The shameful match in the Cup between the teams of ZRK Skopje and ZRK Gevgelija, where the players deliberately scored own goals and directed misses, received official confirmation of its place in handball shame. The sports community, as well as the general public, reacted strongly to this presentation, which caused ridicule and concern in sports circles.
Due to the intentionally staged scandal, the Handball Federation of Macedonia (RFM) brought serious and drastic sanctions. ZRK Gevgelija and ZRK Skopje were excluded from all competitions organized by RFM and were banned from participating in future competitions, setting a precedent in sports sanctions in the country.
Not only the clubs, but also key individuals involved in the match were subject to fines. The president of ZRK Skopje, Valentina Radulović, as well as the team's coach, Veselinka Trenoska, received two-year suspensions. The same period of suspension has been imposed on Julia Bećarova, the president of ZRK Gevgelija, while the delegate of the competition, Mitko Gjorgievski, will face a six-month ban on performing his duties.
This scandal represents a strong blow to sports culture and values, and RFM is clear that this kind of behavior has no place in Macedonian handball.
