If you have followed football from within any of the ex-Yugoslav nations, one of the many clubs most people will mention is Vardar. The Skopje based side are the most successful team to exist within Macedonia and as such it is respected by all (with certain exceptions). However, much like many football clubs across the world, Vardar have had their fair share of hard times.
Unlike most clubs though, Vardar’s hard times are comically ridiculous. The club has been close to death about a dozen times, treating the prospect of bankruptcy the same way a cat treats a drop from ten stories. Needless to say, some people have gone through hell and back trying to figure out how best to support the red and black in the midst of so many unfavorable times.
So for you, my dear reader, I have come up with a scientifically accurate way to describe how every crisis begins and ends for Vardar within five easily understandable stages. Let’s begin with stage 1!
Stage 1: Excitement
Every new cycle at Vardar always begins with excitement brewing in the air. This usually begins with the club going into new ownership or even new major investment coming into the club. Think of 2021 as an example, when Slobodan Krsteski and his company Blue Sky Investments acquired the club from the city of Skopje.
It should be noted that before anyone can truly be excited, the Macedonian media will throw about a dozen or so potential names or sponsors that could take over the club, only for absolutely nothing to happen. So when something like a new owner does actually come about, it’s like a Christmas miracle had descended onto Skopje.
Of course, there will be many questions to ask of whatever new owner comes in, but generally the feeling is that they surely couldn’t do a worse job than the previous ones… Right?
Stage 2: Worry
Expectations at Vardar are always high. If they weren’t, the club would not be able to call it self the biggest club in Macedonia. This however does lend itself to cause problems at times. A single bad season is all it takes for Vardar to go from perfectly functional to approaching an extinction level event.
A great example is the first season Vardar spent in the 2MFL. Already in almost two and a half million euros of debt, the club needed a quick promotion to get back on track. Unfortunately that year’s 2MFL West group contained a dominant Sileks side and a Voska Sport team that spent more money than Vardar could pay any of its players. Unsurprisingly, this meant that Vardar would see themselves in the second division for another season and thus, entering stage 3.
Stage 3: Panic
Cue the ensuing panic that comes with failing to reach the club’s necessary targets. Vardar’s usual responses to panic usually end up with the club throwing literally anything they have left to solve the problem that they themselves created, usually with barely any success. By this point the fans become tired and stage 4 commences.
Stage 4: The “Komiti” phase
There are three things in life that are a given. Those are taxes, death and the Komiti stepping in as the only group in all this thats willing to try and sort the mess. Vardar’s ultras thankfully have a good track record of doing so, having organized multiple successful fundraising events for the club.
Eventually the Komiti would get it to a somewhat manageable level and then look to give the club to someone that can take care of it. Sometimes it takes them a year, and in other instances it takes them several, but eventually they will find a suitable candidate.
Stage 5: Repeat
Okay, I know this technically isn’t a final stage, but it is self-explanatory. For the last 20 years or so, Vardar has already gone through this exact mess at least twice, and unsurprisingly . The fans do have something to cheer for when Vardar is finally back to their exciting times when they challenged for titles year after year.
But is it really worth it when it can barely last? I mean think about it, Vardar is so often finding itself in these situations, and it can even get to where not even the people in important roles could tell you what is happening. Then again, it’s nice to see Vardar back with good investment backing it, and let’s just hope we don’t have to go through this cycle again.
