On Monday, Swedish side Gothenburg announced the signing of Hamsik, one of the most surprising transfers of the season.
The Slovak icon became the latest foreign aid to leave the Chinese Super League, but for a talented player like him, he ended up going to a very unusual place.
Hamsik's contract will run until the end of August, meaning he can play at least 17 league games for Gothenburg.
"It's completely surreal." Zeitman, a Swedish journalist from Fotboll Direkt, told Enough Football.
"When it comes to foreign players in the Swedish Premier League, he's the biggest player. In modern times, I can only think of Zlatan Ibrahimovic, who played eight games for Malmö before joining Ajax in 2001. ”
"When it comes to level and strength, no one is any higher than him."
Hamsik intends to play steadily ahead of this summer's European Championships, and after terminating his contract with Dalian, he came to the Super League.
Club Bratislava, which Hamsik left at the age of 17, was also interested in him, but one of the key contract terms gave Gothenburg an advantage.
"The contract is valid until August 31, and there is one clause that is crucial to us. This means that if there are other clubs interested in Marek (Hamsik), Gothenburg will allow him to leave before his contract expires. His agent, Yuray Venglos, told Dennik Sport.
The 33-year-old had difficulty traveling to Dalian due to restrictions on travel between Slovakia and China due to the COVID-19 pandemic. As he could not play regularly in club-level matches, this affected his state of play.
The Slovak national team relies heavily on Hamsik's vision and creativity, and the state of his organisational core is crucial to Slovakia's success at the European Championships. Hamsik has scored 26 goals in 122 appearances for the national team; he is the most appearance-making player and top scorer in Slovakian history.
He performed well in euro 2020 qualifiers, leading Slovakia to the final round, in the same group as Spain, Poland and Sweden. Euro 2020 will be his third major after the 2010 World Cup and Euro 2016.
His relationship with Slovak fans has not always been idyllic, as supporters initially complained that he could not replicate his heroic performances at Napoli in the national team. However, after former head coach Jan Kozak gave him freedom, Hamsik took off.
During Euro 2016, Kozak said Hamsik should join a bigger club than Napoli. But despite the Interest of the European giants, Hamsik remained loyal to Napoli and did not join China until 2019, becoming one of the latest waves of foreign aid to join the Chinese Super League at that time.
The move to China did not negatively affect his performance in Slovakia and he still maintained his position as captain. But Chinese football has undergone major changes over the past few months, including a new salary cap, and the shockwaves of the epidemic have led to the suspension of champion team Jiangsu Football Club.
Rafa Benitez, who also coached Hamsik at Napoli, also left Dalian, so Hamsik also said goodbye.
Although not back to Slovakia, Sweden is a logical step. Sweden's new season will start on 10 April, so Hamsik will have some pre-season matches with his new team-mates, as well as some friendlies, and then he will join Slovakia's training camp in international matches in March.
Many Gothenburg fans gathered at the airport to greet their new star Hamsik, whose arrival meant a great opportunity for the club. The last time Gothenburg won the Swiss Super League was in 2007, but now they have big ambitions.
"If Messi joins Sweden's worst team, will he win the title for them?" Zeitman asked, "I don't think so." It also depends on the players around him. In my opinion, Gothenburg without Hamsik is capable of finishing sixth or seventh in the standings. ”
Hamsik's arrival could also benefit Gothenburg's finances, especially in terms of merchandise and marketing.
"When Gothenburg got the contract, they didn't hesitate at all. Now they can sell merchandise and season passes — even if fans may not be able to use them because of the pandemic — which will bring pry and media attention. Zeitman said.
According to the Swedish Evening News, the acquisition of such a high-profile star would not pose a risk to Gothenburg's finances, as Hamsik earns only 10,000 euros a month. Gothenburg will also be compensated for Hamsik's expected participation in Euro 2020.
The club also revealed that 1,400 pieces of Hamsik merchandise were sold within a few hours, and although no fans may be able to participate in the games in the coming months, fans continue to buy limited season tickets.