Igor Marković debuts as North Macedonia coach at Trophy Macedonia

From 24 to 26 September 2026 the annual Trophy Macedonia tournament takes place at the Biljanini Izvori Sports Center in Ohrid, bringing together the women’s national teams of North Macedonia, Serbia, Croatia and Montenegro. The new head coach of North Macedonia, Igor Marković, makes his debut tonight against Serbia; the match is scheduled to start at 18:00 and admission is free.

Marković arrives with a short preparation block and 20 players on his list. He warned that five training sessions are not enough to make major changes, but outlined the style he wants to install in the national side.

Coach’s plan: speed and tactical experiment

Marković said: "It is an honor to be in such company. First I need to get to know the team, five trainings are not enough to change, that we worked on fighting spirit and the tactical part, things in these three days we can show everything, I do not believe. I have 20 handball players on the list, we'll see how we combine them."

He added: "I want to play fast handball, I will strive for that. The national team does not have the height for a 6–0, we must run a lot and I want to try playing 'seven on six', that is one of my ideas for October and for the European Championship, and we'll see."

Representatives of the visiting teams also described the tournament as a valuable test ahead of the European Championship. Dragana Cvijić said: "It is an honor and a pleasure to be here. We came with a younger squad, I am very glad that it is so, that they will have a chance to show what they can do. This tournament is very valuable for us, we will see what we can do and where we stand, especially before the European Championship."

Suzana Lazović commented: "It is nice that we can gather everyone in one place from the Balkans and at the same time measure our strengths and see where we are. In the squad we have juniors and cadets who achieved an excellent result. We want to give them a chance, to see what we can expect from them at the EC."

Ivica Obrvan summed up the competitive value: "I greet the participants, the selectors, the organizers, as well as the tournament itself. We will have a mixed squad. We are not Denmark, nor Norway… we have juniors, seniors who have played before… Three games in three days are a lot, but we will see who plays how much in all matches. In any case it is a true test for the girls, to see how they can respond to this challenge, this will be a chance to fight for a place at the European Championship. We will all benefit from Trophy Macedonia."

Photo: press material from the event