Nestorovski: The Macedonian who has Italian defences trembling

Date: 5th March 2017 at 2:28pm
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Palermo are known for unearthing and finding strikers in places off the radar for many other scouts

The Sicilians brought Paulo Dybala and Edinson Cavani to Europe and were the first team where Luca Toni demonstrated his true goalscoring potential. However, their latest find came from an unexpected location: Croatia.

In the summer of 2016, it was hard to disagree with those saying that a Macedonian player from Inter Zapresic would not be a productive addition.

Little did they know at the time that Ilija Nestorovski, who cost just €500,000, would turn out to be a vital player for the Rosanero.

Palermo don’t have a strong chance of staying in Serie A this season, considering that they currently sit 17th and seven points behind Empoli, but it’s safe to say that without the Macedonian, Diego Lopez’s side wouldn’t even be talking about survival.

That is confirmed by the fact that out of the 22 goals that Palermo have scored this season, ‘Nestogol’, as supporters have nicknamed him, has directly contributed to 13 of them with 10 goals and three assists. If there is any hope of Palermo playing next season in the top flight, it’s surely him.

Currently, he is on pace to better the best ever season by a Macedonian in Serie A in terms of goals scored after Goran Pandev scored 14 in 2007/08.

Having scored against AC Milan and Napoli, among others, Nestorovski also managed to put the ball in Gianluigi Buffon’s net, albeit at an international level.

Many people don’t know how Nestorovski ended up in Sicily in the first place.

Born in Prilep, he had a promising start at Pobeda Prilep, the local club. After a great start to the 2009/10 season, which saw him score 10 times in 15 matches, he decided to join Slovacko in the Czech Republic. That, however, ended badly, to say the least. His stay there was marked by many problems, including homesickness, spells on the bench and being played out of position with the various factors leading to just two goals in 18 months.

He hoped that a loan at Viktoria Zizkov would help revitalise his form, but that, too, ended poorly.

Afterwards, he joined Metalurg Skopje on loan, but had problems with a lack of motivation and a further 18 months were wasted without regular playing time.

While he was a free agent in the summer of 2013, Inter Zapresic came calling out of nowhere and he told his father it was going to be his very last try.

Had the Croatian club not signed him, he would have stopped playing at the tender age of 23. Yet, since that point, it seems as though Nestorovski has been on a mission.

In Croatia, he scored 20, 24 and 25 goals in his first, second and third seasons, respectively.

The 25-goal feat is the third-highest number of goals in league history in Croatia. It was during that season when he was spotted by Palermo, who were willing to take a chance on him. Considering his spell in Sicily, it’s not surprising that outgoing Palermo president Maurizio Zamparini has received phone calls for the forward.

“Nestorovski is extraordinary,” Zamparini told Corriere dello Sport. “I wish other players were as stubborn and willing to fight.

“He deserves to become a captain.

“[Napoli owner Aurelio] De Laurentiis asked me about him, but I told him to come back in June, so he signed Leonardo Pavoletti [from Genoa]. However, Nestorovski is better and has the character of Gonzalo Higuain.”

That willingness to fight and never give up is the main reason why Nestorovski has reached this point of his career. This heartwarming story now seems poised for a positive ending.

Either Nestorovski will save his team from relegation, which is a difficult but not yet impossible task, or he will most likely be allowed to leave Palermo and continue his career’s upward trajectory.

Although this is only his first season in Sicily, his number of goals, approach to the game and never-say-die attitude are qualities that all coaches desire with the player in his prime at 27.

From questions about his motivation and skill level to questions about which big club he might join during the summer, that is the biggest confirmation about Nestorovski’s progress.

How far he’s come since those fruitless days in the Czech Republic.

 

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