Vardar 2-3 Defeat by Riga in UEFA Conference League Highlights Coach's Disappointment

Macedonian champions Vardar lost 2-3 to Latvian side Riga in the opening match of the second qualifying round of the UEFA Conference League. The game was played at Todor Proeski Stadium in Skopje before roughly 2,000 spectators, coinciding with Vardar’s 79th anniversary.

Vardar took an early lead in the 28th minute when Diego Castaneda scored. Riga responded quickly, turning the match around with goals by Gallo and Siker, and later secured the win with a decisive strike from Reginaldo in the 81st minute after Vardar had equalised through a header by Gerzon Rodrigues in the 66th minute.

Vardar’s coach Cristian Fabiani expressed mixed feelings, stating, “I’m happy with how we played, but disappointed by the mistakes that caused the loss.” He blamed goalkeeper errors for the defeat, took personal responsibility, and noted that without those mistakes the result could have been better. Fabiani added that the team will look to overturn the deficit in the upcoming away leg in Latvia.

After the match, photographs showed Riga players creating disorder in Vardar’s dressing‑room, breaking furniture and leaving trash behind, a situation that added tension ahead of the second leg.