Foreign Minister Bujar Osmani rejected demands from Greece that the Macedonian Government forces the Football Federation of Macedonia to change the national team’s jersey. The team uses the logo of the Federation, which did not adopt the imposed name “North Macedonia”, and continues to call itself the “Football Federation of Macedonia”.

The Macedonian team is under an international spotlight after the qualified for its first ever European Championship, and Greece is now officially protesting the Federation’s name and the jerseys. Under the 2018 Prespa Treaty, public institutions in Macedonia, as well as private institutions that receive public funds, need to use the imposed name.

FFM is an independent, non-profit organization. It does not accept public funds. The Prespa Treaty only affects institutions that accept public funds. While this is the case, FFM is not under obligation to adapt its name to the Prespa Treaty. Trademarks are defined in the treaty as MK and MKD, while NMK is only provided for vehicle license plates, Osmani said.