Mario Cvitanović says NO — Vardar now weighing Miodrag "Grof" Božović

Vardar's search for a permanent coach has taken a new turn after a Croatian candidate, Mario Cvitanović, effectively withdrew from consideration within the first 48 hours following reports that he had been contacted about taking charge of the Macedonian champions.

According to information reaching the club, Cvitanović made informal inquiries with acquaintances inside the country; those conversations reduced his decision to a single emphatic "NO". With his rejection, Vardar remains partly staffed by some assistants who stayed on after the exit of the praised Kristian Fabijani, a situation that observers say underscores the club's current lack of organisational stability.

Božović returns to the radar

The name now front and centre in Vardar's coaching search is Miodrag "Grof" Božović, the Montenegrin manager who was already on the club's shortlist two years ago and brings a long résumé of appointments to the table.

Over his extensive managerial career Božović has led 23 clubs. His most recent assignment was at Budućnost, where he stayed for only a few months. Earlier in his career he coached Red Star, Borac Čačak, Pafos and Esteghlal, and spent a substantial period working in Russia with teams such as Lokomotiv Moscow, Rostov, Amkar and Dinamo Moscow.

Club officials say Vardar urgently needs a new head coach, and Božović is viewed as a viable option — despite lingering concerns about a Montenegrin "loser" connection that some critics blame for recent turmoil at the club.

Photo: press material from the event