While football fans were counting down to the World Cup, Trabzonspor's Slovak star Marek Hamsik made statements in an interview with the Italian press about his favorite teams competing in the massive event to be held in Qatar while expressing how much he misses his old club, Napoli.
In the interview, Hamsik expressed his wish for Argentina or Brazil to lift gold although making it clear that he supports Germany, which he said has the potential to go all the way to the semifinals.
Speaking about Lionel Messi, the Slovakian midfielder said if it was up to him, he would just hand over the trophy to the Argentine star player but acknowledged that the team that will play the best football deserves the championship in tournaments like this one.
Asked about what he thought about Portugal's odds, Hamsik said, "I think that many teams have incredibly high-quality squads before the World Cup. I am not excited to see Portugal in the EURO 2024 qualifiers. I will give them my support to be in Qatar as it is known, this World Cup will be the last one for star Cristiano Ronaldo, just like Messi."
On the other hand, Hamsik made some interesting statements to the Italian press about Napoli.
Speaking about the Parthenopeans' championship chances, Hamsik said, "Continuity in performance is very important. The championship road is long. I think Napoli can go through to the semifinals in Europe as well. I love (Victor) Osimhen on the team. He is fast and strong as he can fight and break the opposition's resistance."
He added, "However, I think it is right to put the team forward rather than individuals, considering that football is a team game."
Stating that he expects Napoli to be stable in the future, Hamsik said, "With the new transfers, Napoli can now make the success permanent. Many players have already come at the right age to be successful for a long time"
He reiterated that he misses his old club but gave assurance that he will be back and hopes to meet his friends in the summer to have unforgettable moments in Naples.
He ended the interview with Napoli's motto: "Always, Forza Napoli."
The 35-year-old's contract with Trabzonspor will expire on June 30, 2023. This season, Hamsik scored two goals in 1,027 minutes in 16 games with the Bordeaux-Blue form. The star was able to register two goals and three assists in 32 games last season.