Coach Igor Angelovski prepared and made the announcement of his squad of 26 men for the upcoming European Championship.
North Macedonia UEFA Euro 2020 Squad :
Goalkeepers: Stole Dimitrievski (Rayo Vallecano), Damjan Siskovski (Doxa Katokopia), Riste Jankov (Rabotnicki)
Defenders: Stefan Ristovski (Dinamo Zagreb), Visar Musliu (Fehérvár), Egzon Bejtulai (Shkëndija), Kire Ristevski (Újpest), Gjoko Zajkov (Charleroi), Darko Velkovski (Rijeka), Ezdzan Alioski (Leeds)
Midfielders: Arijan Ademi (Dinamo Zagreb), Enis Bardhi (Levante), Stefan Spirovski (AEK Larnaca), Boban Nikolov (Lecce), Tihomir Kostadinov (Ružomberok), Ferhan Hasani (Partizani), Eljif Elmas (Napoli), Daniel Avramovski (Kayserispor), Darko Curlinov (Stuttgart), Marjan Radeski (Akademija Pandev)
Forwards: Goran Pandev (Genoa), Aleksandar Trajkovski (Mallorca), Ivan Trickovski (AEK Larnaca), Vlatko Stojanovski (Chambly), Krste Velkovski (Sarajevo), Milan Ristovski (Spartak Trnava)
Key Player: Goran Pandev
'The President' as he is hailed by his people, Goran Pandev is the true icon of North Macedonia. The forward hasn't only won the Champions League title with Inter but also created a well-facilitated academy to bring more Pandev on the world stage. He is such a respected personality in his country. Sadly, this will be the last dance for the 37-year-old at this summer's Euros before he hangs up his boots. Pandev is a well-known name in Serie A after contributing a lot for Lazio, Inter, Napoli and now for Genoa. All-time top goalscorer for North Macedonia lit up in crucial stages too. He scored the winning goal against Georgia in the qualification playoffs to help North Macedonia enjoy their first major competition. He is also the first North Macedonian to score 100 goals in a top five European league. An absolute legend. Pandev will be desperate to make Euro 2020 his fitting finale and lift off his nation again.
Also Read | Denmark UEFA Euro 2020 Squad
Strength (Midfield)
North Macedonia have seen a bloom of footballers playing in the top European leagues. As a case, they have been blessed with star players to make a difference for their nation. Their midfield has got the privilege of having some sensational names. Arijan Ademi of Dinamo Zagreb has been a mainstay in the middle of the park. Levante United's Enis Bardhi setpieces are a treat to watch and he can be an innovative creator. However, it is Napoli's box to box midfielder Eljif Elmas who will control the tide and be a goal threat, proved by his winning strike against Germany two months back. Stuggart's Darko Curlinov can also be an influential figure coming off from the bench.
Weakness (Inexperience)
The inexperience of playing in a major competition will trouble North Macedonia. They have proven to cause major upsets with their robust defensive act and counter-attacking play but in the Euros, it's a different ball game facing the same opposition. Nonetheless, the side from Southeast Europe from the Balkans has nothing to lose and will play with pride. We can count on them to hamper any top nation's dream to escape the group stages in the Euros and make their dream possible.
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