We have asked an exclusive interview from David Babunski, the player of Mezőkövesd-Zsóry FC who started his young football career in La Masia, the youth system of FC Barcelona, where he spent 10 years. Although he didn’t make it into the first team, he played 48 matches in Barça Athletic (the former Barça B). The North Macedonian midfileder shared the dressing room with players like Adama Traore, Sergi Samper or Alejandro Grimaldo therefore he was able to tell us first-hand about his years in the Barcelona academy, his teammates during this exclusive interview with eurobarca.hu which his club also approved to make. We publish the interview in 3 parts in Hungarian and English languages. In this 1st part Babunski talks about the beginning of his football career and the connection between him and Barça. 

In the third and final part, we talked about his role in the national team and the European Championship, but he also gave us a glimpse into his private life and we asked him about his opinion of his current FC Barcelona.

Bruno: Let’s talk about the national team, because you have played several times for the national team of North Macedonia. At the first time, when you could represent your country, what did it mean for you?

David: It was a very special moment, I made my debut when I was really young, against Bulgaria, a lot of people of my country were really interested about a player from our small country who is playing in the Barcelona Academy, I think I am the only Macedonian player who played in Barça, and I was very happy to represent my country where I was born where my parents, grandparents were born. So it is always special.

Bruno: Is that true that your great-great-grandfather was a voivode or it is just an invention from the media?

David: No, I don’t think so. The story came out when I was in Red Star Belgrade and I don’t think so. We couldn’t find any evidence that would connect me or my family to him. 

Bruno: A tough question again. During 5 years, between 2017 and 2022 you didn’t get invitation for the national team. What was the reason?

David: I am not sure. I was in Japan playing and I guess that affected the decision of the previous coach, he preferred to select players who were playing in Europe. The team was playing well, and then I came back to Europe and I was able to come back to the national team as well.

Bruno: You were in the squad when you played against Italy. What did you feel at the goal of Traikovski? 

David: Euphoria… It was an euphforic moment for us. I was warming up at that moment and preparing to come in for the extra time if there wasn’t that goal in the last minute. We exploded in joy and happiness, we couldn’t believe it, these are the moments that sometimes happen in football and we can be proud of. 

Bruno: Could you celebrate after that game? 

David: Absolutely, the problem was that we celebrated too much (laughs). Then we couldn’t do anything special against Portugal, this was the problem, the celebration.

Bruno: For the next EURO you have a really tough group in the qualification. England, Italy, Ukraine and Malta. Mission impossible?

David: It is very difficult, obviously. Given the difference in the quality of the teams, we are a small country, but we are going to try. We proved a couple of times that nothing is impossible or the things that people consider impossible, sometimes happen, so we will hold on to the hope and give our best, and don’t give up.

Bruno: Then some questions about your personal life. In the Christmas break of 2017 instead of being at home or partying, you and your friends went to a refugee camp in Gevgelija, North Macedonia. Was it your idea?

David: Yes, definitely yes. I am always thinking about the ways in which I can contribute to society, and do my part in helping other people, particularly less lucky or privileged, and to use my position and resources as a football player to help others. Back then the circumstances were that people who escaped from the war in Syria and crossed the border of Macedonia, I saw that a good opportunity to offer some help.

The Babunski brothers, David & Dorian, play football with youngsters at a refugee camp in Gevgelija (pic via Dorian) pic.twitter.com/KQnzW8JjPU

— Macedonian Football (@MacedonianFooty) December 24, 2015

Bruno: Did your friends believe that you are joking when you came up with the idea? Did they like it?

David: Well… (laughs) The ones who know me, and my closest friends and family didn’t, because they know me, of my concerns about humanity and society, so it was not strange for them that I took some actions like the one in Gevgelija.  It was life changing experience, very special in a sense that it makes you think deeply about what actually matters in life, and what doesn’t. It is an experience which reached all of us who were there, profoundly, it changes your priority rates, and provide some clarity about, how I said, what really matters in life. 

Bruno: The goal.com wrote an article about you with the title ‘Is this the most intelligent football player?’. Do you think yourself different from other players?

David: No I don’t think so. I mean I guess there are some stereotypes about football players but besides football there are other things that have always interested me, like philosophy, or science, and since this is not very common among football players, maybe that is why they wrote that title, but I don’t think myself more intelligent than anyone. Maybe I am more curious and I like to cultivate my mind and intellect in my free time and learn and read. 

