The memories of that match against Ireland still linger on though.
There are certain names that will forever be etched in the sporting memory of Irish football fans. Thierry Henry, Toto Schillaci, Wim Jonk and you can add the name of Giorgi Hristov to that list because his strike proved to be decisive in Skopje during that infamous World Cup qualifier.
Jason McAteer’s kung-fu kick, *that*orange jersey and two penalties conceded. Yep, the game also happened to fall on April’s Fools Day. Fitting.
In fact, the legacy of that game was the fact that the Irish squad crated a bib for poor trainers that said : “I had a Macedonia.”
Well, that bib – if it’s still around – will now read “I had a Republic of Northern Macedonia” because Greece and Macedonia have now reached an accord to resolve a dispute over the former Yugoslav republic’s name that has troubled relations between the two countries for decades.
Macedonia will now be known as the Republic of Northern Macedonia, or Severna Makedonija in Macedonian.
As stated by Reuters, the dispute over the “Macedonia” name had disrupted relations between the two countries at least since 1991, when Macedonia broke away from former Yugoslavia, declaring its independence under the name Republic of Macedonia.
Greece, which has a northern region also called Macedonia bordering on the ex-Yugoslav republic, objected to the name, demanding it be changed.
Well, the dispute has been settled and the new name will be used both internationally and bilaterally. The English name could be used as well as the Slavic term.
BREAKING: Macedonia ends dispute with Greece by agreeing to new name: the Republic of Northern Macedonia
— The Associated Press (@AP) June 12, 2018
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