Hamsík’s registry status surprises. His contract remains a mystery

Marek Hamšík won national youth titles with Slovan Bratislava in both the younger and older age categories. In 2004, he made six appearances and scored once for the senior team—though back then, Slovan was playing only in the second division. Hamšík was just sixteen years old. After that season, he transferred to Italian club Brescia for about 500,000 euros. According to RTVS, the national team captain—who left Slovakia 17 years ago—is now reportedly considering a return to Slovan. "The captain of the national team could get match fitness in the Slovak top league ahead of upcoming qualifiers," reported the public broadcaster.

At the time, the 33-year-old midfielder still had a year left on his contract with Chinese club Dalian Yifang. Could he possibly play for Slovan in the spring season? “Hamšík could play in Slovakia at the moment—for Slovan or another club—but only one that has not registered two professional players outside the transfer window (FIFA RSTP Article 6 and RaPP Article 19, paragraph 6). Slovan meets that requirement,” clarified Slovak Football Association (SFZ) spokesperson Monika Jurigová. “The second key condition is that he must have terminated his contract with his Chinese club by February 3, 2021,” she added.

The winter transfer window in Slovakia closed on February 3. If Hamšík still has a valid contract, any transfer would now be ruled out. Neither his agent Juraj Vengloš nor Hamšík himself have confirmed whether his contract in China has officially ended. “In Slovakia, a professional can still be registered until March 15, but only if they are a free agent,” explained sports lawyer and football agent Jozef Tokos. “If the player is still under contract, a transfer is out of the question,” he added.

Different rules apply for amateur players. An amateur returning from abroad can be registered by a Slovak club until the end of March. That means Hamšík could potentially play as an amateur this spring. For example, Róbert Vittek played briefly as an amateur for Slovan after returning from Turkey in 2013. “To be registered as an amateur in Slovakia, the player cannot be a professional in another country. According to FIFA rules, a player can only have one status—either professional or amateur,” Tokos said.

“Amateur contracts are financially limited by Slovak sports law. The compensation for an amateur athlete cannot exceed the minimum wage,” added Tokos. Hamšík is still listed in the Slovak Football Association’s registry as an amateur, dating back to his departure abroad. How is that possible? “The ISSF (Slovak football information system) only records the player’s domestic career. In Hamšík’s case, it only lists his departure to Brescia. Since he never signed a professional contract in Slovakia, his status in the ISSF is still amateur,” explained Jurigová.

Slovan president Ivan Kmotrík Jr. told Sportnet on Monday that he has no information about Hamšík joining the club. “I have no idea where these reports are coming from—it’s probably speculation. Marek still has a valid contract in China,” he said. Hamšík was earning an enormous salary in China—media reports mention nine million euros per year. However, Chinese clubs, once known for their extravagant spending, are now facing serious financial issues. Salaries have been drastically reduced, the league is losing government support, and investors are pulling out. The Slovak captain last played for his Chinese club in September of the previous year. His most recent competitive match came on November 18 in the Nations League against the Czech Republic. Since then, he has been in Slovakia and is currently training with second-division side Podbrezová.