Macedonia Finally Scored and Lost Again, and Karačić Reveals He Went a Year and a Half Without Pay at Vardar

Glasgow: finally a goal, but still no points

At Hampden Park, Macedonia lost to Scotland 2:1 and after five rounds in the Nations League group still has not a single point. Elmin Rastoder headed in from a corner in the 56th minute for the first goal under Goce Sedloski, who was leading the national team for the ninth time and is still waiting for his first win. The joy didn't last: after a VAR review a penalty was awarded following a challenge by Stole Dimitrievski, and John McGinn, who had also scored the first goal, made no mistake. Dimitrievski, who had earlier saved several clear chances from McTominay, says the situation was 50-50 and that "we would never get a penalty like that". Maybe he's right - but VAR didn't write 13 matches in a row without a win. Next up is Slovenia, on Monday in Skopje, at the "Todor Proeski" arena.

Karačić: we were winning Europe without pay

While Vardar was winning its second EHF Champions League title, Igor Karačić went months without seeing a salary. In a new interview, the Croatian centre back said that at the moment of triumph in Cologne the figure had reached 15 to 18 months without pay, that he had to ask his father for money, and that at one point he told him he was thinking of quitting handball. "I should be the one helping him," Karačić says. We remember that generation for the trophy and for the Komiti's support, and hardly anyone wanted to look at the financial side. If players at a club winning Europe survive out of their parents' pockets, who was running the club then - and did anyone ever answer for it?

Wałach stays in goal until 2028

Today's Vardar, meanwhile, is building in goal: Polish international Miłosz Wałach signed a new contract and will defend for the "red-and-blacks" until at least 2028. He came two years ago from Kielce, and how much he matters showed recently, when his absence through injury was clearly felt on the court. "We continue building the team, towards new successes," the club said. The club didn't say how much the contract is worth. After Karačić's confession, that question weighs more than ever.

The women's handball team heads for Cluj

Head coach Igor Marković has called up 19 players for the European Championship preparations. The squad gathers on Sunday, 22 November, in Skopje, and from 27 to 29 November there's a tournament in Ankara with Finland, Italy and hosts Turkey, after which the coaching staff will name the final list. At the EHF EURO, from 3 to 20 December, Macedonia plays in Group B in Cluj, Romania, against hosts Romania, reigning world champions Norway and Switzerland. The top two go through to the main round. With Norway in the group, the real battle will be with Romania and Switzerland.

Čair take a three-goal lead into the return leg

ŽRK Čair beat Azerbaijani champions Kur 27:24 in the first leg of the second round of the EHF European Cup. After a tight first half (14:13), the Čair women took control in the second, with Mihaela Kraleva the top scorer. The return leg is on Sunday, 15 November, at 2 p.m. Three goals isn't much in a European cup, but it's enough to go into the return leg as favourites, not with a calculator in hand.

Petrović on the bench of the bottom team

Last season's runners-up KK Skopje have just one win after six rounds and sit at the bottom of the table, so they reached for experience: Aleksandar Petrović, the coach who won the championship title with MZT Skopje, is returning to the bench. He was last at Gostivar, which he left in February, and in his career he has also coached Pelister, Akademija FMP, Kumanovo and Karpoš Sokoli. His debut comes as soon as Sunday, away at Štip. Six rounds is too early to panic, but changing the coach after one win says patience has run out in Aerodrom.