North Macedonia Welcomes Home Handball Champions

Macedonians gathered at Skopje airport on Monday to serenade the victorious male handball team following its sensational victory on Sunday in Germany.

Thousands of others took to the streets to cheer their heroes as the team mounted an open-topped double-decker bus that journeyed from the airport to the city's main Macedonia Square for the main celebration.

Vardar came back from Cologne on Sunday having won the championship after beating Telekom Veszprem of Hungary 27:24 in the final of the EHF Champions League.

The championship title and the hero's welcome brought back memories of 2017, when Vardar, who were seen as the underdogs then as well, won the title for the first time.

Skopje-based Vardar was the first men's handball club in North Macedonia to ever win the EHF Champions League.

In women's handball, that honour goes to the legendary team Kometal from Skopje who also won the European Champions League in 2002, bringing joy to thousands of Macedonians at the time.

Photo: EPA-EFE/GEORGI LICOVSKI

Photo: EPA-EFE/GEORGI LICOVSKI

Photo: EPA-EFE/GEORGI LICOVSKI

Photo: EPA-EFE/GEORGI LICOVSKI

Photo: EPA-EFE/GEORGI LICOVSKI

Photo: EPA-EFE/GEORGI LICOVSKI

Photo: EPA-EFE/GEORGI LICOVSKI

Photo: EPA-EFE/GEORGI LICOVSKI

Photo: EPA-EFE/GEORGI LICOVSKI

Photo: EPA-EFE/GEORGI LICOVSKI

Photo: EPA-EFE/GEORGI LICOVSKI

Photo: EPA-EFE/GEORGI LICOVSKI

Photo: EPA-EFE/GEORGI LICOVSKI