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Napoli President Says Inter, Juventus, AC Milan Asked About Marek Hamsik

Aurelio De Laurentiis says he never considered selling the Slovakian star.
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Napoli president Aurelio De Laurentiis has revealed that Inter, Juventus and AC Milan have all made offers for central midfielder Marek Hamsik in the past, but the club have never considered selling him.

The Slovakian arrived at the club in 2007 and has gone on to become Napoli's leading goalscorer and appearance maker. Hamsik was named as club captain in 2013, and he has established himself as one of the world's finest midfielders in recent years,

Speaking to Sky Sports, De Laurentiis discussed the importance of Hamsik's role in the team. He said: "I have some extraordinary guys who have been with us for so many years, among these is Marek, who we have never sold.

“[Former Inter President Massimo] Moratti asked me for him many years ago. 

"Then [Coach Max] Allegri both at Milan and at Juventus, but the answer was still no. Hamsik is a flag of Napoli.”

De Laurentiis then went on to discuss current Napoli manager Carlo Ancelotti, who took over from Maurizio Sarri during the summer.

He said: “I’ve been speaking with Ancelotti for five years, and when he arrived at Napoli I saw that everything I sensed about him was true.

“The extraordinary thing is that he has nothing to prove. I get crazy when I see coaches who are desperate on the bench, but not him. It’s rare that the team doesn’t respond to his instructions, he’s a relaxed, quiet person who gives serenity to others."

Finally, De Laurentiis was asked about Napoli's upcoming Champions League clash with Liverpool in December. The Partenopei will travel to Anfield to face a Liverpool side who must win to avoid elimination from the tournament, and defeat to Jurgen Klopp's side, coupled with a victory for Paris Saint-Germain against Red Star, would eliminate Napoli.

De Laurentiis said: "Anything can happen there, but it won’t only be down to our game in a theater of football like Anfield, you’re in the lions’ den there.

“It’ll also depend what happens in the other stadiums in our group, and our imperative will only be to win, win, win.”