Vardar owner Samsonenko to leave at season's end

Vardar owner Sergey Samsonenko has said this will be his final season as investor in the football, men's and women's handball clubs.


This comes after a wave of reactions at social media over the club's latest decision to sharply increase the ticket price for the coming Europa League play-off match between Vardar and Fenerbahce.

In a letter posted on Friday, Samsonenko voices discomfort from what he read in media, social networks, websites.

"Macedonia has been home to me and my family for 11 years and I invested enormous funds in the development of sport in the country during this time", Samsonenko says in the letter.

He adds that no ticket price can repay his investments in Macedonian handball, football, tennis etc.

"Enough is enough. I have never been insulted and belittled as was the case over the past few days. I have taken a decision, as much as it is a difficult one. This is the last season of my investments in the three Macedonian clubs", says Samsonenko.


He stresses the clubs will afterwards be handed over to the former owners, "in excellent shape, having champions' trophies in their cabinets, good ranking and debt-free".

Pertaining to the tickets for the Vardar-Fenerbahce match, Samsonenko says they will be sold at a unified price of MKD 300 (EUR 5), regardless of the stand, whereas those who have already purchased tickets will be refunded.

In comparison, the initial ticket prices for the match ranged between MKD 2,000-3,000. (EUR 32-50).