Ivović: It is necessary that the younger ones get a chance

In the first official match after the Olympic Games, the Montenegrin water polo players are playing against the toughest possible opponent at the moment - the rival is Croatia, the current Olympic champion, but also the defending champion in the World League.

With a rejuvenated team, and what is equally important, with only six players who were in the squad in London, Ranko Perović marked the new cycle of the Montenegrin national team with last night's training in Kotor and the beginning of the only way the "sharks" could save their rating, because time passes for the more experienced, and the young have to show that they are a guarantee for the future.

"I believe that this is a real test for the younger players, because Croatia, as the Olympic champion, is certainly a great motivation. It is important that the team rejuvenates, it is simply necessary, you see that there are not many players who performed at the Olympic Games in London." , said Aleksandar Ivović.

The popular Leka is therefore ready to assume the role of leader in the team, because he is the only player in this team who has appeared in all major competitions since the existence of the national team.

"We older, more precisely, more experienced players in the national team have to do everything to make the situation easier for the debutants, to relax them so that they can play the best they can. It's time to expand the base, to see who we can count on, because it is evident that we are in a deficit with young players," Ivović explained.

Since this season, Ivović has been a member of Dubrovnik Jug, for which a large number of Croatian national team members play, and he points out that even in the "barracuda" camp they know that Montenegro has changed a lot.

"Croats have been preoccupied with themselves in the last month, there was a change of coach, Miho Bošković and Damir Burić temporarily retired from the national team, which raised a lot of dust. However, they are in the process of rejuvenating the team, even though they know most of the players." Ivovic said.

The youngest of the old guard of goalkeepers remained - Miloš Šćepanović. Jadran's goalkeeper and hero from Malaga supports the decision of the coaching staff to use this World League for rejuvenation. The group with Montenegro and Croatia also includes Turkey and Greece, which is the next opponent (November 3 in Budva).

"It's the right thing, because one Olympic cycle has ended and by the nature of things there are changes in almost every national team. Young players are now the leaders of the game in our clubs and now they need to start proving themselves in the national team. They are the future of our water polo, and very soon we will know whether that future is bright", said the guard of the "Shark" network.

Šćepanović is, along with Antoni Petrović, the oldest member of this team (both recently turned 30).

- It is frivolous to threaten Croatia when we are in this composition, without a large number of players from London, as well as without Nikola Vukčević who was injured. The result should not put pressure on this team - Šćepanović concluded.

Vukčevi does not travel

Coach Ranko Perović will not be able to count on Nikola Vukčević, who dropped out due to a groin injury, against Croatia at the start of the World League.

In addition to the center of Budva, at this moment there are too many Aleksandar Radović, Miljan Popović, Nikola Marković (all due to injuries), as well as the goalkeeper of Primorje Aleksandro Kralj.

13 players went to Zagreb, among them - goalkeepers: Miloš Šćepanović, Dejan Lazović.

Backs: Antonio Petrović, Dragan Drašković, Uroš Čučković, Aleksandar Ivović, Radovan Latinović.

External: Vjekoslav Pasković, Darko Brguljan, Draško Brguljan, Luka Sekulić.

Centers: Filip Klikovac, Nemanja Vico.

Changes in Croatia as well

The new coach of Croatia, Ivica Tucak, has quite a combination for this campaign.

But the former coach of Jadran was forced to do so, because Igor Hinić, Frano Vićan and Damir Barać said goodbye to the national team after the Games in London, and Damir Burić and Miho Bošković temporarily retired...

Tucak's roster for the matches with Montenegro and Turkey includes: Josip Pavić, Marko Bijač, Duje Jelovina, Nikša Dobud, Fran Paškvalin, Ivan Krapić, Andro Bušlje, Ivan Buljubasic, Luka Lončar, Marko Macan, Maro Joković, Paolo Obradović, Anđelo Šetka, Kristijan Milaković, Sandro Sukno, Petar Muslim, Ante Vukičević and Luka Bukić.