How dramatic is football? An example can be given. Portugal won the Euro in Paris in 2016. In the FIFA rankings, Northern Macedonia was behind India.
India is 135th and the country in southeastern Europe is 182nd. Six years later, Portugal's obstacle in the way of Qatar playing in the World Cup is now the northern Macedonia! Italy, the quarter-final match in the service Euro, has also felt the whirlwind in these six years, the tiny country has grown into Gokul in their dreams!
Exactly how much of a magnitude earthquake shook northern Macedonia in the world of football last night is still being studied in Parlemo. What is the depth of the shock, is it still understood? Italy, the four-time world champions, did not get a chance to play in the last World Cup. Naturally, this time the hunger is supposed to increase.
Roberto Mancini's team also proved it by winning the Euro. But in the World Cup qualifiers, Italy reached the play-off semifinals near the 8th ranked Northern Macedonia! Currently, the No. 8 team in the FIFA rankings will not be seen in two consecutive editions of the World Cup. Imagine that!
Last night before the start of the play-off semifinals many had to equate. In the play-off semifinals, Portugal will be on one side and Italy on the other. That is to say, one side's match is exactly the same, Portugal has reached the final by defeating Turkey with difficulty. But the other side's account did not match.
Portugal coach Fernando Santos, who is counting on Italy to reach the final, now has to honor Northern Macedonia as well.
Macedonia has a population of only 2 million. Many can respect because of the political history. Northern Macedonia was born after the breakup of Yugoslavia in 1991. What was once known as the Macedonian Territory is part of Kosovo, Serbia, Greece, and Bulgaria.
Macedonia was born out of the rest of the surrounding Macedonian region. But since independence, there has been a dispute with Macedonia over the name of Greece. The country was renamed Northern Macedonia in 2016, ending a long 27-year conflict. From this region Alexander the Great, the Byzantine emperor Justinian the Great, made history. But in football? There is no one but Goran Pandev.
Pandev, who played his last match for Northern Macedonia against the Netherlands in the last Euros, has won the Champions League and Serie A at Inter Milan. Bangladeshi football fans can remember Northern Macedonia a little differently. Nikolai Ilyovsky, who became the coach of Bangladesh in 2010 from Northern Macedonia, held his hand and Bangladesh defeated Lebanon 2-0 in Dhaka.
After Pandev's departure, the Macedonians now have Alexandra Traykovsky. Estadio Renzo Barbara Stadium is known as the palm of Traykowski's hand the home ground of Palermo in Serie C, the club where Traykowski played from 2015 to 2019. His goal was shattered in the second minute of added time in this field last night.
What a judgment of destiny! Troikovsky was once the favorite of the Parlemo supporters, but his goal broke the hearts of the Italians!
The Germans are also heartbroken. Northern Macedonia stunned Germany with a 2-1 victory at home in the World Cup qualifiers in April last year. That was Germany's first defeat in 20 years in a World Cup qualifier.
Northern Macedonia lost 3-2 in a friendly match against then-Euro champions Spain in 2009 to mark the 100th anniversary of their football history. The team never got a chance to play in the World Cup. Macedonian footballers played for the former Yugoslavia from 1930 to the 1990 World Cup.
After independence, Northern Macedonia did not participate in the 1994 World Cup qualifiers. But after taking part in all the World Cup qualifiers, the team never got a ticket to the final. Last Euro is the first tournament in Northern Macedonia among the big tournaments.
Macedonia coach Blagoa Milivski, who finished 23rd out of 24 teams, described Italy's departure as "one goal from two shots - we lost to Italy in the style of the Italians."
Gary Lineker tweeted the depth of the rate, ‘Great! Death (last time) Northern Macedonia scored. Italy's World Cup dream is on the verge of death ... again! '
Macedonia on the other hand? Another piece of information can be given to explain the nature of their ascent. In 2016, Malaysia (181) was one step above Northern Macedonia in the FIFA rankings. Now that Malaysia is 154th and Northern Macedonia is dreaming of playing in the World Cup after losing to Ronaldo-Fernandez.
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