In a team whose roster has been rejuvenated in the last years, Taleski will have to be one of the leading forces, as he acknowledges.
“I’ve been playing for the A-team since 2015, this is my fifth EHF EURO, so I feel like this is my time to show what I’m able to do. Coach Kiril Lazarov has been really clear to me that he wants me to be one of the leading forces and that I also have to show the way to players with less experience,” the left back says.
From his various experiences around Europe, Taleski has gathered a lot of memories, but he also thinks that playing in several countries has helped him grow a lot, as a player and as a man.
“I’ve met a lot of different mentalities, a lot of different ways of thinking, and it’s crucial when you are a young player,” he says, before praising new national team coach Lazarov.
“We all used to watch him play when we were kids, and he is helping us a lot now as players. His experience is key for us, he teaches us a lot of things and we can feel that we are making a lot of progress collectively.”
Coming back to Germany for the Men's EHF EURO 2024 is a very special moment for Taleski, as the Benfica player wore the Rhein-Neckar Löwen jersey for three seasons before moving to HBW Balingen in 2020. Although his results on the court were admittedly mixed, all he has kept are good memories.
“I love Germany, I really do, to the point where I think about moving here when I retire. When I first came playing here, it was almost like a dream come true and I hope I got another chance one day,” he explains.
On Wednesday, Taleski will experience something he never previously has in his career – playing in front of more than 53,000 spectators in the MERKUR Spiel-Arena in Dusseldorf for the opening game of the EHF EURO 2024.
“I know this might be a once in a lifetime experience, and I will try to enjoy it as much as possible,” he says. “This is our moment of celebrity, this is our time to shine and to show our best face in front of the whole handball world. For Macedonia, a small country, it is huge to be in the spotlight that way.”
The mission will be a tough one for the Macedonians, as they take on France on Wednesday before playing against Germany and Switzerland in their two other preliminary round games.
“This is a little bit like the group of death, from our perspective,” the 27-year-old admits.
“France, to me, are the best team in the world. The whole thing, playing against France in the stadium, is going to be one amazing experience for our young team. We will grow a lot and I hope we can bother them.”
So what would be a successful EHF EURO 2024 for the Macedonian team?
“It’s hard to tell, we are taking things step by step and don’t want to see past the first game at the moment. The opening game will be a big moment for the whole country and I only want to focus on that at the moment,” Taleski concludes.
Photo © Anze Malorvh/kolektiff
