# Marek Hamšík **Marek Hamšík** (born 1987 in Banská Bystrica, Slovakia) is a Slovak retired footballer who played as an attacking and central midfielder, best known for twelve seasons at [SSC Napoli](https://www.edgepedia.org/ssc-napoli), where he broke [Diego Maradona](https://www.edgepedia.org/diego-maradona)'s club scoring record and became the club's all-time leader in both goals and appearances[1](https://www.uefa.com/uefachampionsleague/news/0247-0e98eda903ca-2f4fd7c39511-1000--how-brilliant-is-napoli-and-slovakia-s-marek-hamsik/) • [2](https://as.com/us/us/2019/09/20/futbol/1568953925_196678.html). For Slovakia he is the record holder for caps and goals, and he was voted Slovak Footballer of the Year eight times[3](https://sportnet.sme.sk/futbalnet/clen/5d655aaa86dc8b72382966c3/marek-hamsik/). | Key fact | Detail | |---|---| | Born | 1987, Banská Bystrica, Slovakia[1](https://www.uefa.com/uefachampionsleague/news/0247-0e98eda903ca-2f4fd7c39511-1000--how-brilliant-is-napoli-and-slovakia-s-marek-hamsik/) | | Position | Midfielder[3](https://sportnet.sme.sk/futbalnet/clen/5d655aaa86dc8b72382966c3/marek-hamsik/) | | Napoli career | 2007–2019; more than 500 matches and 121 goals, a club record later surpassed by Dries Mertens[2](https://as.com/us/us/2019/09/20/futbol/1568953925_196678.html) • [8](https://football-italia.net/mertens-makes-napoli-history/) | | Maradona record | Passed Maradona's 115-goal Napoli record on 23 December 2017 with the winner against Sampdoria[1](https://www.uefa.com/uefachampionsleague/news/0247-0e98eda903ca-2f4fd7c39511-1000--how-brilliant-is-napoli-and-slovakia-s-marek-hamsik/) | | Napoli honors | Two Coppa Italia titles (2012, 2014) and one Supercoppa Italiana; no Serie A title[2](https://as.com/us/us/2019/09/20/futbol/1568953925_196678.html) | | Slovakia | 138 caps and 26 goals (2007–2023); debut 7 February 2007 against Poland[3](https://sportnet.sme.sk/futbalnet/clen/5d655aaa86dc8b72382966c3/marek-hamsik/) | | Individual awards | Slovak Footballer of the Year eight times (2009, 2010, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018)[3](https://sportnet.sme.sk/futbalnet/clen/5d655aaa86dc8b72382966c3/marek-hamsik/) | | Later clubs | Dalian Professional (2019–2021), IFK Göteborg (2021), Trabzonspor (2021–2023)[3](https://sportnet.sme.sk/futbalnet/clen/5d655aaa86dc8b72382966c3/marek-hamsik/) | ## Early career Hamšík began at his local club Jupie Podlavice in Banská Bystrica, then joined Slovan Bratislava, the club he described as the number one in Slovakia[1](https://www.uefa.com/uefachampionsleague/news/0247-0e98eda903ca-2f4fd7c39511-1000--how-brilliant-is-napoli-and-slovakia-s-marek-hamsik/). He played only six times for Slovan's first team, scoring once in Slovak football, before moving to Italy at 17 for a fee of around €500,000[1](https://www.uefa.com/uefachampionsleague/news/0247-0e98eda903ca-2f4fd7c39511-1000--how-brilliant-is-napoli-and-slovakia-s-marek-hamsik/). At Brescia he started in the Under-19 side and made his [Serie A](https://www.edgepedia.org/serie-a) debut in March 2005, still 17, becoming the third Slovak player to appear in the Italian top flight[1](https://www.uefa.com/uefachampionsleague/news/0247-0e98eda903ca-2f4fd7c39511-1000--how-brilliant-is-napoli-and-slovakia-s-marek-hamsik/). After Brescia were relegated he became a regular in [Serie B](https://www.edgepedia.org/serie-b), and ten goals in 40 league games in 2006/07 convinced Napoli to buy him for a reported €5.5 million[1](https://www.uefa.com/uefachampionsleague/news/0247-0e98eda903ca-2f4fd7c39511-1000--how-brilliant-is-napoli-and-slovakia-s-marek-hamsik/). ## Napoli Hamšík scored on his Napoli debut on 15 August 2007 against Cesena in the [Coppa Italia](https://www.edgepedia.org/coppa-italia), and a month later scored his first Serie A goal in a 2-0 win over [Sampdoria](https://www.edgepedia.org/sampdoria), finishing his first season as the team's top marksman with nine goals[1](https://www.uefa.com/uefachampionsleague/news/0247-0e98eda903ca-2f4fd7c39511-1000--how-brilliant-is-napoli-and-slovakia-s-marek-hamsik/). In January 2009 he became the first foreign player to receive the 'Oscar del Calcio' as Serie A's best young player[1](https://www.uefa.com/uefachampionsleague/news/0247-0e98eda903ca-2f4fd7c39511-1000--how-brilliant-is-napoli-and-slovakia-s-marek-hamsik/). **Scoring consistency.