Greeks angered by North Macedonia’s national soccer jersey in Euro 2020

·

Greece has sent a letter of complaint to the President of the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA), Aleksander Ceferin, over the name being used by the North Macedonia team on their national soccer jersey during Euro 2020.

Greek Sports Minister, Lefteris Avgenakis, signed the letter of Greece’s objection after it became clear the team’s jersey had a badge which read ‘FFM’ for ‘Football Federation of Macedonia,’ excluding the word ‘North’ from the Balkan country’s name.

According to the Prespa Agreement signed between Greece and the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (FYROM) in 2018, the country’s name is now the Republic of North Macedonia.

In this way, based on the customary use of abbreviations for an internationally recognised name, the jersey badge should include an ‘N’ in the abbreviation.

READ MORE: Leaders of Greece and North Macedonia discuss Prespa Agreement.

The North Macedonia team’s national soccer jersey. Photo: Martin Meissner/AP.

In his letter, Mr Avgenakis stressed this and said ‘FFM’ is not a proper abbreviation of North Macedonia, as agreed by both sides in the 2018 Prespa accord.

Mr Avgenakis also asks UEFA to look into the name of the country’s soccer association, Football Federation of Macedonia, saying that it also contravenes the name deal.

This is the first time Greece’s neighbour is taking part in the final phase of the major event. North Macedonia is competing in the 3rd group of the UEFA Euro 2020 along with the Netherlands, Ukraine and Austria.

Greek Foreign Minister, Nikos Dendias, has also sent a similar letter to his counterpart in North Macedonia, Bujar Osmani.

READ MORE: Dendias: Greece and North Macedonia strengthening mutual confidence.

Advertisement

Share:

KEEP UP TO DATE WITH TGH

By subscribing you accept our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy.

Advertisement

Latest News

History and heritage united: Evzones receive warm reception in South Australia

Greek Australians were filled with pride on Thursday, 24 April 2025, as the Evzones stood in reverent formation during an official reception.

The Tymbakion Shorts: How a heirloom uncovered a hidden chapter of ANZAC history

When Dr Andrew Holyoake stumbled upon wartime memorabilia, he had no idea it would lead him to a long-forgotten chapter of WWII history.

A Kytherian ANZAC: The wartime legacy of Nicholas Theodore Georgeopoulos

Nicholas, the first child of Theodore N and Eirini Tzortzopoulos, was born in Sydney, Australia in 1917. Read more here.

Oakleigh Grammar commemorates ANZAC Day at special assembly

Oakleigh Grammar has honoured ANZAC Day with a moving whole school assembly to commence Term Two of 2025.

‘ANZAC Bread’: How Australian flour fed the survivors of Genocide

The Hobson’s Bay had sailed from Melbourne the previous month with thousands sacks of flour donated by Victorian farmers.

You May Also Like

Post-Byzantine churches sustain significant damage in Attica fires

While most Ancient Greek antiquities remained untouched by the recent fires in East Attica, two post-Byzantine churches have been damaged.

Frequent earthquakes continue to shake Santorini prompting school closures

Santorini has been experiencing continuous seismic activity since Friday, with multiple tremors rattling the island and its surrounding areas.

Greek-American couple succumb to COVID-19 within days of each other

Greek-Americans, George and Kaliope Papazicos, are among the thousands of New Yorkers who have succumbed to the coronavirus pandemic.