spend their money away from football, setting up businesses and enterprises that they may be interested in.
Most of the time these are to do with fashion or football schools, but in the case of former West Ham striker Marko Arnautovic, it’s gin.
Yes, you read that right. A footballer has decided to start his own alcoholic drink, which he’s affectionately and not very creatively named Arnautovic Gin.
Presenting the new drink in Vienna, where he is currently waiting with his family to return to Shanghai SIPG, whom he joined from West Ham in a £22.5m deal last year, the Austrian was full of his usual confidence.
“I cannot recommend it to professional athletes, but it is something for the general public to celebrate. It’s got Arnautovic written all over it, so it has quality,” he told Kurier.
The project is an attempt from Arnautovic to build up a ‘second source of income’ moving forward, with the millions he is currently earning in China apparently not quite doing it for him.
The newspaper explains he came up with the idea during his time in London with West Ham, although why he didn’t start it up sooner isn’t mentioned.
Now all that remains to be seen is how successful it proves to be, although it would probably be unwise to expect too many sales from those associated with the Hammers.
