The government of North Macedonia has honored 22 athletes with national recognition and lifetime pensions of around €1,000 for their achievements in football, basketball, and handball—specifically for their success in the Champions League and EuroLeague with local or international clubs.

What stands out is the absence of any ethnic Albanian athletes on the list. Prime Minister Hristijan Mickoski confirmed that there were no Albanian representatives among the recipients.

Notable names on the list include:

• Goran Pandev (football)

• Darko Pančev (football)

• Ilija Najdoski (football)

• Pero Antić (basketball)

• Kiril Lazarovski (basketball)

Asked by journalists whether there weren’t any deserving Albanian athletes for such recognition, Prime Minister Mickoski stated:
“These are athletes who have achieved top-level results with their clubs in European competitions. We’re exclusively referring to the Champions League or the EuroLeague in basketball… Apart from those you saw today, there are no other names who have won the Champions League or EuroLeague.”

The ceremony was attended by the Minister of Sports, Borče Ristovski, while his deputy from the ruling VLEN coalition, Safije Sadiki Shaini, was notably absent.

The Albanian opposition party DUI (BDI) reacted to the exclusion, calling the selection unfair and discriminatory.