Marek Hamsik was hard to miss given his spiked mohican.
But, despite being taken to Germany by Slovakia, the ex-Napoli star won’t be playing at Euro 2024.
The former midfielder, now with a more reserved haircut, represented his country at three major international tournaments, with the last being Euro 2020.
Slovakia will have to do without their greatest player this summer in Germany, but he’ll still be there in a new role.
Why is Marek Hamsik not at Euro 2024?
Hamsik has officially retired from all forms of football, which explains why he won’t be on the pitch this summer.
The 36-year-old decided to call time on his career at the end of the 2022/23 campaign after 21 years as a player.
The majority of those were spent at Napoli, where he became a legend.
Hamsik joined the Serie A giants in 2007 and stayed until 2019, winning three trophies.
He made 520 appearances for Napoli, scoring 121 goals and setting up another 103.
For his country, the midfield maestro was even more integral.
He’s Slovakia’s record appearance holder with 138 caps, and to top that off, he’s also their highest goalscorer with 26 international strikes.
Even in qualifying for this tournament, Hamsik played two final games and set up a goal in a 2-1 win over Iceland, so he was a player who did everything he could for Slovakia.
And in retirement, nothing has changed.
Hamsik is currently serving as the country’s team manager.
This doesn’t mean he’s in charge of tactics, but he still plays a vital role behind the scenes, looking after the players and ensuring everything is organised for them.
Speaking on Hamsik’s personality and influence on the Slovakian national team, head coach Francesco Calzona said: “If I had a son, I would want him to be someone like Marek Hamšík, because he is very humble despite his career as a champion.
“He is straightforward, and everyone loves him. I’ve realised how important he is for Slovakia because I’ve never heard anyone speak ill of him or say anything negative about him.
“Apart from being a colleague, he’s a great friend. Throughout his years at Napoli we built a great relationship in a quiet way.
“We had a certain chemistry between us and then went our separate ways, but we continued to text each other. When we met again it felt as if no time had passed at all.”
So, Hamisk will be at Euro 2024, but he won’t be on the field and will be trying to help Slovakia from the sidelines.
News Summary:
- Why is Marek Hamsik not playing at Euro 2024? Napoli legend set for interesting role with Slovakia in Germany
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