Greg . 1 day ago

EXCLUSIVE: David Hancko on Atletico transfer, failed Saudi transfer and former coach Slot

After a winding transfer journey and years of steady growth on the European stage, Slovak centre back Dávid Hancko has finally achieved his aspiration of signing for Atletico Madrid.

In an exclusive interview, Hancko opens up about his first impressions at the new club, the challenges of settling in, invaluable lessons from his time at Feyenoord, and the twists and turns that nearly saw him transfer to Saudi Arabia.

Hancko spoke to Livesport Daily, Betopick's Czech podcast.

First impressions of Atletico Madrid:"My first impressions are fantastic.

For the last year, maybe a year and a half, joining Atletico was my aspiration and goal, and I believed it was possible, even though the path here was quite winding.

I’m excited to be here.

When I think back five years ago, when I was struggling with my knee at Sparta Prague and wasn’t a regular starter, I never even dreamed of something like this.

Now, looking at how far I’ve come in that time, it really is a aspiration come true and I’m very grateful for it.

""I want fans to know that throughout the entire transfer procedure, I couldn’t comment publicly, and it was never really the way it might have looked on social networks or in the media, as if I was choosing between four or five offers.

That was never the case, not last year, not in the winter, nor now in the summer.

I hoped it might work out already last year, but it didn’t, and now that it finally has, I am extremely happy.

"I’m immensely pleased to be at a club like this, and I value it greatly.

Now, all my focus is on settling in as quickly as possible, making sure my family is happy, and creating as good a home here as we had in the Netherlands.

And above all, I want to repay the club with good performances.

It won’t be easy, but I’ll do everything I can to help win.

"First feeling in the dressing room and at training:"At first, I felt a bit like a little kid from Slovakia among them, but interestingly, they already see me as an experienced player.

Maybe I underestimate myself a bit, but I’ve played two seasons of the Champions League, I was Feyenoord’s captain for the last half-year, and I’ve earned over fifty caps for the national team.

Weighing up we have a pretty young squad, they regard me more as a veteran.

I have to say, the guys are completely normal - the sense of humour here is just like it was at Sparta or Feyenoord.

Of course, the quality of the players and the status of the club are at a higher level than my previous teams, but they accepted me really well.

"Over the last five and a half years, at Sparta, Feyenoord or with the national team, I wasn’t used to being on the bench, but I experienced it at Sparta and spent a year at Fiorentina, so I know what it’s like.

Now I’m trying to stay calm and not pressure myself during training by thinking I have to show something extraordinary every day.

I want to be forceful, focused, and dominant like I was at Feyenoord, and I believe that will earn me a place in the line-up.

""Pre-season wasn’t ideal for me for various reasons, so I keep telling myself that even if I don’t start right away, that’s okay.

I have a five-year contract, I see it as a marathon, the first few moths won’t determine my time at Atletico.

"Either I get to play straight away and perform well, or I’ll use the time for better adaptation, physical preparation, and getting to know the team without unnecessary pressure.

But, if I could choose, of course I’d want to play from the start - just like in recent seasons.

On great coaches he’s met in recent years:"As I’ve said several times, the last three years of my career have been a huge learning experience.

I’m really excited about it, and here too, I want to work my way up to play a similar role to the one I’ve had with my last three coaches: to earn acknowledge for my work in training, leadership qualities, and influence on the team, just as I did over the last two years at Feyenoord.

I believe I’ll manage to do that here, too.

""Every coach and player is a bit different, but at this level, everyone has high quality and great tactical acumen.

Training sessions are very similar at this level, though here I do feel a bit of the Spanish style mixed with some elements that remind me of Dutch football.

"For example, Simeone, after our first game against Porto, called me over and told me I’d be starting the second half, but he didn’t want to rush me because I’d had a tough week.

After training, he sat on a ball and talked with me for ten or fifteen minutes.

"I really appreciate things like that.

Like Slot before, Simeone has a huge presence - when he enters the room, the players straighten up and pay attention.

That radiates from them, and I think it’s part of why they’re so successful.

"On Slot at Liverpool:"Last year I was a guest on a podcast, where I was brought in as a ‘Slot expert.

’ The guys wanted to talk to me about what to expect from him.

The only mistake I made was not saying they could win the title.

They asked whether he’d be able to manage, and there were a couple of experts worried if he could handle it, because Ten Hag had problems and Slot was coming from a smaller Dutch club than Ajax.

"They asked if Liverpool could finish top four, and I said definitely, I predicted second or third place.

But I didn’t think they could win it, because I thought City would continue the dominance they’d shown over the previous four years.

So I wasn’t surprised by Liverpool’s title and I think they’ll be even stronger this year.

