Marek Hamšík facts for kids

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Marek Hamšík

Hamšík playing for Napoli in 2016
Personal information
Full name	Marek Hamšík
Date of birth	(1987-07-27) 27 July 1987 (age 38)
Place of birth	Banská Bystrica, Czechoslovakia
Height	1.83 m (6 ft 0 in)
Position(s)	Midfielder
Team information
Current team	Slovakia (assistant)
Youth career
2001–2002	Jupie Podlavice
2002–2004	Slovan Bratislava
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps	(Gls)
2002–2004	Slovan Bratislava	6	(1)
2004–2007	Brescia	65	(10)
2007–2019	Napoli	408	(100)
2019–2021	Dalian Professional	42	(4)
2021	IFK Göteborg	6	(1)
2021–2023	Trabzonspor	49	(5)
Total		576	(121)
International career
2003–2004	Slovakia U17	6	(3)
2005–2006	Slovakia U19	6	(1)
2006–2007	Slovakia U21	2	(0)
2007–2023	Slovakia	138	(26)
Managerial career
2023–	Slovakia (assistant)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Marek Hamšík is a famous Slovak football player who became a coach after his playing career. He was born on July 27, 1987. Marek played as a midfielder, which is a player who helps both attack and defense. He is now an assistant coach for the Slovakia national team.

Marek Hamšík started his club career in 2004 with Slovan Bratislava. Later that year, he moved to the Italian club Brescia. In 2007, he joined Napoli, a team in Italy's top league, Serie A. He quickly became a very important player for Napoli.

At Napoli, Marek was known for his energy, leadership, and ability to score goals from midfield. He helped the team win two Coppa Italia titles and one Supercoppa Italiana. He played 521 games for Napoli and scored 121 goals. He was also the team's captain from 2014 to 2019. He became Napoli's all-time top goalscorer in 2017 and their all-time appearance holder in 2018.

After leaving Napoli in 2019, Marek played for Dalian Professional in China and IFK Göteborg in Sweden. In 2021, he joined Trabzonspor in Turkey and helped them win the Süper Lig title. He retired from playing football in 2023.

Marek also led the Slovakia national team as captain for many years. He helped Slovakia qualify for their first ever FIFA World Cup in 2010. They even reached the second round after beating the defending champions, Italy. He also led Slovakia to qualify for the European Championship in 2016 and 2020. Marek played 138 games for Slovakia and scored 26 goals, making him Slovakia's most capped player and all-time top scorer.

Marek Hamšík won many awards for his great performances. He was named Slovak Footballer of the Year eight times. He was also recognized as the Serie A Young Footballer of the Year in 2008.

Club Career

Early Football Days

Marek Hamšík grew up in Banská Bystrica, Slovakia. He started playing football at a small youth team called Jupie Podlavice. In 2002, when he was 15, he joined Slovan Bratislava, a top club in Slovakia. He played six games for their main team and scored one goal.

In 2004, at just 17 years old, Marek moved to Italy to play for Brescia. He made his first appearance for Brescia in March 2005. That season, Brescia was relegated to the second division, Serie B. Marek played 24 league games for Brescia in the 2005–06 season. In the 2006–07 season, he played very well, scoring 10 goals in 40 matches.

Time at Napoli

Hamšík playing for Napoli in 2009

On June 28, 2007, Marek Hamšík signed a five-year contract with Napoli. Napoli had just been promoted to Serie A, Italy's top league. They paid Brescia €5.5 million for him. Napoli's chairman, Aurelio De Laurentiis, said Marek was a player to watch for the future.

Marek played his first game for Napoli on August 15, 2007, in the Coppa Italia. Napoli won 4–0, and Marek scored one of the goals. He scored his first Serie A goal on September 16, 2007.

Marek looked up to Czech midfielder Pavel Nedvěd. Many people compared Marek's playing style to Nedvěd's. In 2007, Marek was voted the second-best Slovak footballer and the best young Slovak footballer. He finished his first season as Napoli's top scorer with nine goals. He was also Napoli's top scorer in his second season, scoring nine more goals.

