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Writer's pictureDag Jenkins

The Macedonian Connection

Macedonia is famous for its stunning landscapes, Ottoman era architecture, diverse cultural heritage, cuisine, Lake Ohrid, Alexander the Great and much more. It is also gradually making a name for itself in football as Italians know only too well.

Source Wikipedia

Until January 2019 the national team were known as Macedonia but from then on have been called North Macedonia.

 

The Macedonians played their first international match as an independent nation on October 13, 1993, in a 4-3 win over Slovenia. Until 1991 Macedonia was part of Yugoslavia.

 

They have never qualified for a World Cup although they went close in 2022, losing 0-2 in the playoff final to Portugal. They famously defeated Italy 1-0 in Palermo in the playoff semi-final.

 

They have however participated in one European Championship. In Euro 2020 (then held in 2021) they went out in the group stage after three defeats.

 

North Macedonia are currently ranked 66th in the world by FIFA.

 

At club level the most successful club is Vardar. The league has been going since 1992 and Vardar (Skopje) have 11 titles followed by Robotnićki (Skopje) and Šhkëndija (Tetovo) with 4. The reigning champions are Struga. Vardar also won a Yugoslav Cup in 1961.

 

Lazio played Robotnićki in a Europa League playoff in 2011, winning 9-1 on aggregate.

 

The best players in their history include Gjorgji Hristov, Artim Šakiri, Goce Sedloski, Igor Mitreski, Velice Šumulikoski, Ivan Trickovski, Ezgjan Alioski, Aleksandar Trajkovski, Stefan Ristovski, Stole Dimitrievski, Ilija Nestorovski, Eljif Elmas, Enis Bardhi and the most capped and top scorer Goran Pandev.

 

Some have played or are still playing in Italy.

 

1940's and 1950's

 

Spasoje Nikolic - forward (Venezia 1949-51, 51 league games with 7 goals). He left for Rennes in France.

 

1990's

 

Darko Pancev - forward (Inter 1992-95, 19 league games with 3 goals). He arrived as a star from Red Star Belgrade after scoring 84 goals in 92 league games, winning a European Cup, an Intercontinental Cup and the Golden Boot. He was not successful in Italy but he won a UEFA Cup. The "Cobra" then left for Fortuna Dusseldorf. He won 27 caps for Yugoslavia with 17 goals.

 

2000 to 2024

 

Goran Pandev - forward - Lazio


Goran Pandev arrived in Italy in 2001 to the Inter youth academy. He was then loaned to Spezia for a season in C1 and then Ancona in Serie A for a season.

 

In 2004 he signed for Lazio as part of the deal that took Dejan Stankovic in the opposite direction. Pandev then stayed five full seasons in Rome.

 

The 2004-05 season was a difficult one. Lazio had a new president, Claudio Lotito, huge debts and a new downgraded squad. The manager was initially Domenico Caso but he was replaced in January by another former player Giuseppe Papadopulo. Lazio finished 13th and the highlight was defeating Roma 3-1 on January 6. Pandev played 25 league games with 3 goals (Cagliari, Juventus, Fiorentina), 1 game in Coppa Italia and 4 in the UEFA Cup with 1 goal (Metalurh Donetsk).

 

In 2005-06 Delio Rossi arrived as manager. Lazio did well and finished 6th but were then demoted to 16th (30-point docking) for their involvement in Calciopoli. Pandev played 35 league games with 11 goals (Messina, Treviso, Palermo, Livorno, Ascoli, Reggina, Inter, Empoli, Livorno x2, Ascoli), 3 in Coppa Italia with 1 goal (Cittadella) and 3 games in the Intertoto Cup.

 

In 2006-07 Lazio finished 3rd, despite a three-point docking, qualifying for a Champions League preliminary (then won 4-2 against Dinamo Bucharest). Pandev played 36 league games with 11 goals (Empoli, Messina, Ascoli, Livorno, Parma, Torino x2, Catania, Reggina, Empoli, Inter) and 3 in Coppa Italia with 3 goals (Rende, Messina x2). The highlight of the season was beating Roma 3-0.

 

In 2007-08 Lazio finished 12th. Pandev played 32 league games with 12 goals (Torino, Cagliari, Livorno, Siena, Catania, Juventus x2, Napoli, Atalanta, Livorno, Roma, Parma, Palermo, Genoa), 5 games in Coppa Italia and 7 in Champions League with 5 goals (Dinamo Bucharest, Real Madrid x2, Olympiakos, Real Madrid). The highlights were a 2-2 draw with Real Madrid and defeating Roma 3-2 with a 93rd minute winner.

