Marek Hamšík

Marek Hamšík (Slovak pronunciation: [ˈmareɡ ˈɦamʂiːk]; born 27 July 1987) is a Slovak football coach and former player who played as a midfielder. He is currently the team manager and assistant coach for the Slovakia national team. Hamšík is best known for his 12-year long tenure at Italian club Napoli, where he became the club's all-time top goalscorer (until 2020) with 121 goals and played a club record 521 matches in all competitions. He also served as the club's captain between 2014 and 2019. With 138 caps and 26 goals at senior international level, Hamšík is both Slovakia's most capped player and all-time top scorer.

After beginning his club career with Slovan Bratislava in 2004, Hamšík moved to Italian club Brescia later that year. In 2007, he was purchased by newly promoted Serie A club Napoli, where he became a mainstay in the squad's starting line-up. His energy, leadership, creativity, skill and eye for goal from midfield saw him play a key role in helping the team to two Coppa Italia titles and a Supercoppa Italiana. He was also involved in Napoli finishing second in Serie A in 2012–13 and 2018–19, while engaging in title races with Juventus in 2015–16 and 2017–18, when they again finished runners-up. In February 2019, Hamšík joined Chinese club Dalian Professional. He signed for Turkish side Trabzonspor in 2021, winning the Süper Lig title in his first season, before announcing his retirement in 2023.

At international level, Hamšík played for the Slovakia national team from 2007 until 2023. He helped Slovakia qualify for the country's first ever FIFA World Cup, captaining the side at the 2010 tournament as they reached the round of 16 following a victory over defending champions Italy. He went on to lead his nation to European Championship qualification for the first time in 2016, as they once again reached the second round of a major tournament; a second consecutive European Championship appearance followed for Hamšík in 2020.

For his performances, Hamšík also won several individual awards: he is an eight-time winner of the Slovak Footballer of the Year Award, and he was named 2008 Serie A Young Footballer of the Year. In 2011, 2016 and 2017, he was named in the Serie A Team of the Year, and in 2015, he was included in the UEFA Europa League Squad of the season. In 2013, Hamšík was ranked as the eighth best footballer in Europe by Bloomberg.