July 10 – North Macedonia’s most successful club Vardar Skopje, has signed a sponsorship deal with Austrian gaming company Novomatic.
The one-year contract will see the club receive € 1 million. There is an option to extend the deal for future season.
In recent years, Vardar Skopje have had experienced financial difficulties and have been supported mainly by fans and donations. Last season, the club barely managed to save itself from relegation to the second level of North Macedonian football.
A subsidiary of Novomatic, Novomatic Macedonia said they do not wish to become owners of the club, but will only help Vardar financially.
However, a representative of Novomatic will be given a place in the management of the club from Skopje to monitor the financial condition of Vardar and how the funds are spent.
“A special moment for us and a solemn act. This event is a sacred act for us. All our work all this time and the support we have received have met with understanding and recognition and I am proud that these people have recognised the energy. We have signed an agreement for main sponsorship and we are very proud of it. Vardar needed such a company to join our team, to give motivation to other sponsors,” said Milorad Milenkovski, president of Vardar Skopje
“Four years ago we entered this game of fortune. At times we retreated, at times we raised the stake and went all-in, and in the end it turned out that we won with all that. This is a joint victory for us and Novomatic, but also for everyone who believed in the Vardar project. Vardar is a national Macedonian brand and we hope that it will once again be the greatest ambassador of the homeland,” he added.
“We want to inform the public that we will support Vardar with one million euros per year. With this important decision, the cooperation of Novomatic to help the community continues. We never deviate from the motto ‘Always a socially useful company’. We will not take over the management of the club, but we will have our representative who will take care of the financial situation of the club. Vardar is a symbol of the greatest Macedonian sports successes. Vardar is the most trophy-winning and most famous Macedonian football club. That’s why it is a great honor and pleasure for us to have our logo”, said Marija Mitreska from Novomatic.
Contact the writer of this story, Aleksander Krassimirov, at moc.l1731606303labto1731606303ofdlr1731606303owedi1731606303sni@o1731606303fni1731606303