Midfielder Marek Hamsik of the Italian top club SSC Naples has revealed that he was on the verge of a transfer to Borussia Dortmund in 2016.
“I almost ended up at BVB and negotiated with the club, that’s true,” the Slovakian national player told the Sport Bild.
“But the conversations weren’t that easy. I was told that the club would have to sell players before they could get me,” the 31-year-old explained, adding, “It lasted until August. At that time I had already started the preparation with Naples and didn’t want to leave.”
Instead, Hamsik remained loyal to Napoli and trained there under former Bayern coach Carlo Ancelotti. “He’s a great coach. You can tell from his speeches that he was a long player. He knows how things work in a team, how to talk to the pros. In addition, he is a very likeable man,” Hamsik praised the Italian coach.
Although Ancelotti had failed in Bavaria, Hamsik says he “doesn’t have to prove anything to anyone”. The 59-year-old coach had “already won so much, that’s proof enough. He never seems stressed or hectic to me either. On the contrary, it’s very chilled,” says the Slovak.
Hamsik had already moved from Brescia to SSC Naples in the summer of 2007 and has since played 513 games for the Serie A club (120 goals). His contract runs until 2020.
