Darko Churlinov will not be able to play for the Macedonian national team in the upcoming Nations League matches due to administrative reasons made by his club Pogoń.

photo by FFM: Darko Churlinov

As the FFM announced, the reason is an administrative procedure related to his residence and work status in Poland. The Pogoń club from Szczecin, where Churlinov plays, began the procedure late to secure the necessary work and residence documentation for him.

Churlinov is currently in the European Union for an extended period without leaving its territory. According to the rules for short-term stays in the Schengen area, stays without a proper permit are limited to 90 days in a 180-day period. His leaving the EU at this time would mean that upon re-entry to Poland he would be subject to a check on the fulfillment of the conditions for entry and residence, due to exceeding the permitted period without proper documentation. In the event of his leaving the EU and arriving in Macedonia, his re-entry to EU countries could be made more difficult, i.e. subject to appropriate sanctions due to exceeding the permitted period of stay without the necessary work and residence documents.

“The Football Federation of Macedonia was informed about the situation immediately before the official national team meeting. The invitation for Darko Churlinov to play in the upcoming matches, in accordance with the established procedures, was sent to his club three weeks ago,” the FFM announced.

According to information received from Poland, completing the entire procedure and providing the necessary documentation takes at least two weeks, which at this point does not allow Churlinov to leave Poland and join the national team gathering without risk to his further status.

“FFM remains in communication with all parties involved in order for the administrative procedure to be resolved as soon as possible. The Embassy of Macedonia in Poland has been informed about the case, and UEFA has also been informed of the situation, in order to find an appropriate solution within the framework of applicable procedures and regulations,” FFM adds.

The FFM did not say why Churlinov would not be able to play in the two away matches against Switzerland and Slovenia, given that these two countries are in the Schengen zone. It is also unclear why Churlinov was not issued a temporary visa so that he could travel while the procedure for renewing his residence permit is ongoing. Such a visa is often issued by Macedonian citizens who have been residing in the EU for a long time.

Churlinov is married to a Greek woman, but so far he hasn’t obtained a Greek passport based on marriage. If he had an EU passport, he wouldn’t be facing these problems.

National team coach Goce Sedloski will additionally decide whether to call up another player to replace Darko Churlinov for the upcoming matches.