** With nine goals in 2007/08 and 2008/09 and twelve in 2009/10, he was the first player to finish as Napoli's leading scorer in three successive seasons since Maradona[1](https://www.uefa.com/uefachampionsleague/news/0247-0e98eda903ca-2f4fd7c39511-1000--how-brilliant-is-napoli-and-slovakia-s-marek-hamsik/). His first career hat-trick came on 4 September 2017 in a 7-1 win at Bologna[1](https://www.uefa.com/uefachampionsleague/news/0247-0e98eda903ca-2f4fd7c39511-1000--how-brilliant-is-napoli-and-slovakia-s-marek-hamsik/). **Captaincy and trophies.** He became the youngest player to captain Napoli, aged 22 years and 229 days, in a Serie A match against Fiorentina on 13 March 2010, and took the armband permanently after Paolo Cannavaro's departure on 31 January 2014[1](https://www.uefa.com/uefachampionsleague/news/0247-0e98eda903ca-2f4fd7c39511-1000--how-brilliant-is-napoli-and-slovakia-s-marek-hamsik/). He scored in the 2-0 Coppa Italia final win over Juventus on 20 May 2012, Napoli's first major trophy in 25 years, and won the cup again in 2014 against Fiorentina[1](https://www.uefa.com/uefachampionsleague/news/0247-0e98eda903ca-2f4fd7c39511-1000--how-brilliant-is-napoli-and-slovakia-s-marek-hamsik/) • [2](https://as.com/us/us/2019/09/20/futbol/1568953925_196678.html). **The Maradona record.** On 16 December 2017 his goal against Torino, his 115th for the club, drew him level with Maradona at the top of Napoli's all-time scoring list[4](https://www.corrieredellosport.it/news/calcio/serie-a/napoli/2017/12/16-35673462/hamsik_miglior_marcatore_della_storia_del_napoli_raggiunto_maradona). A week later, on 23 December 2017, he scored the winner in a 3-2 home victory against Sampdoria to pass the record; fans sang for him the chant they had once sung for Maradona, and he donated the shirt from the match to a museum in Naples[1](https://www.uefa.com/uefachampionsleague/news/0247-0e98eda903ca-2f4fd7c39511-1000--how-brilliant-is-napoli-and-slovakia-s-marek-hamsik/). He finished with 121 goals for the club[2](https://as.com/us/us/2019/09/20/futbol/1568953925_196678.html). His 2016/17 season was one of his peaks: across 38 league matches he produced 12 goals and 10 assists, a goal involvement every 138 minutes, and his Sofascore rating of 7.52 placed him fifth among Serie A players[5](https://www.sofascore.com/news/marek-hamsiks-seasonal-peaks-from-naples-to-the-black-sea). ## Slovakia Hamšík made his senior international debut on 7 February 2007 in a 2-2 friendly draw with Poland, coming on for nine minutes at age 19[1](https://www.uefa.com/uefachampionsleague/news/0247-0e98eda903ca-2f4fd7c39511-1000--how-brilliant-is-napoli-and-slovakia-s-marek-hamsik/) • [3](https://sportnet.sme.sk/futbalnet/clen/5d655aaa86dc8b72382966c3/marek-hamsik/). He captained Slovakia at their first [FIFA World Cup](https://www.edgepedia.org/fifa-world-cup) in South Africa in 2010, where they reached the round of 16 before losing to the Netherlands[1](https://www.uefa.com/uefachampionsleague/news/0247-0e98eda903ca-2f4fd7c39511-1000--how-brilliant-is-napoli-and-slovakia-s-marek-hamsik/). At UEFA EURO 2016, Slovakia's debut in the competition, he was the country's top scorer in qualifying with five goals and captained the side to the last 16, scoring in a 2-1 win over Russia[1](https://www.uefa.com/uefachampionsleague/news/0247-0e98eda903ca-2f4fd7c39511-1000--how-brilliant-is-napoli-and-slovakia-s-marek-hamsik/). He also played at EURO 2020, his third major