Successful Seasons (2010–2012)

On September 19, 2010, Marek scored Napoli's first goal in a 2–1 win against Sampdoria. A few days later, he signed a contract extension until June 2015. He helped Napoli have a very successful 2010–11 season, finishing third in Serie A. This meant Napoli qualified for the UEFA Champions League. Marek played in 36 league games, scoring 11 goals and providing 6 assists.

Hamšík playing in the Europa League against Utrecht in 2010

In the 2011–12 season, Marek scored the winning goal in Napoli's first ever Champions League victory against Villarreal. He also helped Napoli reach the knockout stage of the Champions League. He continued to play well in Serie A, scoring a great goal in a 6–1 win against Genoa. By February 2012, he had played 200 games for Napoli.

Marek signed another contract extension in March 2012, keeping him at Napoli until 2016. He scored nine league goals and made nine assists that season. He was also very important in the Coppa Italia final against Juventus. He scored a goal that helped Napoli win 2–0, giving the club its first trophy in over 20 years.

Continued Success (2012–2015)

In the 2012–13 Serie A season, Marek helped Napoli finish second in Serie A. He scored 11 goals and provided 14 assists. He played in every league match that season.

In August 2013, Marek signed a new contract until 2018. He started the 2013–14 Serie A season strongly, scoring two goals in Napoli's first game against Bologna. He scored another two goals in the next match against Chievo.

After Paolo Cannavaro left in January 2014, Marek became Napoli's new captain. In April 2014, he played his 300th game for Napoli. He also played in the 2014 Coppa Italia Final, which Napoli won 3–1 against Fiorentina.

In the 2014–15 season, Marek scored his first goal in the Champions League play-off. He also scored against his old club, Slovan Bratislava, in the Europa League. This was his 40th game for Napoli in European competitions, making him the club's record holder for European appearances.

On December 22, 2014, Marek lifted the 2014 Supercoppa Italiana trophy as Napoli's captain. They beat Juventus in a penalty shootout after a 2–2 draw. In May 2015, he scored his 90th goal for Napoli in a 3–0 win against AC Milan.

Breaking Records (2015–2019)

Under the new manager Maurizio Sarri, Marek returned to his favorite position as a central midfielder in the 2015–16 season. He scored in Napoli's first league game of the season. In January 2016, he played his 300th Serie A game and scored his 80th Serie A goal, all for Napoli.

On August 6, 2016, Marek signed a new contract until 2020. On September 24, he scored his 100th goal for Napoli in a 2–0 win against Chievo.

In the 2017–18 season, Marek continued to make history. On December 16, 2017, he scored his 115th goal for Napoli, matching Diego Maradona's record as the club's all-time top scorer. One week later, he scored his 116th goal, becoming Napoli's outright all-time top goalscorer. In May 2018, he scored his 100th Serie A goal, all with Napoli.

In the 2018–19 season, Marek played his 400th Serie A game. On October 28, he played his 511th game for Napoli, equaling Giuseppe Bruscolotti's record for most appearances for the club. On November 6, he broke that record with his 512th appearance.

Later Club Career

On February 14, 2019, Marek Hamšík joined the Chinese club Dalian Professional. He played his first game for them on March 3. He spent two years in China before returning to Europe.

On March 8, 2021, Marek signed with the Swedish club IFK Göteborg. He wanted to play more games before the UEFA Euro 2020 tournament. He made his debut on April 19 and scored his only goal for the club on May 17. This goal was so good it won "goal of the season" in the Swedish league.

On June 8, 2021, Marek announced he would join the Turkish club Trabzonspor. He scored on his debut for them on August 16. He helped Trabzonspor win the Süper Lig title in his first season.

On June 1, 2023, Marek Hamšík announced he would retire from football at the end of the season. He said goodbye to his fans in the last home game of the Turkish league season.

International Career

Hamšík with Slovakia in 2010

Marek Hamšík played for Slovakia's youth teams before joining the senior national team. He made his debut on February 7, 2007, in a friendly game against Poland. He quickly became a key player in the team's attack, often playing as an attacking midfielder.

Marek captained Slovakia in their first ever FIFA World Cup in 2010, held in South Africa. Slovakia surprised everyone by reaching the second round after beating the defending champions, Italy, 3–2. They were then defeated by the Netherlands.