 

In 2008-09 Lazio finished 10th but won the Coppa Italia. Pandev played 31 league games with 9 goals (Cagliari, Sampdoria, Fiorentina, Torino, Chievo, Reggina x3, Roma) and 6 in Coppa Italia with 6 goals (Benevento x2, Atalanta, Milan, Torino, Juventus). The highlights were beating Roma 4-2 and of course lifting the Coppa Italia, beating Sampdoria on penalties.

 

In 2009-10 Davide Ballardini became Lazio manager and immediately and surprisingly won the Supercoppa 2-1 against Inter. Lazio then struggled in the league, not helped by the fact that Pandev and Cristian Ledesma fell out with the club over contractual issues and were excluded from the squad. In the end in January Pandev got what he wanted and left for Inter.

 

At Inter he stayed that half season and one more one season. In 2009-10 he won the "Triplete" under José Mourinho plus the World Cup for Clubs and the following year the Coppa Italia under Leonardo. Pandev played a total of 69 games with 8 goals.

 

In the summer of 2011 he joined Napoli where he stayed three seasons and won the Coppa Italia twice. He played a total of 124 games with 22 goals.

 

In 2014-15 he played in Turkey for a season with Galatasaray. He only played a total of 17 games with 7 goals.

 

In 2015 -16 he returned to Italy and joined Genoa. He stayed six full seasons. He played a total of 187 games with 32 goals.

 

In January 2022 he joined Parma in Serie C1. The Gialloblu finished 12th and Pandev played 11 league games with 1 goal.

 

At almost 39 he retired after a great career. In Italy he played a total of 629 games with 133 goals.

 

He also won 122 caps for Macedonia and scored 38 goals.

 

At Lazio he had five good seasons before clashing with Claudio Lotito and leaving on bad terms. He played 191 games (159 in A) with 64 goals (48 in A). He combined well with Tommaso Rocchi to form an excellent attacking duo. Pandev is Lazio's 11th top scorer in history.

 

Pandev was an excellent player. He could play as an attacking midfielder or as a forward. He was left footed but could also use his right foot well, he was skilful, fast, had great vision, a surgical shot and could set up goals too.

 

Goran Slavkovski - forward (Inter 2005-09, 1 league game). He was nicknamed "Ibrahimovic II" but never made it. He played 3 games for Macedonia U21's.

 

Stefan Ristovski - defender (Parma 2010-11, Crotone 2011-12, Frosinone 2012, Bari 2012-13, Latina 2013-14, Parma 2014-15, Latina 2015, 77 league games with 2 goals). He left for Rijeka and now plays for Dinamo Zagreb. He is captain and has 82 caps for Macedonia with 2 goals.

 

Filip Pivkovski - midfielder (Novara 2013-15, Martina Franca on loan 2015, 17 league games). He was born and brought up in Sweden and returned there after Italy. He played 11 games for Macedonia U21's.

 

Agim Ibraimi - midfielder/ forward (Cagliari 2013-14 on loan from Maribor, 25 league games with 2 goals). He returned to Maribor and ended his career in Albania. He won 40 caps for Macedonia with 7 goals.

 

Mensur Kurtiši - forward (Varese 2015, Matera 2015, 22 league games with 4 goals). He left for First Vienna. He has 2 caps for Macedonia.

 

Nikola Jakimovski - defender/midfielder (Varese 2015, Como 2015-16, Bari 2016, Benevento 2016-17, Vicenza 2018, Bisceglie 2018-19, Trapani 2019-20, Monopoli 2021, 91 league games with 3 goals). He left for Greece. He played 3 games for Macedonia U21's.

 

Aleksandar Trajkovski - midfielder (Palermo 2015-19, 104 league games with 16 goals). He left for Mallorca and now plays for Hajduk Split. He has played 87 times for Macedonia with 21 goals. One of the more successful Macedonian players in Italy.

 

Ilija Nestorovski - forward (Palermo 2016-19, Udinese 2019-23, Ascoli 2023-24, 204 total games with 49 goals. He has 52 caps for Macedonia with 10 goals.

 

Eljif Elmas - midfielder (Napoli 2019-24, 143 league games with 14 goals and won a Scudetto and a Coppa Italia). He left in January 2024 for Leipzig. He has 58 caps with 12 goals for Macedonia.

 

Leonardo Zuta - defender (Lecce 2020-21, 22 league games). He left for Vålerenga in Norway and now plays for Brommapojkarna in Sweden.

 

Boban Nikolov - midfielder (Lecce 2021, 13 league games). He then went to Sheriff Tiraspol (Moldova), FCSB (Romania) and now plays in Hungary. He has 48 caps with 4 goals for Macedonia.

 

Now 2023-24


In Serie B: Ilija Nestorovski (Ascoli)

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