After close to 12 years of recording breaking service to SSC Napoli, club legend Marek Hamsik has departed Naples for Dalian Yifang of the Chinese Super League.

520 games, 121 goals, 111 assists in eleven and a half seasons at the club. Hamsik is the clubs all-time leading goalscorer and record appearance holder. The Slovakian surpassed Neapolitan icon Diego Maradona as the clubs all-time leading goalscorer on the 23rd December 2017 against Sampdoria in a 3-2 victory.

As Hamsik departs for Dalian it is only right to look back on his remarkable journey in Naples, which coincided with the revival of Napoli as we know them today. For the midfielder, his footballing journey began at Slovan Bratislava of his native Slovakia. Making six appearances and scoring once in his two years at the club.

In 2004, At the age of 17, Hamsik moved to then Serie A club Brescia for a fee of €500,000. He made his Brescia debut against Chievo on 20th March 2005 in a 3-1 defeat. Hamsik made his debut at the age of just 17 years and 237 days old, the midfielder’s only appearance in the 2004/05 season as Brescia finished 19th and were relegated to Serie B.

In the following two seasons Hamsik got regular playing time in the Brescia team. A solid first season in Serie B culminated with 24 appearances for the 18-year-old, the season that changed everything for Hamsik however, was the 2006/07 season. Making 40 appearances, the midfielder scored 10 goals in an impressive season that certainly caught the attention of Napoli.

On June 28th, 2007 Hamsik moved to newly promoted Serie A club Napoli for €5.5 million signing a five-year contract. His debut came against Cesena in the first round of the Coppa Italia on 15th August 2007, providing an assist and scoring himself, Hamsik’s debut in the 4-0 victory was certainly a memorable one.

The Slovakian’s first of 100 Serie A goals came just a month later in a 2-0 victory against Sampdoria on 16th September 2007. Hamsik finished the 2007/08 season as Napoli’s top Serie A scorer with 9 goals in 37 appearances. Capping a memorable 2007, the youngster was voted the best young Slovak footballer and was also voted as the runner up to Martin Skrtel as the Slovak player of the year.

After three seasons of consolidation in Serie A, Napoli led by Marek Hamsik, Ezequiel Lavezzi and Edinson Cavani finished third in the 2010/11 season. The clubs highest league finish since the great Diego Maradona brought a second league title to Naples in 1989. Hamsik played all but two of 38 league games that season scoring 11 goals and contributing 6 assists.

The return of Napoli to Italy’s top table was complete the following season as Hamsik and co-won the Partenopei its first silverware in 22 years. A 2-0 victory against Juventus in the Coppa Italia final prevented the Scudetto winners completing a domestic double. The Slovak scored the second goal in the 82nd minute to seal a famous victory against The Old Lady in the Olimpico.

Alongside the Coppa Italia victory, the Neapolitans also impressed on the European stage, qualifying second out of a group that included Manchester City, Bayern Munich, and Villareal. Hamsik scored as Napoli beat Villareal 2-0 securing the club its first ever Champions League victory. Before valiantly bowing out to eventual winners Chelsea 5-4 on aggregate in the round of 16.

Bringing a further two pieces of silverware in 2014, with victories in the Coppa Italia against Fiorentina 3-1 and then Juventus in the Super Coppa Italia with a 6-5 penalty shootout victory as the game finished 2-2 after extra time. Hamsik has solidified himself as a Napoli legend after almost twelve seasons at the Partenopei.

The Legacy of Marek Hamsik-

Holding the record of both the all-time leading appearance maker and all-time leading goalscorer at SSC Napoli is not a feat to be taken likely by any means. Surpassing Giuseppe Bruscolotti as the former, after making his 512th appearance in the November 2018 Champions League 1-1 group stage draw against PSG at the Stadio San Paulo.

The title that will forever hold the Slovakian in the highest regard in Naples is the record goalscoring title. Surpassing a man whose face dons many a restaurant, shop, and church along the Bay of Naples, Diego Armando Maradona is a godlike figure that is worshipped in these parts.

Since 2007, Hamsik has recorded three appearances in the Serie A Team of The Year, two seasons with the most Serie A assists and three pieces of silverware. These statistics simply don’t do the 31-year-olds years in Naples justice. The revival of the club back into consistent title contenders may well be Hamsik’s defining moment.

#GrazieCap17ano the message on social media as the Slovakian departs SSC Napoli as a true Neapolitan legend like very few who have come before him.