Shkëndija to fly by charter to Edinburgh for tie with Hibernian
The club has arranged a Wednesday morning charter from Skopje to Edinburgh amid a congested calendar that also includes the Vardar derby on 9 August.
Shkëndija will travel to Edinburgh by charter flight for the first leg of their UEFA Conference League third qualifying round tie against Hibernian, the club announced as it balances a packed schedule in early August.
Charter to avoid travel fatigue between fixtures
The first leg is scheduled for 6 August 2026 (Thursday) at 21:00 in Edinburgh; the return leg will be played on 13 August 2026 in Skopje. Between those two European fixtures Shkëndija must also play a domestic derby against Vardar on 9 August 2026 (Sunday) in Skopje.
Because of the tight sequence of matches the club's management decided to send the squad to Scotland on a charter flight. The delegation will depart Skopje on the morning of Wednesday, 5 August 2026, fly to Edinburgh and return to North Macedonia immediately after the match on Thursday night so the team can resume preparations for the Vardar derby and later for the return leg with Hibernian.
The arrangement was presented as a precaution to reduce travel-related strain on the players and to ensure the coaching staff led by Artim Polozhani have optimal conditions for match preparation.
Separately, a draw in Nyon to determine possible opponents in the play-off round is scheduled for 3 August 2026 at 14:00; the club awaits the outcome as it finalises travel and training plans.
Photo: press material from the event
