18-year-old goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma is currently one of the most talked-about footballers in Europe. The young Italian, who refused to sign a new contract with AC Milan, has revealed the shortcomings of modern football. Promising his love for the "Rossoneri" team during the season, the goalkeeper angered the fans of his club - at the European youth championship, he threw fake money at the players' goal and hung up a sign saying "Dollarumma."
Undoubtedly, this decision of G. Donnarumma was influenced by the so-called super agent Mino Raiola, who negotiates the best possible contracts for his clients. M. Raiola was in the news cycle for transfers last summer - his client Paul Pogba moved to Manchester United for a record sum, and the agent pocketed up to 46 million euros personally.
Although many football fans disagree with M. Raiola's methods, it cannot be denied that he can squeeze the maximum out of clubs that financially benefit both him and the players. However, there are still examples in modern football that show true football values.
The 29-year-old captain of Napoli was one of the few clients of M. Raiola who did not succumb to the agent's offers and forever renounced his services.
"Marek is a great footballer, and when you feel you are, you must change your environment to prove your worth," M. Raiola said these words to an Italian radio station in the summer of 2012. - Great athletes must seek new motivation, no matter if you are Lionel Messi, Ibrahimović, or Hamšík. Otherwise, you are not a full-fledged player."
After ensuring Zlatan Ibrahimović's transfer to Paris Saint-Germain for 20 million euros, M. Raiola was convinced that Marek Hamšík should follow in the same footsteps. It was in those years that the captain of the Slovak national team helped Napoli defeat Juventus in the Italian Cup final with a score of 2-0 and add a trophy to the club's shelf for the first time in 20 years.
Five years after his time at Napoli and the triumph in the Italian Cup, M. Raiola was convinced that now was the best time for himself and his client to make the best possible deal. In 2012, the Slovak was on the radar of major clubs, so the famous agent did not want to miss this opportunity.
However, after 10 years since he arrived in Napoli and five when M. Raiola wanted to send his client to another team, M. Hamšík still wears the Napoli jersey and has no relationship with his former agent. Now Marek Hamšík is represented by his compatriot Juraj Venglos, whose quotes about his client differ drastically from M. Raiola's.
"I am a professional when the negotiation process takes place between two clubs, but there is no secret that Juventus and other clubs showed great interest in Marek," J. Venglos recently told CRC radio. - But Marek's desire was always one thing - to stay at Napoli."
After Turin Juventus striker Gonzalo Higuaín did not resist the invitation from Napoli, M. Hamšík was offered the opportunity not only to work with his former teammate but also to be on the same team with his childhood hero Pavel Nedvěd (the current vice president of Juventus). However, P. Nedvěd completely understood M. Hamšík's choice, as he himself had refused offers from Inter Milan, his biggest rival at the time.
The hero of this story, Marek Hamšík, has said: "I need to have something more than money or trophies - I have to feel something in my heart."
Despite M. Hamšík's illustrious history, this summer the media continues to buzz with reports on Gianluigi Donnarumma and Mino Raiola's further steps.
Footballers' careers are not long, so everyone has the opportunity to set their priorities. However, as people and football fans, we seek something special to make our love for football even stronger. And one way to strengthen this feeling is loyalty and eternal love for one club.
The hero of this story, Marek Hamšík, has said: "I need to have something more than money or trophies - I have to feel something in my heart."
Text prepared based on "The Sportsman" article.
Aivaras Katutis, eurofootball.lt