tournament[3](https://sportnet.sme.sk/futbalnet/clen/5d655aaa86dc8b72382966c3/marek-hamsik/). He finished with 138 caps and 26 goals, records for Slovakia, and was the first Slovak player to pass 10,000 international minutes; he shared the record of 51 matches as captain with [Martin Škrtel](https://www.edgepedia.org/martin-skrtel)[3](https://sportnet.sme.sk/futbalnet/clen/5d655aaa86dc8b72382966c3/marek-hamsik/). In 2017 he was voted Slovakia's best player of the previous 25 years[1](https://www.uefa.com/uefachampionsleague/news/0247-0e98eda903ca-2f4fd7c39511-1000--how-brilliant-is-napoli-and-slovakia-s-marek-hamsik/). ## Later career In February 2019 Napoli announced his departure, and he joined Dalian Yifang in the [Chinese Super League](https://www.edgepedia.org/chinese-super-league)[2](https://as.com/us/us/2019/09/20/futbol/1568953925_196678.html). His subsequent clubs were [IFK Göteborg](https://www.edgepedia.org/ifk-goteborg) in 2021 and [Trabzonspor](https://www.edgepedia.org/trabzonspor) from 2021 to 2023[3](https://sportnet.sme.sk/futbalnet/clen/5d655aaa86dc8b72382966c3/marek-hamsik/). His Trabzonspor season in 2021/22 stood alongside his 2016/17 Napoli campaign as one of his strongest, and he retired from playing in 2023[5](https://www.sofascore.com/news/marek-hamsiks-seasonal-peaks-from-naples-to-the-black-sea) • [3](https://sportnet.sme.sk/futbalnet/clen/5d655aaa86dc8b72382966c3/marek-hamsik/). ## Legacy Hamšík never won Serie A with Napoli, but his longevity, captaincy and scoring records made him one of the club's defining figures of the post-Maradona era[2](https://as.com/us/us/2019/09/20/futbol/1568953925_196678.html). UEFA's 2025 review of Slovak football described him as arguably Slovak football's most iconic figure, noting that on his retirement from international football in 2022 he was Slovakia's all-time leading appearance maker and goalscorer and an eight-time Slovak Footballer of the Year[6](https://editorial.uefa.com/resources/029a-1df808d7dc4a-b932c0d537d2-1000/1006b_complete_final_global_edition_r.pdf). After retiring he joined the Slovakia national team staff as assistant coach and team manager[7](https://mediamanager.ws/media/pages/f/futbalsfz.sk/2025/10/sfz-bulletin-a4-svk-lux-web.pdf). ## References 1. [How brilliant is Napoli and Slovakia's Marek Hamšík?, UEFA.com](https://www.uefa.com/uefachampionsleague/news/0247-0e98eda903ca-2f4fd7c39511-1000--how-brilliant-is-napoli-and-slovakia-s-marek-hamsik/) 2. [¿Qué fue de Marek Hamsik, el eslovaco que jugó en Napoli?, AS](https://as.com/us/us/2019/09/20/futbol/1568953925_196678.html) 3. [Marek Hamšík player profile, Sportnet/Futbalnet](https://sportnet.sme.sk/futbalnet/clen/5d655aaa86dc8b72382966c3/marek-hamsik/) 4. [Hamsik miglior marcatore della storia del Napoli: raggiunto Maradona, Corriere dello Sport](https://www.corrieredellosport.it/news/calcio/serie-a/napoli/2017/12/16-35673462/hamsik_miglior_marcatore_della_storia_del_napoli_raggiunto_maradona) 5. [Marek Hamšík seasonal peaks on Sofascore](https://www.sofascore.com/news/marek-hamsiks-seasonal-peaks-from-naples-to-the-black-sea) 6. [Slovakia 2025, UEFA editorial](https://editorial.uefa.com/resources/029a-1df808d7dc4a-b932c0d537d2-1000/1006b_complete_final_global_edition_r.pdf) 7. [Futbalová tácia 2025, Slovak Football Association bulletin](https://mediamanager.ws/media/pages/f/futbalsfz.sk/2025/10/sfz-bulletin-a4-svk-lux-web.pdf) 8. [Mertens makes Napoli history - Football Italia](https://football-italia.net/mertens-makes-napoli-history/) --- *Topic: Encyclopedia › Sports, games, and recreation › Association football › Football people and teams › People › Men's footballers of continental Europe* *Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Sep 17, 2026; Oct 21, 2026 · Edited: Oct 12, 2026; Oct 15, 2026; Oct 21, 2026 · Last review: Oct 21, 2026* *Copyright 2026 EdgeChat AI, a subsidiary of Biostate AI.* License: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license