The hard player: Marek Hamšík
Born on July 27, 1987, in Banská Bystrica, then part of Czechoslovakia, Marek Hamšík is a Slovak central midfielder whose name is forever linked to Naples. Before settling at SSC Napoli, he honed his craft at Brescia Calcio, contributing 12 goals in 74 matches. It was then under the Neapolitan sun that he would write the finest pages of his career.
With 520 matches and 121 goals in the SSC Napoli shirt, he cemented himself as one of the club’s greatest ever servants. After his Neapolitan chapter, he moved on to Trabzonspor (6 goals in 65 matches) and then Dalian Professional (5 goals in 45 matches). Internationally, he made his first steps with the Slovak under-17 side, scoring 3 goals in 6 matches.
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PlayThe medium player: Álvaro Negredo
Born on August 20, 1985, in Madrid, Álvaro Negredo is a striker who cut his teeth at Real Castilla (22 goals in 65 matches) before making his mark on the national scene. It was at Sevilla FC that he truly exploded onto the scene: 85 goals in 182 matches, a killer return that makes him one of the most prolific scorers in the Andalusian club’s history. He also spent time at UD Almería, where he netted 32 goals in 73 matches, underlining his exceptional nose for goal.
He then moved on to Cádiz CF (20 goals in 104 matches) before venturing to Al Nasr, where he continued to deliver with 32 goals in 53 matches. With the Spanish national team, he racked up 10 goals in 21 caps – a clinical return that proves he rarely needed many chances to make his presence felt.
The easy player: Xavi
Born on January 25, 1980, in Terrassa, Spain, Xavi is a central midfielder by trade. It was at FC Barcelona that he built his entire reputation, playing no fewer than 767 matches in the blaugrana colours, scoring 85 goals along the way. He also featured for FC Barcelona B, racking up 61 matches and 3 goals at reserve level.
After his long reign at the Camp Nou, he headed to Al-Sadd SC, where he added 105 matches and 24 goals to his record. On the international stage, he wore the Spain shirt as early as 17, scoring 2 goals in 10 matches with the youth side – a sign of things to come at the highest level.