Interview with Igor Janevski

To become a professional football player, you have to be completely focused on the goals you have set. Among other things, our last interview guest, Igor Janevski (20), will talk about it. He has practiced this discipline regularly since his early childhood and so far he has managed to play 14 times for various youth Macedonian national teams. Some time ago, he signed a long-term contract with first-division Macedonian club, Sileks Kratovo where he is trying to give his best by showcasing his skills and return to his full fitness after his quite severe injury as well.

Have you always wanted to become a professional footballer?

– Yes, my dream of becoming a professional football player started when I was 4 years old. My inspiration then and also now is my family.

 You took your first football steps in the local capital’s club Rabotnicki Skopje. How was it for you?

– It was great, that’s when I first got a sense of teamwork and it is a place where I learned the basics of football. I loved my time there because we had a great team and we went on to win a lot of tournaments. Both taught me a lot and I loved every second of it. Still, Vardar had a new training facility and a lot of the guys that I was with in Rabotnicki went to Vardar and we had a lot of fun and successful years there together and that is a period that I will never forget.

Tell me, what’s the main and the most noticeable problem around the Macedonian football tiers? I mean especially organizational matters like the quality of the turf or quite a low level of conducting trainings by coaches for instance.

– In my opinion, there are more than a few things that need to be fixed to up the level of Macedonian football. There are a lot of talented players in Macedonia. But they need to have the right conditions to succeed. For example, good training turfs, renovated or new stadiums, floodlights for playing, and training in the nighttime time just to name a few.

How and what did you feel when you got a call-up to the youth Macedonian national team for the first time?

– Getting my first youth call-up was a big moment for me. I was very happy and excited. Playing against other strong national teams helped me improve. I am very proud to say that I represented my country and I’m looking forward to representing it for years to come.

How do you like your stay at Sileks Kratovo so far? Why have you decided on a permanent transfer there?

– Sileks took me when I was 17 years old and they were in the second tier. That’s where I got my first taste of professional football and in my first year, we got promoted to the first tier. That is when I signed my first professional contract. I decided to do that because they believed in me and gave me a chance to prove myself and I am thankful for that. I grew up a lot there not only as a football player but as a person too. I would like at some point to continue my career abroad, the Macedonian football league isn’t ranking high and I want to try new and better leagues.

Unfortunately, for a long time, you have suffered from a back injury. How do you recover yourself to get healthy as quickly as possible?

– I have had a back injury since May 2023 and I have been struggling with my recovery as I have tried a couple of different therapies that didn’t fix the problem. Now I am doing special therapy and I am doing exercises to fix this problem and get back to the football pitch as soon as possible.

Could you choose the most important advantages of being an athlete? Tell more about what your healthy life as an athlete looks like, what are your typical daily habits and what solutions influence every day various life challenges.

– In my opinion, by becoming an athlete or just getting involved in sports you will learn a lot of things and acquire habits that are going to stick with you for your whole life. I make sure that I sleep well, eat healthy, get some sun, and prepare myself in every way possible so that I can give my maximum on the pitch every day.

Do you have a football player you look up to? 

– Yes, I do. Cristiano Ronaldo is the player I look up to. His work ethic, mindset, and dedication to the sport is something I am trying to achieve.

Marcel Mańkowski