Greece invites North Macedonia to change the jersey of its team participating in Euro 2020 because of the presence of the initials FFM (Macedonian Football Federation), which contravenes an agreement signed between the two countries, according to Athens.
The jerseys of discord at Euro 2020. After the request of Russia to remove an element present on the tunic of the Ukraine team, Greece asks North Macedonia to withdraw from its jersey the denomination "Macedonia "present in the initials of the Macedonian Football Federation (FFM).
According to Athens, it violates the Prespes agreement signed three years ago between the two countries.
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Greece calls for "North" Macedonian precision on tunic
In this text, which acts as a treaty between the two countries, Skopje undertook to define itself as "North Macedonia", when Athens refused to allow its neighbor to be called only Macedonia, on the grounds that one of its northern provinces bears the same name.
The initials on the football shirt "cannot be accepted," Greek Foreign Minister Nikos Dendias said in a letter sent last weekend to his North Macedonian counterpart Bujar Osmani.
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The Prespes agreement, ratified on June 17, 2018, only covers state-funded institutions, which the Football Federation is not, objected Bujar Osmani. "As long as the FFM does not receive money from the state, it has no obligation to adapt its name," he continued. Greece, not participating in Euro 2020, could enter UEFA as Russia did before the tournament.