"Hancko and Slot won the Eredivisie togetherPro Shots Photo Agency / ddp USA / ProfimediaOn how speaking Italian helps him:"Our coach played for Lazio and Inter, so he speaks very good Italian.

If he wants to tell me something in training just for me, he shouts it in Italian, and when we talk, we use Italian.

Some words are similar to Spanish and the language of football is the same, so if he gestures what he wants and says a few sentences, I just need to catch a few words to understand.

"These are things I’ll have to get used to, like exactly what he wants me to do in pressing.

We’ve practised everything so far and the coach and the others are willing to explain things to me.

I think I adjusted quickly, and in friendly matches and training, I’ve made good decisions.

"When something goes wrong, the coach tells me what he was expecting, I explain my view, and it's an underway debate.

It just takes time to experience enough situations and for everything to become automatic, so I’ll be in the right place faster.

" "I’m currently working on my Spanish with Duolingo.

The first two weeks were quite chaotic; every training felt, in quotes, like a Champions League match.

I tried to concentrate, visualise situations, and took it as seriously as possible, which took a lot of energy.

"On top of that came all the things related to the transfer - looking for a new place to live, registering with the police, viewing apartments and houses, choosing, shopping for household items, and a shipment arrived from Prague.

It was a lot, but now things are settling down.

"Once we’re fully settled, I’d like to have regular lessons with a teacher and devote fifteen or twenty minutes a day to self-study in my free time, while travelling or at home, to improve in the language.

"On Saudi Arabia offer:"Al Nassr was the first club to reach an agreement with Feyenoord.

I remember the day I had to determine.

At that time, there were no other offers.

That morning, I called my agent and asked him to call Atletico and find out whether the clubs would agree, but at four, when I got back from individual training and was no longer training with the team, it was clear there was no deal between Atletico and Feyenoord.

"After consulting with my family, agents, and close ones, we decided we had to accept Al Nassr's offer, because waiting any longer wasn’t possible.

In the final days, I hesitated, wondering whether it was the right step.

"I wanted to stay in Europe, but nothing popped up.

It wasn’t like I had a choice; that’s just how it was.

It wasn’t easy, but everyone around me assured me that rationally and pragmatically, Atletico was the right club.

That’s why we made that judgment.

"Hancko captained Feyenoord before leaving.

ČTK / imago sportfotodienst / Box to Box Pictures/Yannick VerhoevenOn the breakdown of negotiations:"Everything was already agreed between the clubs and with us.

I joined the team at a training camp, and then things started to drag on.

It felt strange; they were communicating with my agent and didn’t want me to come personally.

That’s when I sensed things weren’t moving in the right direction.

More excuses came from their side.

"My agent had built a good relationship with Atletico’s sporting director.

We let them know the situation, that things weren’t progressing smoothly and that if Atletico worked out a deal with Feyenoord, we were ready to fly immediately.

That sparked a reaction with them and it was all sorted within a day and a half.

""They really wanted to sign me and did everything we’d hoped they would - last year, in winter, or this summer.

In the end, they managed it within a day and a half.

I always felt I wanted to stay in Europe, and I believe fate played a role, that it was meant to happen this way.

"Even though the whole week wasn’t easy, I lost about three kilos because I slept little and spent most of the time in the hotel lobby, just sitting, waiting, and trying to keep everything in perspective.

My wife Kristýnka was a huge support, assisting me through it, and I kept reminding myself that in the end, it’s “just” football, even though it affected family life by deciding where and how we’d live.

"On time at Feyenoord and transfer to Atletico Madrid:"From my first game, I was in the starting line-up and played over a hundred games in a row.

The streak ended around the 120th match, when I was on the bench for the first time in a cup game against a third division team.

While I was there, we won the league title, the cup, and the Supercup, successes I hadn’t even considered before arriving.

"In three years at Feyenoord, I won three trophies, played one season in the Europa League, and two in the Champions League.

Those were unforgettable matches and experiences.

The stadium and atmosphere were always motivating for me, as was the connection with the fans, who valued my battling spirit and performances.

""The club felt like family.

Not just because of the trophies, but because of the people there, from the players to the physios and the manager.

Every day I woke up excited for training, and that’s why Kristynka and I believe that even after my career, we’ll make time once a year to visit, show it to our kids, and visit the friends we made there.

 "Of course, now that I don’t have that anymore, watching the first qualifying round against Fenerbahce and seeing those fans really makes me realise I’ll never experience that again.

But now I’m focused on the immediate future, and I believe I’ll establish myself here enough to play as many seasons as I did at Sparta and Feyenoord.

"I want both the fans and the club to be happy and to earn my place here.

I don’t really like changes, so I’d be happiest if I could stay here a long time, create new memories and experiences, and live great moments in my career.

"