Mario Cvitanović in the frame to become FK Vardar coach

There is a strong possibility that Croatian coach Mario Cvitanović will become the new head coach of FK Vardar, according to information received from reliable sources. The development comes after the club parted ways with the Argentine Cristian Fabiani; the update was first reported on 19.08.2026 10:38.

The club expects to confirm the appointment by the end of this week. In the meantime, the remaining assistant coaches from the previous staff will take charge of training and match duties, but the arrival of Cvitanović is expected to bring a completely new technical team.

Those involved behind the scenes say the change is driven by outside stakeholders seeking an appropriate coach for Vardar; the current board, after the missteps linked to Fabiani, the summer preparations and transfer moves, has been reduced to what sources call "a silent figure" and appears mainly focused on its own receipts from the club’s coffers — funds that, the same sources add, were secured by the very "external" actors now pressing for a new coach.

What could change at the club

The club hierarchy has reportedly received around twenty names for the position, and time will show whether Cvitanović is confirmed or whether another direction is chosen. Supporters and club insiders await an official announcement that could reshape Vardar’s immediate season plans.

Mario Cvitanović is a celebrated former player of Dinamo Zagreb, having appeared in more than 100 matches for the club and later taking charge of Dinamo as manager in the 2017/18 season. As a player he also had stints at Verona, Napoli, Venezia, Genoa and Energie Cottbus; as a coach he has led Šibenik and Lokomotiva, and last year he worked with Stefan Ristovski at Sarajevo.

Cvitanović also shared the pitch at Dinamo with Goce Sedloski — a detail that, some observers say, "says it all" about his standing in the region.

Photo: press material from the event