The home of European football, UEFA, keeps insulting Macedonia through it’s website using the acronym FYROM instead of the country’s name under which it is accepted in the continental Federation, FYR Macedonia.

Articles such as “Ten emerging talent from FYROM“, “FYROM want better against Russia“, “FYROM have reason to fear Andorra“, “FYROM and Armenia share spoils and late drama“, “FYROM get home campaign going” and many more, are doing no good for UEFA with its strong political titles in our beloved game that UEFA itself wants to distinguish it from politics.

Why this is not correct? Macedonia is accepted in UEFA as the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia or shorter FYR Macedonia, but the acronym FYROM trully changes the whole name of the country and gives a different meaning and different interpretation as FYROM and that’s why it is insulting and unacceptable for the people of Macedonia, for the Macedonians in the world and what is more important, for the football players and fans in this country.

If you compare UEFA and FIFA, you will find out that the problem is only in UEFA, as FIFA on it’s page has never even used heavy insults such as FYROM, but the civilized FYR Macedonia or even just Macedonia. And if you look deeply into UEFA’s page you could see that into the list of associations Macedonia is FYR Macedonia, so the main problem is in the reporters who write for UEFA’s page or maybe the page editor.

It’s not a minor problem. It looks like taking side in the name dispute with Greece which is a political question and we know that there is no place for politics in football. Yes, FYROM is a combination of the first letters of the name former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia by which Macedonia is accepted in the United Nations and FIFA, but using FYROM instead former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia or FYR Macedonia is wrong because it doesn’t have the name Macedonia which describes the country and its people. That’s why FYR Macedonia is acceptable, but not FYROM which in Macedonia is regarded as an heavy insult. Using this, those reporters have insulted the Macedonian people many times and they have to appologize.

Furthemore, the Football federation of Macedonia as always is the last to know about the problems regarding Macedonia, or maybe the last to react. President Haralampie Hadzi-Risteski, as he declares, is a good friend with UEFA president Michel Platini and if that is correct it’s time to react, if not, we still have to react!