After a winding transfer journey and years of steady growth on the European stage, Slovak centre back David Hancko has finally achieved his dream 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 and his thoughts on Liverpool coach Arne Slot.
“My first impressions are fantastic. For the last year, maybe a year and a half, joining Atletico was my dream 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 dream come true and I’m very grateful for it.”
“I’m immensely proud 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.
On Arne Slot
“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.”