Vardar start shopping spree

Recently crowned Macedonian champions Vardar Pro have secured their first signings for next season, with the majority coming from Russian side Chekhovskie Medvedi.

Four players will move from the Russian champions to Skopje: line player Mikhail Chipurin, right wing Daniil Shishkarev, left back Alexey Rastvortsev and left wing Timur Dibirov.

Besides the four Russian internationals, Vardar have signed Serbian line player Alen Toskic  from Celje Pivovarna, right back Stefan Terzic from VELUX EHF Champions League winners HSV Hamburg and right wing Matijaz Brumen from Cimos Koper.

“I can confirm that all of these players will play in Vardar next season. Some of them have already signed contracts and some will do it in the next day or two,” said Sergey Samsonenko, sports director at the club.

European adventure

Vardar recently ended HC Metalurg’s three-year domination in the domestic league with a win against their rival in the last game of the season and have qualified for the Group Phase of the VELIX EHF Champions League.

The club’s ambitions are to repeat the success of HC Metalurg, who reached the quarter-finals of the European top flight, to defend their domestic title and to reach the final tournament in the SEHA League.

They have managed to keep most of their players from last season, with only Vukasin Rajkovic (who leaves to Austria), Vuk Lazovic and Nikola Markovski (both to Metalurg) departing the club over the summer.

Samsonenko announced that there will more reinforcements, which have yet to be confirmed and the hunt to replace Veselin Vujovic as head coach continues after his one year suspension.