Former football star Marek Hamsik, who was once strongly linked with a dream transfer to Manchester United, has traded the roaring stadiums for the peaceful countryside, embarking on a completely new career as a farmer.
From Football Glory to Rural Life
The Napoli icon, who remains the club's record appearance-maker with 520 games between 2007 and 2019, officially ended his playing career in 2023 after spells with Dalian Professional, IFK Goteborg and Trabzonspor. While he immediately began work as assistant coach for the Slovenia national team, Hamsik simultaneously pursued an entirely different passion project away from the pitch.
Now aged 38, the Slovenian football great lives with his wife, Martina, and their three children in Badin, near his hometown of Banska Bystrica. Their property features more than just a swimming pool and playground; it's now home to a fully-functional, technologically advanced farm.
The High-Tech Chicken Coop
The family's agricultural venture began in earnest during Easter of April 2023, as Hamsik's wife explained to Sport24.sk. "It's a relatively new hobby for us," Martina revealed. "It all started in April 2023 during Easter when we ordered eggs to incubate, which later hatched into chicks. During that time, we managed to build a chicken coop."
Hamsik didn't settle for a basic structure. The former midfielder described their custom-built coop as more of a "hotel for chickens", complete with heating, ventilation, and automatic doors that open each morning without human intervention. The family currently tends to 29 chickens that produce approximately two dozen eggs daily. "We try to make the chickens happy and ourselves too," Hamsik joked, even suggesting he might open a shop given their abundant supply.
A Family United by Animal Love
The chickens represent just part of the family's animal responsibilities. Their home effectively operates as a small zoo, caring for ferrets, turtles, guinea pigs, dogs and cats. Hamsik credits his wife for this shared passion, stating: "In general, Martina is a great animal lover and she passed that on to the whole family. If we could, we'd have an animal shelter or a small zoo at home, although we already have one."
This pastoral existence marks a dramatic shift from Hamsik's peak football years, when Manchester United routinely courted the talented midfielder. In 2018, when asked about potential interest from clubs like United, Hamsik told Kicker: "It would definitely be the hardest decision in my career. Maybe everyone wants to play at these clubs, but I can't answer that."
Ultimately, his loyalty to Napoli prevailed, cementing his legendary status at the Italian club where he came within two goals of equalling Diego Maradona's scoring record. Now, instead of contemplating transfers to Old Trafford, Hamsik focuses on the daily rhythms of farm life, proving that fulfilment can be found far from the bright lights of professional football.
