Vardar Beaten at Home by Shkëndija, Splits With Coach Fabiani a Day Later

FK Vardar suffered a home defeat to Shkëndija in the round two derby of the Macedonian First Football League. Just one day later, the club announced it was parting ways with head coach Cristian Fabiani — a mutually agreed contract termination, effective immediately.

The club announced the split in an afternoon statement, saying the agreement with Fabiani had been terminated by mutual consent, with immediate effect.

A Short Tenure

Fabiani's spell in charge of the "red-and-blacks" was brief. Under his management, Vardar recorded just one win in the domestic league (against Bregalnica) and one loss (to Shkëndija), while on the European stage the team was eliminated in Champions League qualifying, as well as in Conference League qualifying — following a dramatic extra-time defeat to Latvia's Riga (4-8 on aggregate over two legs).

According to local sports media, Fabiani had, in effect, spent longer studying the team from the outside — while previous coach Sedloski was still in charge — than he actually spent leading it as head coach.

What's Next?

With the split, Vardar is left without a coach just as the season has barely begun, and the club, as reigning champions, now enters a new search for a successor while simultaneously trying to defend its title. The club has not yet announced a timeline for naming a new head coach.

MKNews Hub · Sport · 10 August 2026