Gentiana Rochi: "North Macedonia is in my heart, but the system must change"

Gentiana Rochi remains one of North Macedonia's most prominent women's footballers, but in a wide-ranging interview she said the domestic game still lags behind and needs structural change if talented youngsters are to fulfil their potential.

From Struga to KuPS — stability abroad, frustrations at home

Rochi traced her path from her hometown of Struga to professional football in Germany and, since 2019, to KuPS in Finland, where she says she has found "stability, support and an environment" that allows her to perform. She has played nearly two hundred matches for the Finnish club and calls it a second home.

On how her love of the game began, Rochi recalled that it felt natural and joyful from childhood. "Honestly, my love for football came very spontaneously. As a child I always played with boys in my neighborhood and that was, to be honest, my greatest joy. There were not many girls who played, but that never stopped me; on the contrary, it motivated me. At one point, when I started training more seriously and saw that I could compete at a higher level, I realized I had potential. Then I began to believe that I could pursue football professionally. That may also be because my father was also professionally involved in football," she said.

Rochi described the move to professional life as a process rather than a single turning point. "I think that moment came gradually. It was not a single moment, but a whole process that happened gradually. When I started playing at club level, getting chances and seeing that my effort paid off, then the opportunity opened for me to pursue football professionally, and as they say, to make a living from it. Especially when the chance came to go abroad, then I had no doubt that football would be my life path," she said.

Speaking about the national team, Rochi emphasized pride in representing North Macedonia but issued a blunt warning about domestic conditions. "The national team of Macedonia will always have a special place in my heart. It is a great honour and pride for me to represent the country I come from, where I was born. I have always been fully dedicated when I played for Macedonia, from a young age, as they say. Regarding my future appearances for Macedonia, I am always open to the possibility to help if I still have the capacity to do so.

"But we must understand. Conditions for women's football in Macedonia must improve overall. There must be serious clubs, investments, sponsorships. The women's football league must become more respectable, higher quality. The current state is disappointing, I must say that.

"Many of those young girls have the quality, the capacity to progress, to become better and to realize their dream to play abroad. I know it's possible, but hard work is needed. The reality is that Macedonia cannot provide the conditions at the moment for them to progress.

"If we want a strong national team, we must start from the beginning. To create a base. From well-organized clubs, with quality players, who will have the opportunity to show their talent. Unfortunately, I don't see that in Macedonia at the moment. And that hurts me a lot. I cannot understand why this is so. Our system simply does not function," Rochi concluded.

Photo: press material from the event