Both Ilijoski and Grozdanoski were critical of John Toshack and Boban Babunski; photo: Ekipa

Ilijoski and Grozdanoski blast Toshack, Babunski

Both Ilijoski and Grozdanoski were critical of John Toshack and Boban Babunski; photo: Ekipa“Toshack and Babunski, shame on you!” and “The national team has become a market for selling players!” were the comments by players Bazhe Ilijoski and Vlatko Grozdanoski after the Macedonian squad was announced for the friendlies against Portugal and Angola.

The 22 player squad announced by the national team coach John Toshack, along with his top assistant Boban Babunski, was widely criticized by the majority of the Macedonian football fans due to the inclusion of several players who either don’t feature at all or play very little for their club teams.  However, most of the media attention came following comments by striker Bazhe Ilijoski of Romanian side Brașov and midfielder Vlatko Grozdanoski who plays in China with Liaoning Whowin.

“Mister Toshack and Babunski, shame on you, what are you doing with our national team!!!  Here I am, personally interested and ask publicly what is the criteria for us players who also play football, and REGULARLY in quality leagues?  Except for one criteria, which I’m aware off – to pay so I could play, but that will not happen!  What you guys are doing is totally disrespectful and demeaning to the hard work of us as footballers.  It’s about time that you also watch us play and know that we can play football.  And I think it’s about time for someone to step up and say that playing for the NATIONAL TEAM is sacred, and players who are in the best form at the moment should represent the team, not players who will pay and use the national team in order to make a transfer.  Understand that you don’t need the national team to transfer, it has influence, but it is not crucial.  I’m an example of that, I transferred three times without the national team.  I have a lot more to say, but I think that is enough.” – Ilijoski wrote on his private Facebook profile earlier on Monday.

Ilijoski has only made 6 appearances for for Macedonia and has scored one goal.  He has featured for two South Korean clubs in Incheon United and Gangwon, and has played for Brașov in Romania since the winter transfer window.  With his good form over the past couple of months, it was expected that he would return to the squad but he was left out by Toshack.

Vlatko Grozdanoski was more blunt with his comments to Ekipa: “I read the squad of the national team, and found myself asking whether that was truly the best team for Macedonia.  In Vardar there is bigger quality.  I can’t understand whether they, excuse me for the language, are f***ing with themselves, the people or us as footballers?!  This does not look right, they are really crossing the line.  There is no longer a criteria for selection of the players.

For a long time (10 years), I was a member of the national team and know what it means to wear the sacred national team shirt, what it means to stand before the anthem and the emotions that come with that.  But today?!  Half of the national team players don’t even know how the anthem starts.  In the past, for you to be a national team player, you had to play regularly for your club team and display good performances, but now???  It is enough to play 5 minutes for some laughable club in some joke of a league, and to receive a call up to the national team.  This is only possible in Macedonia!

I know that we are not Brazil and don’t have 500 quality players, but players in the best form who will play with heart and soul should feature for the national team, not those who need to make a transfer abroad.  I understand if you don’t play regularly for some club in Italy, Spain, England, Germany…  But to not even play for some small club and still be a national team player???

I was in the national team under Toshack before, witnessed what was happening, and was disappointed.  This is no longer a national team, it looks more to me like a market for selling players.  Toshack, as a foreigner, has absolutely no idea what is happening because in a given month, he is only in Macedonia for 4 days.  Anybody can be a manager in that manner, to sit home, get paid, have someone else come up with the squad (we all know WHO) and then come several days before a game.  I just thought that a former manager of Real Madrid would surely be a bigger professional.”

Grozdanoski is one of just seven players with 50 or more appearances for Macedonia.  Vlatko has compiled 51 caps to go along with four goals as he won his first cap when he was only 18-years-old.  Among the Macedonian fans, he is well respected for being a hard worker and an honest person.  Earlier in his career, while playing in Iran, Grozdanoski said that he was not deserving of a call up to the national team since he was playing in a weak league.  When he celebrated his 50th appearance, Vlatko stated that the Football Federation of Macedonia (FFM) somehow forgot to congratulate him on his accomplishment, as was the case with the other players with that feat.

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