Goalkeepers are always unusual characters, and Stole Dimitrievski is no exception. As Dino Zoff used to say, the goalkeeper gives personality to the whole team, and the Rayo full-back seems to have followed the Italian goalkeeper's commandment to the letter on and off the pitch. "Of my teammates, El Camello (Sergio Camello, editor's note) is the one who dresses the best. I don't mean that he was inspired by my style, but I think I taught him to be bold in his choice of outfit, whatever the context. He's been great at turning the images of the music he listens to into his own personal style, which is why I really appreciate the way he dresses," Stole tells us. "I like to surround myself with people who have good taste, and then it's important to highlight the work of the younger generation: they're the ones who discover new brands - and make sure they go viral."

Full Look VALENTINO.

Full Look VALENTINO.

But as much as Dimitrievski is always looking ahead, he couldn't resist the pull of his sporting idol Gianluigi Buffon. Last year, Dimitrievski turned up at the Macedonian national team meeting wearing the pink Juventus goalkeeper jersey from the 2002/2003 season with Buffon's name on the back. The jersey the goalkeeper wore in a year in which Juventus won Serie A and lost the Champions League final against AC Milan, in short, the jersey Buffon wore when Pippo Inzaghi bagged the ball behind him. And when his national team met Italy's during the last Euro2024 qualifiers, Dimitrievski managed to meet the Azzurri's Head of delegation to get the jersey signed and turn it into a relic. Today we asked him to wear it and he enthusiastically agreed. He took the historic jersey with him to the shoot-out and handled it with the delicacy that only belongs to someone who uses gloves every day.

Dimitrievski is really hyperactive, he is interested in every aspect of shooting with curiosity and expertise. You can tell that his love of fashion is not just a pose, but a genuine passion, one of many that animate the Rayo goalkeeper's life off the pitch. Talking to him makes us more susceptible to the idea that footballers can actually pull off the seeming feat of combining their profession with hobbies and interests that make up a significant part of their lives; and it's also interesting to imagine who Stole would be if he wasn't a footballer. While he wears the latest look for the shoot, he shares with us a list of the best places to eat and drink in Madrid. On his iPhone, he has a list of at least 200 places, organized by type: pizzerias, Mexican restaurants, Japanese restaurants, cocktail bars, burger joints. "My constant thought is to look for new interests, because at the end of the day I manage to make enough time for my passions," says Dimitrievski enthusiastically. "Lately, I've become passionate about coffee. It's a drink that particularly fascinates me. Of course I love its taste, but the fact that it gives me a boost before and after training or competition makes me very curious. I've been into coffee for a long time and study it as if it were a school subject. But if I had to think of an alternative career to football, I would probably try to become an actor, yes, I would like that...(laughs, editor's note)".