Vardar received a tough opponent in BATE Borisov during the draw for the second qualification round of the UEFA Champions League.

The Macedonian champion Vardar, coached by Ilcho Gjorgjioski, was drawn against one of the toughest possible opponents in the second qualification round of the UEFA Champions League.  Belarusian champions BATE Borisov, who was the second highest ranked team from the seeded teams in this qualification round, only behind Basel, will be Vardar’s opponents.

The first match will be played in Belarus on the 17th/18th of July, while the return leg will be played a week later in Skopje.

BATE Borisov has been champions of Belarus 8 times, 6 of them coming in the past six years.  In the 2009/10 season, BATE played against Makedonija Gjorche Petrov in the competition, who was then managed by current Vardar manager Ilcho Gjorgjioski, in the second qualification round of the UEFA Champions League and won both legs 2:0.  Last season, the club from Belarus reached the group stages of the CL.  They were in Group H together with Barcelona, Milan and Viktorija Plzeň.  BATE Borisov signed Macedonian player Bojan Gjorgjievski in the winter transfer window earlier this year, but then sent him on loan to Latvian side Skonto.