From the child debt to the “King of Prosecco” “how Marek Hamsik reinvented after the withdrawal

On September 15, the former midfielder who became the symbol of Naples – and the city, not just the club – comes out of the vines, a few hours, to step again on the lawn, at Legends Charity Game, the charity event.

From Skoda Felicia sold by his father for the first transfer to Valdobbiadene Superiore Di Cartizze, the range of the Italian prosecco, the journey of Hansik and the “bubble” demonstration of how the dedication and the failure on the road can rewrite the destiny of a child.

• GSP.ro will transmit exclusively to Romania the event Legends Charity Gamefrom Estadio Jose Alvalade, who aims to receive donations of over one million euros for victims of global conflicts;

• Three reporters of the newspaper, Ionuț Iordache, George Nistor and Daniel Grigore, will provide from Lisbon images, real -time information, reports and interviews;

Marek Hamsik, a career under the sign of sacrifice

In the 1990s, the Hamsik family lived modestly, but this aspect did not extinguish Marek's dream of playing football, even though the roads to the great performance seemed impossible. The first great impediment was represented by his own club.

When he was 15, the Local Club Jupie Podlavice requested an amount of 125,000 crowns, the equivalent of just over 4000 euros, to allow the transfer to Slovan Bratislava. A fortune for an ordinary family, especially at that time.

His father, Richard, did not think and sold the family car, a Skoda Felicia, to get the money that was not enough anyway. He had to make a loan too. “Without that sacrifice, my career would not have existed,” the Slovak would recognize, years later.

From that moment, the shy boy from Banska Bystrica, a city with about 70,000 inhabitants, understood that he would carry on his shoulders a huge responsibility, to transform the investment of parents into a success story.

In 2003 Marek Hacsik debuted at Slovan Bratislava

The mill that conquered Napoli

The club that really changed his life would be Naples. After debuting in Serie A with Brescia, Hansik arrived on the radar of the top clubs in Italy, but the band below Vezuviu was the most convinced that the “ridge midfielder” can take the team to the highest level.

He reached Stadio San Paolo in 2007, as he was called until recently. In a city that has never given up to worship Diego Maradona, a new symbol was needed, this time a “pillar” on the back of which to consolidate again the boldness to crave to performance. The expansive young man by presence, but disciplined and field worker, was the right man.

In 12 seasons, Hamsik He played 520 matches for Naples, scored 121 goals and offered 111 decisive passes. Records that have transformed him into the player with the most appearances in the club's history and, for a while, the absolute goalscorer, before Dries Mertens exceed him, without any fierce competition for this terminal. And one and the other have their murals in spagnoli quarters.

The partners have adopted him since the first season, nicknamed him “Marekiaro”, from a game of words between his first name and the fishing village of Posillipo, with a strong symbolic load for the inhabitants of the campaign.

Hamsik has wore the banner for 22 years, becoming the youngest captain of the band over time. It did not reach through theatrical gestures or extreme speeches, but through a consistency in the game that conquered them all, being rarely injured and always willing to set foot, at any risk.

Marek Hamsik quickly became the idol of the Napoletan gallery. Photo: Imago

• Hamsik is a great passion for movies. Her favorite comedy is “The Hangover” (“Great Hungarian”), which she likes to see.

• It is very attentive to nutrition. In 2016, he gave up Cola, and since then he consumes only vegetables and light food.

• He believes the family is his anchor. He is married to Martina Franova, who gave him three children. His sister has a marriage to Walter Gargano, a former teammate in Naples.

In love with wine, addicted to shopping

In 2018, Marek received the honorary citizenship of the city of Castel Volturn, the place where Naples have a preparation base and where it has been living for a long time.

The years in the southern Italy also offered him another discovery: wine. In the same year, until it was transferred to China, the midfielder launched his own tag: Hamsik Winerywhich produces, among other things, Prosecco Treviso, Valdobbiadene Superiore Di Cartizze, Chardonnay, Pinot Grigio, Merlot and Cabernet. Sovacul has diversified its portfolio with the attention of a professional. He also added Slovak labels, like a bridge between the past and the present.

The company exports today to Slovakia, the Czech Republic and other European markets. The receipts of his business reach 1.5 million euros annually.

Beyond the field, Hamsik also has weaknesses, some surprising. “I am crazy about shopping,” he confessed some time ago, explaining that his wardrobe is full of wide and long shirts, the clothes he feels most comfortable with.

Interestingly, his idol comes from another sport: Rafael Nadal. “If I were not a footballer, I would have liked to be tennis player. He is my model,” said Slovak.

In 2023, Marek Hacsik gave up his player career. He left behind 135 selections to the national team of Slovakia, absolute record, and a hero status in Naples. Today it is Team Manager and second of the first representative of his country, but also respected entrepreneur in the world of wine.

Not all the great players need a World Cup to enter the football heritage. For some it is enough a ridge, a banner carried with dignity and a community to shout, even after the withdrawal: “Marekiaro, one one of us!”.

Mural with Marek Hamsik in Naples. Photo: Gettyimages

Marek Hamsik's track record

• Throughout his career, he has evolved for Slovan Bratislava (2002-2004), Brescia (2004-2007), Napoli (2007-2019), Dalian Professional (2019-2020), IFK Goteborg (2021) and Trabzonspor (2021-2023).

• With Slovan Bratislava he won the Slovak Cup in 2002, and with Naples two Cups of Italy, in 2012 and 2014, and a supercapa of Italy, in 2014, before completing the club career with a champion title of Turkey, won with Trabzonspor in 2022.

• For the national team of Slovakia he ticked 135 selections and scored 26 goals, participating in the 2010 World Championship and in the 2016 and 2020 European Championships.

• The Slovak footballer of the year (2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2013, 2015, 2016) and was elected the best Slovak athlete of 2016.

• It became the best scorer in Napoli's history between 2017 and 2020, until it was surpassed by Dries Mertens. The recordman of matches remained in the “Azzurilor” T-shirt, with 520 appearances.

Team composition at Legends Charity Game

The legends of Portugal: Vitor Baia, Beto, Pepe, Ricardo Carvalho, Fabio Coentrao, Bosingwa, Jorge Andrade, Eliseu, Bruno Alves, Luis Figo, Deco, Dani, Simao, Maniche, Tiago Mendes, Nani, Quaresma, Nuno Gomes, Helder Postiga, Paulet;
Coach: Costinha;

The legends of the world: Petr Cech, Edwin van der Sar, Cafu, Marco Materazzi, Javier Zanetti, Carles Puyol, John Terry, Roberto Carlos, Kaka, Youri Djorkaeff, Christian Karembeu, Gaizka Mendieta, Krassimir Balakov, Gheorghe Hagi, Giorgos Karagounis, Alesandro deli Piero, Henrik Larsson, Michael Owen, Javier Saviola, Hristo Stoichkov;
Coach: Peter Schmeichel;
Second coach: Diego Lugano;