From the special reporter "Vijesti"
Istanbul, - If even one opponent at this moment can be said to be nowhere near the reputation and quality of the Montenegrin water polo players, then it is tonight's - Turkey will, therefore, almost certainly be just a light warm-up for the duel with Croatia, which could eliminate everything dilemmas about placement in the final tournament of the World League.
However, the "sharks" do not want to think so arrogantly (even though the Turks scored only five goals against Croatia and Greece in the first two rounds of the World League), because it is the approach that must be top-notch in order for the result to reflect the difference in class between tonight's two opponents...
"Everyone knows the difference between the two teams, three points have already been scored, but we also want to leave a good impression. We need that, because through this match we are also preparing for the Croats," said Dragan Drašković.
The meeting with a weak rival allows everyone in the Montenegrin team to turn their attention earlier to the match with Croatia, which, whether the players want to admit it or not, is a priority at the moment.
"I expect a hellishly difficult match, more difficult than the one in Zagreb. Croatia will certainly approach the match in Kotor differently, and we are a young team, we play in a changed composition and oscillations in the game are normal," Drašković added.
In your opinion, what are the chances of Montenegro reaching the final tournament?
"I wouldn't speak in percentages, because it's ungrateful, but certainly the story about the final tournament is realistic. The most important thing is that we ask ourselves, we earned that right with a convincing victory in Zagreb, but that doesn't have to mean anything. When you look at the squads and quality, I think Croatia is the favorite in Kotor and the pressure is on them".
And do you feel the pressure?
"The national team always has the pressure of good results, because it creates it for itself. Of course, now some things have changed, the team is quite different, and a lot of pressure and pressure can hurt us. We need to enable young players to play to the best of their ability, and that is achieve only if they have freedom".
How much can the fact that you have a much easier match today than Croatia visiting the Greeks affect the preparation for the duel with the "barracudas"?
"It is a detail that can certainly be important, but I still think that Croatia is quite experienced, it is made up of players who constantly play strong matches every three days, so this is not new to them either. We will probably enter the derby more rested, I hope that we will use it".
By the way, the Montenegrin expedition landed in Istanbul a little after 16 pm local time yesterday.
"Kemal Ataturk" airport was nowhere near as spectacularly full and noisy as seven days earlier when football master Wesley Sneijder stepped on it - the Dutchman was then welcomed by almost a thousand Galatasaray fans.
Mišić: I'm happy to be here
Saša Mišić makes his debut for the senior team tonight, three and a half years after he last appeared for Montenegro at the Mediterranean Games in Pescara.
In a roundabout way, through Macedonia, for which he played until recently, Mišić is now part of the team in which he has the obligation to properly replace Boris Zloković, who left the "Sharks" after the Olympic Games.
"I inherited the best, in my opinion Boris is number one when it comes to centers. I'm glad to be here, thanks to coach Ranko Perović for the invitation and I'll do my best to prove myself," Mišić said just before last night's training session - swimming pool in Istanbul.
And on the way to proving himself, this anchor of Hungarian Debrecen does not want to choose rivals.
"I take Turkey very seriously, so does the whole team. We are certainly thinking about the match with Croatia, but we have been in this sport long enough to know that we must not underestimate anyone," said Mišić, who won the LEN Cup with Qatar in 2010.
Four easy wins in the past
Montenegro and Turkey have played four matches against each other in a short time (since the acquisition of Montenegrin independence). And in none of them, according to expectations, there were no problems for the team led by Petar Porobić, and then Ranko Perović.
Tonight's rivals played two games in the World League (in the 2010/11 season), but also one in a major competition - it was at the European Championship in Zagreb, where the "sharks" finished in 5th place. The last time Montenegro and Turkey met was in April 2012 in the qualification for the Olympic Games.
Professional staff stronger for - psychotherapist!
Before the duel with Turkey, the professional staff of the national water polo team received one reinforcement - specialist in sports psychology and psychotherapist Tanja Mitrović.
So the "sharks" just "copied" the other big national teams that have long had a person who can help the team without being tied exclusively to the water polo sport.
"I would have strengthened the coaching staff a long time ago if I had known that there was a specialist in sports psychology in Montenegro. But it is not too late either. Tanja will help the players, above all when it comes to concentration," said selector Ranko Perović.
Does this mean that you are not satisfied with the team's concentration?
"It's not about that, we simply did now what other national teams have done before. Every team needs such a person in the coaching staff and it will certainly be useful," said Perović.
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