The Football Federation of Macedonia (FFM) announced today that Boshko Gjurovski has been named the new manager of the senior national team.
Boshko Gjurovski, who will turn 52 years old next month, will take over from caretaker manager Zoran Stratev who coached just two games in October following the sudden departure of Chedomir Janevski. FFM signed a 2 year contract with Gjurovski with an option to extend the agreement for an additional 2 years as well. The contract will begin on 1 January 2014.
On its official website, FFM stated that Gjurovski met the criteria they were looking for in a new manager. He possessed coaching experience, proven coaching results, character, positive public image, willingness to have direct insight in the development of Macedonian football, train other Macedonian coaches and the strong desire to lead the national team.
Gjurovski comes to Macedonia after last serving as the top assistant to Nagoya manager Dragan Stojković. Gjurovski had been with the Japanese club since 2008.
The Tetovo born Gjurovski played for just three clubs in his successful playing career. He started with his hometown club Teteks, then continued with Crvena Zvezda in Serbia before ending his career with Servette in Switzerland. It was at Servette where he began his coaching career as an assistant before briefly managing that club in 1999. After that, he returned to Crvena Zvezda as an assistant and later served as their manager as well. Since 2008, as previously mentioned, Boshko had been in Japan as the top assistant under Nagoya manager Dragan Stojković.
After Macedonia declared independence and later formed its own national team, Gjurovski was able to win 7 caps and scored three goals. Boshko is the uncle of midfielder Mario Gjurovski, whose father Milko is Boshko’s brother.
Job #1 for Gjurovski will be convincing Goran Pandev to rethink his retirement from the national team. Late last week, Pandev finally sent a letter to FFM announcing his retirement, citing fatigue from too many matches and the wish to open up an opportunity for new players on the national team.
FFM stated that Gjurovski will be promoted to the media and public at a news conference on 12 December 2013.