Marek also played a big part in helping Slovakia qualify for the Euro 2016 tournament for the first time. He was Slovakia's top scorer during the qualification games. At the tournament, he set up a goal and scored one himself in a 2–1 win against Russia, which was Slovakia's first win in the competition. Slovakia reached the second round but lost to Germany.

On October 5, 2017, Marek played his 100th game for the Slovak national team. On October 13, 2018, he played his 108th international game, becoming Slovakia's most capped player ever. He also scored his 22nd goal for his country in that game. In March 2019, he became the full-time captain of the national team again.

Retirement from International Football

In May 2022, Marek Hamšík announced he was retiring from international football. He had played 135 matches and scored 26 goals for Slovakia. He said he wanted to spend more time with his family and that injuries were becoming more frequent. He hoped to play one final farewell match at home.

Farewell Match

Marek got his wish on November 20, 2022, at the Tehelné pole stadium in Bratislava. This was a friendly game against Chile. Marek captained the team and played almost the entire match, being replaced in the 89th minute. The stadium was nearly full with almost 20,000 fans who gave him a standing ovation. Marek was very emotional and even shed tears as he left the field. Fans chanted his name, and his teammates gave him a "walk of fame" after the game. Many banners and messages celebrated his career.

Brief Return

In June 2023, Marek was called back to the national team for two UEFA Euro 2024 qualifying matches. This was an emergency call-up because many midfielders were injured. He started in both games, helping Slovakia win against Iceland and Liechtenstein. This brought his total number of international games to 138. After this, he officially retired from all football and joined the Slovakia national team as a team manager.

Playing Style

Marek Hamšík was known as a quick, energetic, and hard-working midfielder. He could play in many different attacking positions, including central midfield, attacking midfield, or even as a supporting striker. He was good with both feet and known for his ability to score goals and create chances for his teammates. He had great vision and passing skills.

Besides his football skills, Marek was also known for his leadership and stamina. He was smart about finding open spaces on the field and making runs into the opponent's half. He could also play deeper in midfield, helping to start attacks from the back. He was good at taking free kicks and penalties. His coach, Francesco Calzona, described him as an elegant and quiet leader.

Managerial Career

After retiring as a player, Marek Hamšík joined the coaching staff of the Slovak national team in the summer of 2023. He became a team manager under coach Francesco Calzona. When Calzona was offered a job as manager of Napoli in February 2024, he offered Marek a coaching role there too. However, Marek chose to stay with the national team to focus on his coaching, his own football academy, and his family.

Other Activities

Football Activities

As early as 2013, Marek Hamšík invested in his old youth club, Jupie Podlavice. He renamed it Jupie Futbalová škola Mareka Hamšíka (Jupie Marek Hamšík Football School). In May 2022, his school joined with another club, FK Rakytovce, to form the Rakytovce Sporting Club Hamsik Academy Banska Bystrica. This academy now has a senior team and many youth teams.

Business Ventures

Even when he was playing for Napoli, Marek and his father, Richard, started their own wine brand called Hamšík Winery. In 2021, Hamšík Winery also started making beer, working with a brewery from Marek's hometown of Banská Bystrica.

Marketing and Public Appearances

Before the 2010 FIFA World Cup, Marek, who was 22 at the time, appeared in popular TV ads for Slovak T-com. He also represented Slovakia at Expo 2015 in Milan, Italy, alongside the Slovak President.

Personal Life

Marek Hamšík's parents are Richard and Renáta Hamšíková. In July 2014, Marek married Martina Fraňová. They have three children: two sons named Christian (born 2010) and Lucas (born 2012), and a daughter named Melissa (born 2017). Marek's sister, Michaela, is married to Uruguayan footballer Walter Gargano. Walter was Marek's teammate at Napoli. Because of this, Marek is a big fan of the Uruguayan club Atletico Peñarol.

Career Statistics

Club

International

Scores and results list Slovakia's goal tally first, score column indicates score after each Hamšík goal.

