Ilco Naumoski: «The price now is that I can hardly walk»

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My guest on this episode is Ilco Naumoski. With 249 games in the Austrian Bundesliga, 59 goals, and 32 assists, Ilco left a lasting mark. He also represented North Macedonia in 49 matches, playing alongside the legendary Goran Pandev. For the first time, Ilco opens up about his childhood and the unwavering support of his family on his path to becoming a professional footballer. He talks about the mistakes he made, the injuries he fought through, and the joy of winning both the championship and cup with Grazer AK. He also reflects on his nine-year tenure with Mattersburg and the near-move to Roma that never happened.

In this conversation, Ilco shares even more stories, laughs and insights from his career.

Topics:
00:00 Intro
01:10 How are you doing now as a coach?
04:45 What shaped your character during your childhood?
08:51 Signing with Grazer AK
12:23 Meeting Fabio Capello regarding a potential transfer to Rome
16:33 Winning the Championship and Cup with GAK
22:48 Leading Mattersburg as Captain
24:00 Best moment with Mattersburg
30:25 Worst memory with Mattersburg
33:40 His relationship with Martin Pucher
34:45 Why he received so many cards throughout his career
41:53 Moving to play in Azerbaijan for Inter Baku
44:32 "The coach told me my son would take your position"
46:15 How he was released from his big contract
48:20 Suffering the worst injury of his career at Vardar Skopje
51:40 Does he regret anything from his career?
53:35 Playing alongside Goran Pandev
55:09 Representing North Macedonia
57:50 Highlight: winning Luka Modric's Croatia
59:50 Playing against England and Holland
01:03:36 Funny encounter with Puyol while playing against Spain
01:08:26 Giving an assist against Spain
01:10:06 Advice he would give to his 18-year-old self
01:15:00 What he would do differently with the money he earned during his career
01:15:45 Fire round

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🎥 Leonidas Loggidis

Видео Ilco Naumoski: «The price now is that I can hardly walk» канала Sports Journey Podcast