Budvani ready for the season: A combination of youth and experience, the team is ready for a breakthrough

Water polo club Budva Budvanska riviera enters the season with ambitions to be competitive on the domestic stage, to compete with favorites Jadran and Primorje - said director Nenad Franeta.

The biggest reinforcement is certainly the return of national team member Dragan Drašković, and there is a new face on the bench, where Drago Pejaković was succeeded by Igor Martinović.

"We cannot follow the financial investments of teams from Croatia and Serbia, and we will be competitive on the domestic stage. We have brought together experienced and young players, there is Dragan Drašković, as well as younger representatives from Budva who, with quality work, will get a chance in the upcoming period regional competition," says Franeta and adds:

"Drago Pejaković will work with the younger categories, we also hired Petr Vic and I think we have finally gathered a serious coaching staff. We work with generations from 2007 to 2010 and they are very successful in their categories. With the experience of coaches, we can make a step forward in by which they would be recognizable in Montenegro," Franeta pointed out.

The swimming pool in Budva is a salvation for the Budva Riviera, but also for the Kotor clubs. It's not easy to coordinate training dates...

"The situation with the infrastructure has been a problem for many years. We did not take care of these things in time and now they are paying too quickly. If in the coming period the state and local governments do not pay attention to water polo and the large number of children who play sports, we will come in a situation where success is if we even qualify for a competition. This does not have to be a criticism, but an appeal and we are looking for the minimum of what is normal in this century - to have swimming pools, conditions and continue on the path of previous generations who were champions of Europe, vice-champions of the world ...", Franeta pointed out.

In addition to Drašković, reinforcements include Jakša Kosić, a child of the club and a returnee from Greece, and goalkeeper Nikola Kolesko and Maksim Zardan of Kazakhstan.

Petar Ćetković, Stefan Kovačević and Milija Mandić are still in the club, and the young national team members Korać, Vukčević, Dragović, Ivanović are also expected to play more minutes...

The season starts already next weekend with duels in the Cup of Montenegro.

Budva will host the first tournament from November 7 to 9.