IGOR ANGELOVSKI
What are your memories from that historic win against Georgia?
That was a moment of great happiness for all the people in North Macedonia. It was one of the best moments in my life and I want to thank the players. They made me one of the happiest men in the world.
You qualified via the Nations League. How do you rate the competition?
I must thank Mr. Ceferin, who made the Nations League and gave the opportunity to the smallest countries to be a part of the Euros. If you play against countries with a similar level, it is easier to qualify for Euro 2020. In the end, we deserved it.
You have only coached in Macedonia. Do you think that is a strength or weakness?
A strength. I know the mentality of the players, and everything that happened in the past. That is why it was easy for me to prepare a strategy. My players are very helpful and in particular my captain Goran Pandev, who is one of the best players in history. He was the leader of the team.
How important is Goran Pandev?
Goran is great. He was a European and
world champion at club level. Wherever he goes, he makes Macedonian football known. He is very important. I consult him about everything. His experience is great for me as a young coach. In the end I take decisions, but what Pandev thinks is important.
In 2017, North Macedonia qualified for the U21 European Championship and seven players have been promoted to the senior team. How have they developed?
My philosophy is that when a young player deserves the chance to play for the national team and he has the quality, I will give him the opportunity to play. Whether it is one, seven, or ten players, it doesn’t matter as long as they have the quality. I believe in every single player that I call up. It is not important if the player is young or old.
How do you see the future of North Macedonia after Euro 2020?
The future is very good. We have a lot of young players coming through. In the future, I think North Macedonia will qualify again for another major finals. We have a generation that went to the elite round at U17 and U19 level. We had the U21s who played in the European Championship. We have a very good future.
How do you assess your group draw?
We will play against strong opponents, but we believe in ourselves. We must play at our level, then we will see what happens. Netherlands are the favourites, but the other two teams in our group are also top class. We respect them, but we see possibilities. Why not? In football, everything is possible. North Macedonia’s ambition is to present the country at a high level. If we have a chance to take points we will. It makes me happy. We are living the dream.