Bruno: And you are also really good at writing… If we think about your letter, and the note you posted about the COVID… Do you have plans about write a book or share your thoughts?

David: Yes, I do, I do. I guess as soon as I finish with my football career, I would have more energy to dedicate to writing and reading and sharing my thoughts about important issues.

Bruno: Do you have time nowadays for these hobbies?

David: Now, as I am alone here in Mezőkövesd, I read every day, and sometimes I write also.

Bruno: Can I ask, which book do you read now?

David: Of course, I am about to finish the Laws of Human Nature from Robert Greene. But some books I can recommend are Sapiens from Yuval Noah Harari, Thinking Fast and Slow from Kahneman. These are good books, but which I am reading now is also very interesting.

Currently reading and studying this amazing book by Daniel Kahneman, the content of which is so relevant and applicable to our situation. Cognitive biases and heuristics must be conditioning our judgments, predictions and reasoning regarding this crisis in so many ways! pic.twitter.com/oYEAKkbgt2

— David Babunski (@davidbabunski) April 1, 2020

Bruno: You had let’s say a story with Piqué and Arbeloa… When they started to argue, you wrote a tweet criticising their behaviour. Did it have any consequences?

David: Not personally. It was forwarded, retweeted and shared, this kind of media impact, but about the players, nothing. Piqué is a good guy, very funny, and he always likes to share his thoughts, but there was not any problem. I always think that football players have a responsibility as social heroes, because they are the heroes of million people and kids, actually I think they have a huge power and influence all over the world and I think they have the responsibility to use this power wisely and make positive impacts. 

Bruno: For the last chapter I would like to ask about the present of the FC Barcelona. I am asking you not only as a former player, but as a supporter as well. Do you still watch the games when you have free time? What do you think about the Xavi era?

David: I think we are going through a period of transition right now. We had some very difficult years when we had financial problems, and the club was not handled very well by the management. The decisions which were made, weren’t very good. And now with Laporta coming back, we need a period of reconstruction, Messi left as well, so we are going to need some time to come back to the top, but I think Xavi is doing a really good job now. He is the right person to do it. So far it hasn’t been so easy, but this is the time for rebuilding and getting things straight and right again, because I think we were twisted for a few years, and now I think we are back on the right track, and I think Xavi is the right person to continue this project. LaLiga is ours for sure for this season.

Bruno: During the autumn I was talking with Óscar Lopez, the coach of the Juvenil A, and he told me that in 20 years, there was nothing changed in La Masía. Do you see right now the methods of La Masía applied on the first team?

David: Yes, definitely. It is unshakeable. We might have gone through difficult times, but we are never going to give up on our principles, our identity and our philosophy. It is our guiding force, no matter what we go through, everyone would always be able to recognize the identity of the Barça on the pitch. 

Bruno: Do you think the same about the years before Xavi?

David: Obviously, you need to make adjustments and some adaptations, when you lose important players, like Messi, Xavi and Iniesta, and it is not easy to find replacements for players that dominate the world of football and they were at their peak during 5-6 years. But you can always see that the idea is there. With Xavi I think it is impossible to abandon that.

Bruno: Which midfielder of Barcelona had the biggest inspiration for your style?

David: Iniesta and Thiago Alcántara, they were the two players who I really liked.

Bruno: Do you think that Gavi and Pedri are the replacement?

David: Fantastic, amazing players. Unbelievable, at such a young age… They play like that, this is impossible. Barcelona won the lottery with these guys. I hope they have a long and successful career and could maintain this incredible performance.

Bruno: Who will replace Busquets?

David: That is a very difficult question. He is the best player of his position in the world, if he decides to leave Barcelona or retire, which can happen soon, maybe Frenkie de Jong can replace him. Maybe Nico, or maybe someone else can appear. But one thing. The players who leave Barcelona, it is very difficult for them to adapt elsewhere. We are taught to play in a very specific way from a very early age, then we move out to play in different systems, different styles of playing, it is difficult for us to adapt.

Bruno: One more question to close the interview, maybe some personal. What are your future goals, in your career, after retiring? Do you want to be a coach?

David: Definitely yes. Absolutely, I would like to be a coach. This is my passion, I love football, to watch it, to study it, play obviously, and probably following the steps of my father, so after I retire I would like to be a coach. But now I would like to play until I can physically, hopefully until the age of 40, this is my idea. My dream is that I would like to play in the top5 European leagues.