Midfielder Hakan Calhanoglu has defended his Inter Milan teammate Marko Arnautovic from criticism after his performance against Hellas Verona yesterday afternoon.

Writing in his Instagram story, the Turk gave a clear message of support for the 34-year-old. He emphasized that “We win and we lose together.”

Arnautovic had seemingly gained some momentum in the past few weeks.

The Austrian put in solid performances against the likes of Lecce and Genoa. And he marked them with an excellent backheel assist and then his first ever Serie A goal for Inter.

But against Verona yesterday, things were far less positive for Arnautovic.

The veteran former West Ham United, Stoke City, and Bologna striker came on as a second half substitute.

But it was an evening to forget for Arnautovic.

The 34-year-old missed a couple good chances – one possibly blocking his own teammate’s shot on target,

And it was also Arnautovic who lost the ball when the Gialloblu set off on the counterattack for their equalizer.

Hakan Calhanoglu Defends Inter Teammate Marko Arnautovic From Post-Verona Criticism

Inter did manage to go on and win yesterday’s match.

It was young midfielder Davide Frattesi who came off the bench to score the winner in stoppage time.

Then, adding to the late drama, Verona also missed a penalty right at the death.

But this did not necessarily stop the criticism of Arnautovic.

On social media, many fans vented their frustration with the Austrian for his less-than-stellar performance.

Additionally, the player ratings for the match across Italian were far from positive in their assessment of Arnautovic.

But Calhanoglu isn’t a fan of this kind of negativity towards a teammate.

He wrote on his Instagram story, “We are a team. We stand together, we win together, and we lose together.”

“If we are gonna achieve our goals this season we will do it together.”

“The season is long and we need every individual along the way.”

“To do that, your support is critical to keep the positive vibes. Forze Inter.”