Vardar Return to Europe After Four Years: "The Shirt Is Heavy and It Is Not for Everyone"

Cupic before Vardar's return to Europe: "The shirt is heavy and it is not for everyone"

The man who scored one of the most famous goals in Final Four history, the one that brought Vardar the title in 2017, now sits on the bench as coach. Ivan Cupic returned to Skopje in 2025, and now leads the two-time European champions into a new Champions League season. Before the first home game against Nantes, he talks about something that is not measured in goals. "Some of the new players have only seen Vardar on television so far and are still not fully aware of what it means. But when they walk into a packed Jane Sandanski arena, they will understand how much love and how much tradition this club has," Cupic says. Skopje has waited four years for this match. Four years in which a club that won Europe twice went through things no coach wants to talk about before a game.

Kuzmanovski with 14 goals, Pelister mowed down Lovcen 45:33

Eurofarm Pelister recorded a second win in the Regional League, this time against Montenegro's Lovcen, 45:33. Lino Cervar's side imposed its rhythm in the first half, which it finished at 24:15, and after the break allowed no drama at all. Captain Kuzmanovski was top scorer with 14 goals, with Henningman behind him on 10. The first win came against Partizan, and the next opponent for the Bitola side is Dubocica. Forty-five goals in one match is a figure that says everything about the gap in quality on its own, but it is also a reminder that the Regional League is a test of varying difficulty from round to round. In the women's game, Gjorce Petrov lost away at Naisa 19:16.

Alkaloid fell at Partizan, Ohrid took Budva

The tie at Autokomanda was also a duel between the current and the former Macedonian national coach. Kire Lazarov against Raul Gonzalez, and the Spaniard came out on top. Partizan outplayed Alkaloid 39:31 on the Skopje side's Regional League debut. The hosts led 17:15 at half-time and extended the lead in the second thirty minutes. Kosteski with five goals was the most effective for the losing side, Damjanovic with 10 for the winners. Better news came from Montenegro: RK Ohrid won away against Budvanska Rivijera 22:20. The "gladiators" led 13:8 at the break, let the hosts back in, but had the last word. Liapis with five goals was the most effective for the Macedonian top-flight side.

Partizan return to the elite after 14 years, Abutovic after 16

Ilija Abutovic is 38 and has returned to Partizan after 16 years away. The Belgrade club, meanwhile, returns to the Champions League after 14 years. "I am a competitor and that is what drives me," says the Serbian left back. The region is slowly reclaiming its place in the elite: Vardar return after a four-year gap, Partizan after fourteen. That is not a coincidence but a consequence of the competition's new format, which admits more teams. The message differs depending on which side you look from. Optimistically: Balkan competition is knocking on Europe's door again. Realistically: the place was won by expansion, and now it has to be held by playing.

The EHF European League with 32 teams and a published schedule

The European Handball Federation has published the group-stage schedule for the men's EHF European League in the 2026/2027 season. The competition has 32 teams and starts in seven weeks. The new system means teams eliminated from the Champions League enter this competition, which means European handball's second tier will not be a second tier from the opening round this season. The eight groups were drawn in Vienna. For Macedonian clubs this is the competition where strength is genuinely measured, not the one where hope is. The difference between the two is exactly what separates a club with a plan from a club with a good season.