The Football Federation of Macedonia (FFM) organized and conducted an official VAR seminar for the first time in our country, as a significant step in the process of implementing the VAR system in Macedonian football. The seminar was held under the guidance of the renowned VAR instructor Dalibor Djurgjevic, one of the first FIFA VAR referees and an established name worldwide, who worked as a VAR manager in Cyprus, Belarus, Saudi Arabia and Russia.
The seminar was opened by the President of the FFM, Masar Omeragić, who emphasized that one of the Federation's key priorities is the creation of professional and quality domestic football.
"What was promised is becoming reality. Expectations are high and I am sure that all participants will live up to them. I demand maximum professionalism from every individual involved in this process."," emphasized President Omeragić, sending sincere wishes for success to all selected judges.
The seminar represents the first, but crucial phase of the full process of implementing the VAR system, part of the historic, most extensive and most significant project that FFM has ever implemented, both financially and logistically.
The selected referees have already begun a month-long intensive training that will last until July 4, conducted according to FIFA standards and methodology. The training began with a theoretical part in which the participants were introduced to the basic principles of VAR technology and its application. This was followed by practical simulations in the offline VAR room, where real match situations are analyzed. The training is structured by levels, from simple to complex cases that require advanced interpretation of the “Laws of the Game of Football”.
The last two phases of the process will take place on the field, where participants will practice in real-life conditions, through simulated incidents, friendly matches with VAR integration and full matches with an operational VAR system. These activities will be carried out at the Petar Miloševski Training Center, with full TV production, a minimum of seven cameras per match and cooperation with organized technical and referee teams.
The project represents a significant step forward in the modernization of Macedonian football and a confirmation of the FFM's commitment to improving competitions, transparency, fair play and trust in refereeing decisions.
