Mounting Greek frustration over North Macedonia’s acronym omission

Supporters react as they watch the UEFA EURO 2020 group C preliminary round soccer match between Austria and North Macedonia in Skopje, Republic of North Macedonia Photo: AAp via EPA/GEORGI LICOVSKI

25 June 2021 4:19pm

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Despite North Macedonia not making it to the round of 16 of the 2020 Euros, the controversy over the team’s name continues.

Greece has lodged a complaint with the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) following the use of the name Football Federation of Macedonia on the national soccer jersey of North Macedonia during Euro 2020.

The Prespa Agreement signed between Greece and the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (FYROM) in 2018 agreed to the use of Republic of North Macedonia in reference to the country. The FFM jersey however did not include the N for North as part of its abbreviation.

Greek Sports Minister Lefteris Avgenakis sent a letter of complaint to the UEFA President Aleksander Ceferin, over the name being used by the North Macedonia team on their national soccer jersey during Euro 2020.

Mr Avgenakis complained that the name is in breach of the name deal signed by both countries.

President of the Hellenic Football Federation and former member of the Greek national team Thodoris Zagorakis also approached UEFA, asking them to intervene.

“I ask you this regardless of the fact that the team of Northern Macedonia does not continue in Euro 2020. The federation with the countries should be one and the same,” he said.

Members of the Greek Diaspora in Australia also reached out to Optus Sport, regarding the wording of one of its videos in the Football Belongs series, which follows “the impact that Australia’s European football and social clubs have had on Australian communities”.

The series was set to coincide with the lead up into the original Euro 2020 dates, but as a result of COVID-19 changes, it was split in two with the second part published in the lead-up to the postponed Euros tournament.

Neos Kosmos reader Sam Kostoulias sent a complaint to Optus for also omitting the word ‘North’ from the title of its video Football Belongs | Macedonian Community.

Optus responded noting they purposefully used the word ‘community’ to distance itself from having a “political stance” with the issue.

“The word ‘community’ was purposefully added into the title, ‘Football Belongs | Macedonian Community’ as a compromise, allowing a broader representation of people, and purposefully staying out of having a political stance.”