The Football Federation of Macedonia today for the journalists organized a tour and presentation of the new rooms for the VAR system.

photos by Filip Zdraveski

VAR will be used in the 1.MFL from the new 2025/2026 season, and the equipment has already been prepared and installed. VAR referees and technical staff have at their disposal part of the ground floor in the left building of FFM’s House of Football, where the academy used to be. In addition to the rooms with expensive equipment, there is also a toilet, a kitchen, a room for rest and relaxation, as well as a terrace.

A total of three VAR rooms, a server and a control room have already been built according to FIFA standards. FFM president Masar Omeragikj, together with VAR project leader Dejan Jakimovski, and Josip Barton, chairman of the referee delegation committee, shared the details of the VAR implementation. FFM, together with the VAR system, has also provided a reporting vehicle that can be used for TV broadcast of matches.

“The VAR system in Macedonia has finally become a reality. I am proud of the team in the federation that worked 24/7 on this project. We have acquired all the necessary technology, we have three modern rooms and a control room. In these three months, we have done a tremendous job. Much larger federations than ours needed a much longer period to implement the VAR system. That is why FIFA and UEFA recognized us, they did not believe that we would manage to realize this major project in such a short time,” said president Omeragikj.

At the meeting FFM informed that all top flight clubs have registered stadiums with a VAR license and conditions, with the exception of the Chair stadium, home of Shkupi, where there are still no conditions for the implementation of the system. Shkupi had requested more time and asked FFM the first 4 rounds to be played without VAR, which FFM refused. If Shkupi doesn’t fix the problems by Round 2 when they are hosts, they will be forced to find another stadium.

All referees in the VAR rooms will be Macedonian referees.