The Ultimate Captain: interview with Nikola Gjorgiev
Story of The Day
He is the leader, the player who keeps the national Volleyball team of North Macedonia’s morale high. We are talking about opposite hitter Nikola Gjorgiev. Together with the Macedonian national team, Nikola won silver in the 2015 European Silver League finale, after losing to Slovenia. One year later, the North Macedonia national team also went to the finals of the same competition but was defeated by Estonia. Alongside his team, he most recently claimed a silver medal from the 2021 edition of the European Silver League.
He has received as many as 14 individual awards throughout his career. Among these, he was the Best Scorer in the European Silver League 2021, the Best Scorer in the European Championships Qualifications 2019, the Best Opposite, Scorer and Server in the European Golden League 2017, the Best Opposite and Scorer in the European League 2016, and many more.
He firmly believed that his team would have managed to qualify for the European Championship for the second time in their history, and he strongly contributed to the achievement of this feat.
We had the pleasure to interview him after today’s match against Spain, which ended with a 3-1 victory of team Spain.
You were one of Pool C’s Top Scorer at the qualifiers, even during these finals. How did you prepare for this EuroVolley, and how are you training for the matches?
“I am very happy that I was the top scorer and helped my team qualify for a second EuroVolley in a row; this is quite a big thing for our country. I know this feeling because I have been on the team since 2005 and watched many European Championships on TV only. Therefore, I am even happier that I helped write history for North Macedonia with a second consecutive qualification for EuroVolley. As you know, this summer has been quite busy and challenging for us. We fought for the gold medal in the Silver League, but unfortunately, we lost to Denmark. We had a month off after that. We have worked hard and practiced a lot, and for every match, we study the opponent and try to identify their tactics. It is the most important thing to know what they expect from us – so I keep an eye on the opposition.”
You and your team were highly motivated to reach their second participation at the Final Round of Eurovolley: what do you want to get at the end of the Pool?
“We were very motivated to come here since this is a big thing for our country, players, staff, etc. Unfortunately, we have had a bad start, losing three matches in a row, and now we have two more matches against Russia and Spain. I will give my maximum to beat Spain tomorrow and will definitely enjoy playing Russia. As we know, they are the silver medal winners from the Olympics, but they lost to Turkey, and we have nothing to lose. It would be amazing to finish this tournament with at least one victory.”
What does it mean for you to be the Captain of your team during a European Championship? What are the features of a good captain, in your opinion?
"I have been with the national team since 2005 and have been their Captain since 2011. I am very proud of my teammates and for leading this team at a second straight European Championship. It is a great thing for our country to be among the top 24 countries in Europe. A good captain always takes care of the team; he connects the Federation, the coaches, and the players. I am always trying to foster a positive atmosphere and resolve the problems immediately – if there are any. A captain should be acting like a role model, especially for the younger members of the team who are at an early stage of their careers, and he should always bring extra energy to the court."
What will you bring back home from this EuroVolley for you, for your team and for fans who attend competitions at a distance?
“Unfortunately, this European Championship has not been what we wished and expected – we had a dream to move on to the next stage, but now it is all over for us. We are disappointed with these three losses, and I wish the last two matches will be better for us, and we will take some good memories from Tampere. I want to thank Finland for the great organisation, great atmosphere at Hakametsä Arena, and especially our fans who have come here from North Macedonia or live in Finland and have supported us at every match. I hope that in the match with Spain, we will make them happy and make the entire nation proud.”
How do you think that EuroVolley 2021 can help to promote Volleyball in your home country?
“I am grateful that all matches are broadcast live on our national TV, a lot of people are watching, and I hope that especially young kids are watching as well and will fall in love with this beautiful sport. We look forward to the next edition of EuroVolley, and I hope that one day we will be reaching the 8th Finals or quarterfinals, even semis and why not even win a medal. Everything starts with a dream and with our young players.”
