WITH 15 minutes left to play and Napoli 2-0 ahead, the fourth official signalled to the referee and raised the board to announce a substitution. With the push of a button, the numbers 42 and 17 flashed up and, almost as one, the entire stadium understood what was about to happen as the game against Sampdoria instantly took a backseat.
Wearing the first of those numbers, Amadou Diawara was on the touchline ready to enter the game, but everyone at the Stadio San Paolo had instead turned to the man with the with the other on his back. Recognising that he was the one to make way, Marek Hamšík handed the captain’s armband to Lorenzo Insigne, exchanging a quick hug as fans in the Curva B – home of Napoli’s Ultras – began to applaud, soon joined by the rest of the stadium.
Soon, every other member of the squad and coaching staff were on their feet too as Hamšík made his way to the touchline, turning to salute the crowd before twice tapping the Napoli badge on his chest. Carlo Ancelotti offered a handshake, as did Dries Mertens. The emotional outpouring confirmed rumours that the Slovakia international would – as had been rumoured in the days leading up to the Sampdoria clash – be completing a move to Chinese Super League side Dalian Yifang.
Marek Hamsik looks set to leave Napoli after 12 years with the club pic.twitter.com/qpWM0hxz1i
— B/R Football (@brfootball) February 2, 2019
Speaking on Sky Italia shortly after the final whistle, Ancelotti stated matter-of-factly that the club were “not hiding anything,” adding that they felt “inclined to give him what he wants.” That followed similar comments at a press conference with Aurelio De Laurentiis, the Napoli owner professing his admiration for the way the player had conducted himself.
“I told Hamšík that this is his home and we’ll be happy to welcome him back if he ever wants to return,” De Laurentiis said.“He’s a beautiful part of our history! He’s the one who bought a house in Castel Volturno. I’ve told him not so many times that he’s always done his bit here. He’s impeccable.”
That is undoubtedly true, and while Italian icons like Francesco Totti, Alessandro Del Piero and even Antonio Di Natale are fêted for their service and dedication, there is a strong case to be made that Hamšík should be held in similar esteem. He joined Napoli in 2007 having spent the three previous seasons at Brescia, the Partenopei paying €5.5 million to secure his services, a fee which in retrospect looks like an absolute steal.
The Three Tenors
Only 19-years-old when the deal was completed, the new arrival settled in quickly, finishing each of his first two campaigns as the club’s leading scorer. Napoli had only just earned promotion back into Serie A when they bought Hamšík and they would change dramatically in those early seasons, rising up the table and quickly becoming contenders for silverware.
Under the guidance of coach Walter Mazzarri he would be joined by Edinson Cavani and Ezequiel Lavezzi, the trio labelled “The Three Tenors” as they fired Napoli into the Champions League for the first time. While his team-mates drew more adulation, it was Hamšík who provided crucial contributions including their first ever goal in UEFA’s elite competition and a goal in the 2012 Coppa Italia final.
That latter strike secured Napoli’s first trophy since 1990, but just a few weeks later the Three Tenors would disband as Lavezzi moved on to Paris Saint-Germain. The following summer Cavani would join him in the French capital but, rather than follow them away from the San Paolo, Hamšík confirmed his loyalty by signing a new contract with Napoli less than 24 hours after his two friends reunited at PSG.
Gutted doesn't quite cover it. What an achievement to be all time top goal scorer and appearance maker for #sscnapoli ⭕⚽️ along with Cavani and Lavezzi, Hamsik made me fall in love with this football club. All the best for the future Marek! #forzanapoli #forzahamsik #Hamsik pic.twitter.com/KAXd5p6NNm
— Smithy (@AdamMSmithy) February 2, 2019
Rafael Benitez, Gonzalo Higuain and Maurizio Sarri would each arrive and leave in similar fashion, but the Slovakian remained, inheriting the club captaincy from Paolo Cannavaro and turning down any number of lucrative offers.
“I never considered money or the other football opportunities that were presented to me, as I would’ve felt like a traitor,” he wrote in “Marekiaro,” his 2018 autobiography. “I felt truly a symbol of Napoli and could never have played in Italy with a different shirt, I would have rather disappointed myself than the Napoli fans!”
Mr X
There were no shortage of offers, with the player telling RAI Sport back in 2011 that “it would be difficult to refuse Manchester United” before doing so anyway. He was strongly linked with a move to AC Milan that same summer when Adriano Galliani famously discussed a transfer target he labelled “Mr X.” Max Allegri was believed to be a major driving force behind the Rossoneri interest, rekindling the ambition to sign Hamšík after taking charge at Juventus in the summer of 2014.
Yet he would stay, supplanting Diego Maradona to become the club’s all-time leading goal scorer in 2017 and breaking the previous record for most appearances – held by Giuseppe Bruscolotti – the following year. While remaining vastly under-appreciated outside the club, those who hold Napoli dearest understand just how important he has been for the Partenopei.
511 – Marek #Hamsik has just equalled Giuseppe Bruscolotti as the player with the most appearances with @en_sscnapoli in all competitions (511). Icon. #NapoliRoma pic.twitter.com/7SiDfN9xrr
— OptaPaolo (@OptaPaolo) October 28, 2018
A complete midfielder, he filled to the needs of the various coaches he worked with. Under Mazzarri, he was a marauding force behind the strikers, winning back the ball and laying on chances for Cavani and Lavezzi. With Benitez at the helm he became Napoli’s answer to Steven Gerrard, covering the defence before bombing forward to join the attack at the most opportune moments.
Then came Sarri and his smooth, possession-based style. Previously not known for his distribution, Hamšík simply adapted to the demands of the new boss, his number of completed passes rising from 58.2 per 90 minutes in the 2014/15 campaign to 83.6 the following season. The player made no secret of his affection for the coach, telling the Corriere dello Sport that "what has improved me the most in my career and made me evolve technically and tactically, is Mr. Sarri.”
The Last Goodbye
Waiting for him after that game with Sampdoria ended was Paolo Cannavaro, a native of Naples who grew up supporting the club. Understanding the situation surrounding Hamšík’s future, he asked for a memento of the occasion and was delighted when his former team-mate took off his shirt and signed it “‘To my captain Paolo, with respect and affection.”
Cannavaro took to social media to repay the gesture and say goodbye. “Unfortunately the day that no Napoli fan ever wanted to see has now come!!!!” he wrote. “Sadly, in life everything has a beginning and an end. In this arc, you have achieved something exceptional. At the end of the day, players mark eras that are at times forgotten many, many years later.”
Having surpassed records set by legends like Maradona and Bruscolotti however, Cannavaro summed up the affection felt for Hamšík with his final words. “I am sure of one thing,” he concluded, “and that is that the name MAREK HAMSIK will echo in eternity through the streets of our city.”
It will, and deservedly so.
