Hancko opens up about unprecedented saga: ‘I already had my doubts’

Earlier this summer, Saudi Pro League side Al Nassr one of the region’s biggest clubs and home to global stars such as Cristiano Ronaldo had shown concrete interest in signing Dávid Hancko.

Initial talks were positive, with the Saudi giants making their intentions clear to Feyenoord. Yet, after that initial approach, communication from Riyadh fell silent, leaving the player and his representatives uncertain about the move.

Weeks later, the situation suddenly reignited. Al Nassr returned to the negotiating table and began pushing aggressively to secure the deal. For Hancko, a 27-year-old Slovak international who had become a defensive pillar at Feyenoord, the proposal presented both opportunity and dilemma. The financial package on offer was substantial, but the move would mean leaving European football something he had always envisioned staying in.

Nevertheless, the negotiations moved quickly. “Al Nassr was the first club to reach an agreement with Feyenoord,” Hancko recalled in an interview with Flashscore. “I remember the day I had to decide. At that time, there were no other offers. That morning I called my agent and asked him to phone Atlético to see if the clubs could reach an agreement. But by 4 p.m., when I returned from my individual training session, it was clear there was no deal between Atlético and Feyenoord.”

With no concrete European offer on the table, Hancko reluctantly decided to accept the Saudi deal. “After discussing with my family, agents, and close ones, we decided that we had to accept Al Nassr’s offer,” he explained. “Waiting any longer was simply not possible. In the final days, I hesitated and wondered if it was really the right step. I actually wanted to stay in Europe, but nothing came along. So it wasn’t as if I had a choice to make.”

Once the agreement was reached between Feyenoord and Al Nassr, Hancko packed his bags and travelled to Austria to join the Saudi side’s pre-season training camp. That’s when the first signs of trouble emerged. “That’s when things started to creak and crack,” he said. “It felt strange: Al Nassr was communicating with my agent and didn’t want me to come in person. That’s when I felt it wasn’t heading in the right direction. More excuses started coming from their side.”

The tone of communication shifted. Logistics became unclear, deadlines passed without updates, and assurances turned into delays. In professional football, such signs often mean a transfer is in jeopardy. Recognising the risk, Hancko’s camp moved quickly. They reopened contact with Atlético Madrid, a club that had previously shown interest in him and with whom his agent had built a strong relationship. “We told them that the situation wasn’t going smoothly and that if Atlético could reach an agreement with Feyenoord, we’d get to work on it immediately. That led to a response, and within a day and a half everything was sorted.”

The speed and decisiveness of Atlético’s move contrasted sharply with the uncertainty of the Saudi deal. “They really wanted to sign me and did everything we had hoped for whether last year, in the winter, or this summer,” Hancko said. “In the end, they managed to finalise the transfer within a day and a half. I’ve always felt that I wanted to stay in Europe, and I believe fate played a role, that it was meant to happen this way.”

While the outcome was ultimately positive, the process took its toll. “The whole week was not easy,” Hancko admitted. “I lost about three kilos because I slept very little and spent most of my time in the hotel lobby, sitting, waiting, and trying to put everything into perspective. My wife Kristýnka was a huge support and helped me through it, and I kept reminding myself that it’s ultimately ‘just’ football, even though it also affected our family life.”

What could have been a lucrative but uncertain move to Saudi Arabia ended in a whirlwind switch to one of Europe’s elite clubs. For Hancko, the episode reinforced the unpredictability of the transfer market and the importance of acting quickly when an opportunity that aligns with one’s ambitions finally comes along.