List of international goals scored by Marek Hamšík

No.	Date	Venue	Cap	Opponent	Score	Result	Competition
1	13 October 2007	Mestský štadión, Dubnica nad Váhom, Slovakia	6	San Marino	1–0	7–0	UEFA Euro 2008 qualification
2	21 November 2007	Stadio Olimpico, Serravalle, San Marino	9	San Marino	3–0	5–0	UEFA Euro 2008 qualification
3	6 September 2008	Tehelné pole, Bratislava, Slovakia	15	Northern Ireland	2–0	2–1	2010 FIFA World Cup qualification
4	19 November 2008	Štadión pod Dubňom, Žilina, Slovakia	18	Liechtenstein	1–0	4–0	Friendly
5					2–0
6	10 February 2009	Tsirion Stadium, Limassol, Cyprus	19	Ukraine	2–2	2–3	Friendly
7	5 September 2009	Tehelné pole, Bratislava, Slovakia	25	Czech Republic	2–1	2–2	2010 FIFA World Cup qualification
8	14 November 2009	Tehelné pole, Bratislava, Slovakia	28	United States	1–0	1–0	Friendly
9	15 August 2012	TRE-FOR Park, Odense, Denmark	55	Denmark	2–1	3–1	Friendly
10	12 October 2012	Štadión Pasienky, Bratislava, Slovakia	58	Latvia	2–0	3–0	2014 FIFA World Cup qualification
11	10 September 2013	Štadión pod Dubňom, Žilina, Slovakia	67	Bosnia and Herzegovina	1–0	1–2	2014 FIFA World Cup qualification
12	12 October 2014	Borisov Arena, Barysaw, Belarus	73	Belarus	1–0	3–1	UEFA Euro 2016 qualification
13					2–1
14	18 November 2014	Štadión pod Dubňom, Žilina, Slovakia	75	Finland	2–0	2–1	Friendly
15	14 June 2015	Štadión pod Dubňom, Žilina, Slovakia	78	FYR Macedonia	2–0	2–1	UEFA Euro 2016 qualification
16	12 October 2015	Stade Josy Barthel, Route d'Arlon, Luxembourg	82	Luxembourg	1–0	4–2	UEFA Euro 2016 qualification
17					4–2
18	29 May 2016	WWK Arena, Augsburg, Germany	86	Germany	1–1	3–1	Friendly
19	15 June 2016	Stade Pierre-Mauroy, Villeneuve-d'Ascq, France	89	Russia	2–0	2–1	UEFA Euro 2016
20	11 November 2016	Štadión Antona Malatinského, Trnava, Slovakia	95	Lithuania	4–0	4–0	2018 FIFA World Cup qualification
21	10 June 2017	LFF Stadium, Vilnius, Lithuania	97	Lithuania	2–0	2–1	2018 FIFA World Cup qualification
22	13 October 2018	Štadión Antona Malatinského, Trnava, Slovakia	108	Czech Republic	1–1	1–2	2018–19 UEFA Nations League B
23	11 June 2019	Bakcell Arena, Baku, Azerbaijan	114	Azerbaijan	3–1	5–1	UEFA Euro 2020 qualification
24					4–1
25	19 November 2019	Štadión Antona Malatinského, Trnava, Slovakia	120	Azerbaijan	2–0	2–0	UEFA Euro 2020 qualification
26	14 October 2020	Štadión Antona Malatinského, Trnava, Slovakia	123	Israel	1–0	2–3	2020–21 UEFA Nations League B

Honours

Napoli

• Coppa Italia: 2011–12, 2013–14
• Supercoppa Italiana: 2014

Trabzonspor

• Süper Lig: 2021–22
• Turkish Super Cup: 2022

Individual

• Serie A Young Footballer of the Year: 2008
• Serie A Team of the Year: 2010–11, 2015–16, 2016–17
• Most assists in Serie A: 2012–13, 2014–15
• Peter Dubovský Trophy: 2007, 2008
• Slovak Footballer of the Year: 2009, 2010, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018
• UEFA Europa League Squad of the Season: 2014–15
• Süper Lig Foreign Player the Year: 2021–22

Records

• Napoli all-time appearance holder: 520 appearances
• Slovakia all-time appearance holder: 138 appearances
• Slovakia all-time top scorer: 26 goals

See also

In Spanish: Marek Hamšík para niños

• List of top international men's football goalscorers by country
• List of men's footballers with 100 or more international caps